Dear Wellness Community,
Spring is in the air with longer and lighter days returning! The trees with new buds and blooms and the first flowering bulbs inspire awe and remind us of the patience, resilience, and persistence of the natural world to overcome obstacles and the cold and dark days of winter.
It is no wonder that so many cultural traditions and holidays coincide with the return of spring. Stories of triumph, rebirth, and new beginnings are told and celebrated in community with the holidays of Purim, Holi, Ostara, Nowruz, Ramadan, Lent/Easter and others. What a perfect time to celebrate Women’s History Month as well! As we honor the resiliency and persistence of nature, women, and the whole of humanity, may we also recognize and celebrate these qualities in ourselves and each other.
Reflecting on these themes, I am reminded of the seasons of your journey as trainees and the resiliency and persistence you all possess. The season signals the homestretch of the academic year, and for some of you the conclusion of your training. I hope you will make time to reflect on your experiences and accomplishments – holding these with compassion, kindness, and perhaps a sense of awe. I often experience awe as I hear your stories – your triumphs and tribulations – and those of your patients and their families.
This month’s issue includes opportunities for celebrating the season and holidays, along with other fun events, grant/educational opportunities, and a summer camp guide for the kiddos! I also want to highlight Dr. Keltner’s new book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life – a valuable read (or listen on Audible). Dr. Keltner explains the many ways we can cultivate and experience awe, which is integral to our well-being.
Finally, thank you to all who came out for the Underground Tour – hosted by Julia and Howard. It was an enjoyable time in the belly of the city with some surprising information and laughs! We would love to hear your ideas for future events and community building activities. Please let us know by completing this brief 3 question Wellness Event Survey!
Warmly,
This week’s Wellness Corner authored by:
Patty Long-Brohm, LICSW
GME Wellness Counselor
Monday – Wednesday at Seattle Children’s Hospital
pattylb@uw.edu
GME Wellness Counseling
Contents
Grants and Trainings
- Have an idea for community building, well-being, or improving practice efficiency in your program? Apply for a Well-Being Grant! Application deadline April 21st – with project completion due date of May 1st, 2024.
- Application deadline approaching for the Clime Education Scholarship Grants. “CIME’s mission is to create a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community that works together to optimize teaching skills, foster educator career development, and support educational scholarship.” Applications due March 31st.
- Don’t forget to register for the upcoming PDDS series Restorative Practice Workshop for program directors, associate program directors, key faculty and program administrators (as space allows) – on March 28th or April 27th at 9a.
- Register for the IAMSE Spring Web Seminar Series: Widening the Road to Health Professions Education: Expanding Access for Diverse and Underserved Populations. Thursdays in March, 9a-10a. Webinars are recorded and will be sent out after the live session.
The Awe of Spring
- AWE is abundantly found in nature this time of year! Listen to Shankar Vedantam’s latest Hidden Brain episode with Dacher Keltner on his new book – Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.
- Get your garden started with organic seedlings from the Tilth Alliance’s Edible Plant Sale, March 18th, 9am-3pm, Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands, 5513 S Cloverdale St.
- Get out for a hike or stroll on Free State Park Day, March 19th. Use this Interactive State Park Map or this top 10 list to make plans!
- Cherry Blossom run/walk celebration at UW – March 25th (5k run/walk) and 26th (half-marathon). Space limited to be sure to register soon!
- Make your plans for the upcoming Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, April 1st-30th.
Women’s History Month
- The 2023 theme is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories. Share your story (or that of an important woman in your life) and listen to stories in honor of Women’s History Month at Story Corps!
- Find AWE in this a phenomenal group of diverse women activists that Lizzo amplifies in her 2022 The People’s Champion acceptance speech!
- Discover nonprofit organizations supporting women and girls. Join the UWCFD at a nonprofit expo, Tuesday, March 28th, 11:30a-1p. UW Tower north cafeteria.
- Join the Obama Foundation and others in support of the Girls Opportunity Alliance’s Get Her There campaign – supporting girls’ education around the world. Donate!
- Check out one of the 250+ women-owned businesses in the Pike Market! Plus, many more throughout the city. Use this interactive map to explore!
