Caring for Others Starts with Caring for Yourself – A Message from Dr. Arpan Waghray

Saturday, March 30 is Doctors’ Day, an observance that serves as a reminder of the important role doctors play in our lives, healing and caring for us during our most vulnerable moments. Our doctors are working every day to improve our collective health, and the 30^th will be a day to acknowledge those efforts in caring for patients. It should also be a day to encourage doctors to take care of themselves.

The weight of working in medicine and health has vastly increased since the start of the pandemic four years ago. This has significantly impacted the well-being of our nation’s doctors, who continue to work while experiencing unprecedented demand, stress and anxiety, leading to burnout and, in some cases, suicidal ideation or death by suicide. Doctors need self-care now, more than ever before.

As a physician, I’m incredibly fortunate to feel empowered to look after my own health and well-being. This isn’t by accident, as I know how patients can be impacted if I’m not at my best. That said, I acknowledge that my development of self-care skills happened long before the health landscape changed in 2020, and that it isn’t a flip of a switch to better care of yourself. It takes practice, persistence, and hope.

Thankfully, for both directly employed and non-employed affiliated physicians, a bevy of resources are available on ChooseWell, including toolkits, media, crisis support numbers and, for directly employed physicians specifically, access to Lyra, a confidential service provided by Providence’s Caregiver Assistance Program. (Internal links only accessible for Providence-employed physicians).

If you’re a physician reading this, thank you for all you do. I’m hopeful that you’re doing what you need to take care of yourself. You deserve the quality of care you provide your patients.