Operation Oxygen Mask (OOM) Week 1: Being in Nature

When we first realized what Covid was going to mean for us, I knew we had to make sure we were taking care of ourselves as well. I started handing out cards with a quick breathing exercise on it, I brought in my blender so we could make smoothies at the SouthSide… but then things got busier and I got caught up with all of the typical (and atypical) responsibilities. This is what we do when life gets busy! But these are precisely the most important times for us to slow down, check in with ourselves, and make sure we are charging our own batteries so that we can continue to give to those around us. This is one of the things I’m really passionate about – it’s part of why I went into medicine, and it’s why I’m doing an integrative medicine fellowship. So, I’m going to try this again, but this time in a bigger and better way. Every Wednesday (at least for the next month, maybe longer depending on what kind of feedback I get) I’ll be sending out an e-mail with suggestions for looking after your own sense of well-being. I can’t take credit for these handouts, they are coming from Dr. Rick Miller and his team at First Choice in Albuquerque. They’re calling it “Operation Oxygen Mask,” – you know, put your own mask on first. Each week has a basic idea, and three levels of activity that you can do. Hopefully they’ll even become habits. Here’s the first one: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mXQtiu1UHadprftvtNsQ0Pvx5CAfOpCObbivdCoUrYc/edit?usp=sharing

Part of the power of this is that we will all be doing it together. I encourage you all to choose a “buddy” that you can do these activities with or talk about how they are going for you. My dream is that I will overhear people talking about it in the hallway. And please, please let me know what you think! If everyone tells me this just feels like more annoying e-mails, I’ll cut it out. (They won’t all be long like this, I promise.) If you have ideas for how to make it better and want to team up, I want to hear them!

This past month has made it more clear than ever before that this pandemic is a marathon, and it is testing our patience and limits in ways that we may not even consciously recognize. Let’s be sure we are taking the time to love ourselves and one another. I’m confident we will all be happier and healthier!