Seattle Jewish Film Fest
St. Patrick’s Day
Mountain PRIDE
Spring Celebrations
- Celebrate Holi – the Festival of Color – at the biggest color festival in the PNW. March 18th, from 12p-5p at Marymoor Park. Come enjoy music, dancing, food and of course COLORS! This is FREE event, organized by the Vedic Cultural. Registration is mandatory! Colors must be purchased. Register and purchase colors!
- Join the Iranian Society of Washington State in celebrating Nowruz – Persian New Year – Sunday, March 19th, 12p-5p. This FREE family friendly event will be held at AL Locke Pavilion, Marina Park, Kirkland. “Enjoy a traditional haft-seen, festive music, dancing, face painting, and magic show.”
- Celebrate Ostara/Spring Equinox with a forest walk at the UW Arboretum, Saturday, March 25th, 10a-12p. Meet at the Graham Visitors Center. FREE registration (donations accepted).
Black Lives Matter
- Celebrate playfulness, dance, and Black female empowerment in this performance by Camille A. Brown & Dancers: BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play! Meany Center, March 16-18th.
- In honor of Women’s History Month, check out this powerful compilation centering on Black women’s activism from BlackPast.org.
- The Foundational Insights Seminar Series with Fred Hutch/UW/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium presents: Mica Estrada’s lecture on How Kindness Grows Inclusion and Equity in Academia. Monday, March 20th, 10-11a. Hybrid event details (with QR code for zoom link).
- Check out Nwando Anyaoku’s powerful TedTalk: Inviting Diverse Stories into Medicine! Dr. Anyaoku speaks to the power and importance of sharing our unique stories and backgrounds and prioritizing diversity in medicine.
Cathedral Yoga
Support Iranian Exiles
Transgender Day of Visibility
Entertainment
- Dance it out at SNAP! 90s vs 2000s Dance Party at the LoFi (SLU), March 18th (and every 3rd Saturday) at 9p.
- March Madness! Check out NCAA Division Women’s Basketball Regionals at Climate Pledge Arena. March 24-27th.
- Looking for something different? Check out the Moisture Festival – a comedy-variety-burlesque show of short acts! March 23rd – April 16th. Broadway Performance Hall, Capitol Hill.
- Don’t miss Bill Maher at the Paramount Theater, April 1st, 8p! Tickets starting at $55.
Parent Corner
- Family friendly Holi “Festival of Color” Event, March 25th, 1-3pm, at the Phinney Center. Come to celebrate with music, dancing, food and colors! Registration Required!
- Join Katie Davis, Associate Professor at the UW Information School, for this Town Hall lecture The Role of Digital Media in the Ages and Stages of Growing Up. Learn more and get tickets for this hybrid event on March 23rd, 7p-8:30p.
- Be sure to start your summer camp planning for your kiddos with this list of summer camps and activities compiled by the UW WorkDay team. Also, Thank You to Dr. Megan Gray (neonatology) for sharing these valuable resources for more exhaustive camp lists: from Summer Camp Scout and this amazing spreadsheet!
- Family friendly Spring Hikes in the Seattle Area!
Mindfulness Minute
- Check out this Awe Video practice Yosemite HD! Review all 5 Awe exercises from the Greater Good Science Center!
- Drop-in mindfulness meditation at the Frye Museum (704 Terry Ave) – 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 12:30p-1p – Led by Kristoffer Rhoads, PhD is a psychologist at Harborview and a UW associate professor of Neurology. Listen to previously recorded sessions here!
Wellness Corner Quick Links
Gems from Treasure Valley
- Tiny Beautiful Things – “is a play about reaching when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions that have no answers.” Running March 8th-25th at the BCT! Be sure to get your Tickets!
- Celebrate the season with music and community at the Treefort Music Festival, downtown Boise, March 22nd-26th.
- Spring is around the corner, time to tend our gardens! Whether you have dedicated space or are working with pots, gardening promotes well-being! Check out this blog From Boise with a wealth of local gardening resources!
Got Feedback for Us?
We’d love to hear it! Share your thoughts about the Wellness Corner, suggestions for future events, discounts or articles to highlight, or anything else you’d like to share. Please email your thoughts to Dipti Chrastka (diptic@uw.edu), Julia Kocian (jkocian@uw.edu), Patty Long-Brohm (pattylb@uw.edu), and/or Howard Schafer (hischa5@uw.edu).