Dear Wellness Community,
As we welcome 2022, I reflect on what the new year often symbolizes – possibilities, new beginnings, an opportunity to clarify our goals and intentions. Yet, we find ourselves in another Covid surge that is stretching the limits of our system, our personal reserves, and our communities often in disproportionate ways. So let us be gentle with ourselves – allowing ourselves time for rest and connection – while being open to possibilities and dreams for the new year!
In honoring the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded of the importance of lifting each other up, maintaining hope, and remaining resolute in our commitment for equity and justice. These are qualities I see as I work with many of you. I continue to be struck by your perseverance, care and commitment to your patients and each other. You inspire me!
In this month’s issue, you will find ideas for inspiration, well-being, respite, and local events – celebrating MLK, Lunar New Year, winter, the hope of spring, the arts, and a special informational event on navigating parental leave.
Remember you are not alone. Please reach out to us on the Wellness Team for support and guidance!
With Gratitude,
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
Inspiration for the New Year!
- This! Amanda Gorman’s New Day’s Lyric!
- Be moved by cellist Gretchen Yanover in Cello in Connection – Virtual event, Friday, January 21st at 7:30 PM – with bandmates on bass and violin, poetry, and dance. $5!
- Tune into Zen teacher Reverend Angel Kyodo Williams’ on Untangle Podcast – “the perfect Zen antidote to new year’s resolutions and planning and striving.”
- Action for Happiness presents Richard Davidson, PhD (UW-Madison) – Wellbeing Skills! Be sure to check this out!
Navigating Parental Leave
- Join Director of Housestaff Affairs, Hayley Fisher, at GME’s Navigating Parental Leave for Resident Physicians event on Thursday, February 3rd, from 6:30-7:30pm. Open to all residents, fellows and guests this event intends to answer questions and educate GME trainees about the various provisions and considerations to take into account when planning for parental leave. Register here! Can’t make it? The event recording will be posted to the GME website after the event!
Finding Respite
- From the VA Chaplain Services: “Chaplain Service is responding to unprecedented staff distress and burn-out by creating a refuge for our fellow staff. The chapel in Seattle (BB-108) will now be open 24 hours a day with gentle music playing and contemplative photos displayed on screen. Come anytime day or night and refresh. Come whenever you like and stay as long as you are able. Breathe, meditate, pray, decompress. We cannot change the situation, but we can provide a bit of respite for the journey.”
- GME Office has reached out to UW Medicine facilities to see if we can develop similar spaces in our hospitals.
- Please check out this list of spaces for sleep/rest and quiet in UW hospitals!
Black Lives Matter
- Understanding Racial Trauma presented by Ashley McGirt-Adair, LICSW – Today, January 18th 4-5 PM (virtual). Part of the National Day of Racial Healing.
- Nationally recognized Black History 101 Mobile Museum – at UW Tacoma, January 19th, 11-4 PM. Featuring Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, museum founder, at 12:30 PM
- Historians of Hope! NW African American Museum curates quotes on hope from notable African American historians.
- Join Ijeoma Oluo in conversation with poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong who exposes “fresh truths about racialized consciousness in America.” Hybrid event: Friday, January 28th at 7:30 PM.
Fannie Lou Hamer
Interactive Story Time
Flower and Garden Show
Lunar New Year!
- Welcome the Year of the Water Tiger – “Generally, this will be a year for gaining back some strength and vitality after a hard-working and tiring 2021 (year of the metal ox).”
- Celebrate Chinese New Year in the International District on February 5th from 11-4 PM. Featuring Japanese Taiko drumming, martial arts, traditional lion and dragon dances, and the costume contest parade at Hing Hay Park.
- Celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year) – at the Seattle Center – February 12-13th. Details here!
- Full listing of the Lunar New Year celebrations at Seattle Met online!
Family Corner!
- Childproof (podcast) with Yasmeen Khan – “Childproof is a show about us, the parents, and how we can raise kids without losing track of ourselves in the process.” Check out the December 16th podcast on how parenthood changes everything!
- The Community of Mindful Parenting hosts weekly Communi-Tea Meditation sessions Friday mornings from 8:30 – 9 AM
- Virtual Spanish Story Time – Tuesdays 4-5 PM
- NW Film Forum presents Children’s Film Festival Seattle 2022 – February 11-20th (hybrid)
Mindfulness Minute
- Mindfulness in Residency – 3 guided meditations from Stanford Wellbeing Clinic.
- Join Kristin Neff for a foundational self-compassion exercise: Soften, Sooth, Allow!
Wellness Corner Quick Links
Entertainment
- Winter is here with plenty of snow to play in nearby! Check out this list of Winter Sports on ice and snow (and where/how to access)!
- Need a new series? Check out this list from the NY Times!
- Stream new independent films from SIFF!
Gems from Treasure Valley
- MLK Living Legacy Workshop: Lecture by local activist, Tai Simpson – January 19th, 6 PM, Bishop Barnwell Room (BSU Campus). Tai Simpson “The Storyteller” (Nez Perce Tribe) is an organizer for the Indigenous Idaho Alliance. Check out her Ted Talk – The Intergenerational Wisdom Woven Into Indigenous Stories.
- Get outside! Skiing and sledding at Bogus Basin. Hiking/biking the Ridge to River trails!
- $2 Tuesdays in February at the Boise Zoo!
- Boise Jazz Society presents Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – February 13th, 7:30 PM – Morrison Center for Performing Arts!
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) and/or Patty Long-Brohm (pattylb@uw.edu).