Self-Care

The act of caring for yourself, for example by eating and sleeping well, taking exercise and getting help so that you do not become ill.

“Physicians must acknowledge that they are subject to normal human limitations and attend to rest, breaks, sleep, personal relationships, and individual needs.”[1] This applies to all individuals in academic medicine including learners, educators and researchers. Shanafelt calls physicians to embrace their human qualities and to stop reinforcing the mindset of perfectionism in medicine.

[1] Shanafelt TD. Physician Well-being 2.0: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? Mayo Clin Proc. 2021 Oct;96(10):2682-2693. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.06.005. PMID: 34607637.