This blog is personal.  It’s part Ob/Gyn, part wellness in daily living, and part my own reflections on being a doctor and a mom.  This is a glimpse into the personal side.

Recently, I hit a wall.  Too busy at work.  Too busy at home.  Not enough time spent doing the things that matter most.  Even though it’s so obvious to me in hindsight, it took me a while to realize that I needed to pare down my to do list and slow my pace.  And in this process, I ended up taking a much longer than intended break from writing posts and emailing my community.

I shared this with my subscribers in an email and here’s what I wrote:

The last three months have been a heightened level of busy for me.  Looking back on all the go-go-go-busy-bee-ness makes my shoulders tense and my brow crinkle.

Work life:  Lots of babies born and lots of patients in the office.

Home life: Maintenance projects.  Air conditioning dying.  (Yes, my family and I are first world, pansies.  Here in the southeast, it was hot, humid and we love our artificially cooled air.)

My perception of feeling overly busy is not unique.  Lots of people are overextended. Worn out from multi-tasking.  It’s the new norm.  Hustle to do it all, have it all, advance careers, make more money, be super-parents to super-kids, stay in shape, run a tidy house, keep in touch with friends, and be good daughters, wives, girlfriends, colleagues. This high-octane, do-it-all, have-it-all approach is a recipe for burnout.  Why?  It’s not realistic or sustainable.

It’s such a common phenomenon, that there are (thriving) businesses and blogs that specifically help people counter these frantic habits and to find ways to have more ease in their day to day.

{{For example, Rachael Cook is a mom of three, entrepreneurial MBA who helps other entrepreneurs deliberately design their businesses to cultivate balance and ease in their personal lives.  Her Fired Up and Focused Challenge is amazing.  Andy Puddicombe of HeadSpace has a free app that guides you through 10 minutes a day of meditation in a way that doesn’t feel overly new-agey.  And lastly, I just received a lovely email video from Vanessa Loder and Lisa Abramson of Mindfulness Based Achievement all about the difficulty, yet importance, of saying no.}}

Ironically, I know it is vital to slow down, single task, and live more mindfully in the present.  I counsel my patients about it daily.  But, when it comes to remembering this wisdom for myself, I have not been so wise.  For one thing, my work materializes at unpredictable times.  (3am, on call, phone call: “Hello…no, I’m sorry, but, I can’t make you an appointment for tomorrow.  Yes, I totally understand the ER wants you to get an appointment this week.  What you’ll have to do is call back during office hours, and they can help you.  Umm, no, I’m so sorry, but I can’t make that appointment for you right now.  No, ma’am, I’m not at the office right now…”)

And when tired, it seems genius to multitask and run on empty.

All this to say, I’m working to dial things back, to slow down, and to do less, so I can be more in tune with what’s most important.  I don’t want to look back in ten years, wonder where my life went and wish I’d spent more time cuddling with my daughter and laughing with my husband.  That idea that no one ever looks back on their life and wishes they’d spent more time working, but rather, appreciates most the precious times with family, with friends, enjoying simple pleasures, really resonates with me.

All this led me to take a much needed break from generating content for the blog and for the Pregnancy Primer.  While I’m so grateful for slowing down, I’ve missed writing and interacting with you.

For those of you who have been with me for a while, thank you for staying tuned in!  If you are new here, I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.

Soon, there will be more women’s health notes coming your way.

And for those of you who are pregnant or planning to be, soon, there will be more pregnancy resources for you to dive into.

Until then, cheers,

Your single tasking, slowed down, trying to be mindful, obgyn,

Kristi Angevine