Clinician Wellness Hub

Home
Canada
Markham, ON
Clinician Wellness Hub

Helping healthcare practitioners and helping professionals thrive in life.

09/11/2023

Back to school! Just finished 5-day immersion week.

Feeling immense gratitude. In awe of the people here. I can’t believe I get to do this, and am feeling extremely lucky to be here.

My dream to study a master of applied positive psychology started 5 years ago. It feels surreal to be here—at University of Pennsylvania studying the science of well-being and flourishing with teachers like Martin Seligman, James Palwelski, and Barbara Fredickerson.

I’m interested in big questions like:
- how can we promote well-being (health) instead of hyperfocusing only fixing illness in healthcare
- What is the role of positive affect in helping our patients to actually adopt behaviours (do their home exercise program)?
- How can organizations support the well-being of their staff, by increasing trust, a sense of mattering, belonging? Wellbeing is not the sole responsibility of the individual.
- Applications of positive psychology to physical therapy and rehab

I hope to share what I learn along the way! For now, I’m savouring every moment…😊

05/30/2023

With my work this year, I’m really excited to place my focus on the topic of staff engagement, especially with healthcare professionals and helping professions.

In the era of the “great resignation” and “quiet quitting”, what can leaders do to engage their staff to help them optimize their well-being, fulfillment in work, which leads to better patient care and organizational growth?

Take a look at the Gallup G12. It is 12-item engagement survey that is backed by a comprehensive study of over 2.7 million workers across 100,000+ diverse teams in 50+ industries.

What are your thoughts?

01/27/2022

When we think of a good job, we often think about the salary and earning potential. And yes, 100%, those are really important. Your hourly wage, or your percentage split. At the end of the day, we need to make a good income to live!

After those things are considered, do you also consider the other aspects that are key for your wellbeing? After all, we spend half our lives at work.

What is personally important to you may be different than the next person. The key is understanding yourself well, your own values, your skills, and what you need for work fulfillment.

What are the key ingredients for fulfilling work for YOU?

Rank how important the following is, for your work fulfillment:
➡️ Salary
➡️ Work hours/flexibility/vacation time
➡️ Commuting time
➡️ Health benefits
➡️ Relationships with coworkers, friendships at work
➡️ Work and team culture
➡️ Learning opportunities/growth
➡️ Collaborative vs Autonomous culture
➡️ Opportunities for wellbeing at work
➡️ Treatment philosophy of the clinic/hospital

I'm curious....what is your #1 thing you look for in your workplace (besides salary)?

Let us know in the comments. 👇🏻

01/12/2022

As you are reading this... take a deep breath and as you exhale, allow the tension and stress to leave your body. Let your scalp and your forehead relax and the muscles around your eyes to uncrinkle. Your head does not need to be tense for you to read. Let your jaw relax, and your shoulders relax. Breathe deeply. Let your stomach and pelvis relax.

Do you feel a difference? Was there a big change in your body since you started reading?

I led a virtual workshop last month and I asked a group of physiotherapists to mark where they experience stress physically in their body. They marked it all over the body chart...In their neck and shoulders, headaches, stomachaches, clenching their fists.

Sometimes we notice tension, pain, fatigue, in our bodies physically before we even cognitively notice that we're stressed.

Make it a practice to check-in with yourself daily, and make time for relaxation, even if its just a minute or 2.

A big thanks to for inviting me to speak to your team at ! It was so much fun learning how to use these interactive tools on zoom.

09/12/2021

It was such a pleasure to do an in-person workshop about overcoming burnout & compassion fatigue with a few weeks ago. It’s been over a year since I’ve done a workshop in-person. What a treat to see people’s lovely faces and to connect!

All my slots for in-person/virtual workshops are booked for 2021. If you would like to be on a waiting list to work together in 2022, email me at [email protected]

08/18/2021

A kind reminder that self-care is not selfish.

When you take care of yourself, you become the best version of yourself.

When you take care of yourself, you tell yourself that YOU are worth it.

When you are the best version of yourself, it has a ripple effect on everything and everyone around you.

07/28/2021

Feeling blah?

Things are re-opening here in Ontario, Canada, and getting back to somewhat “normal”.

But maybe you still feel exhausted, overall lackluster and missing that “spark” and zest for life.

Are you ready to thrive, not just survive?

In positive psychology, we have a term called Flourishing.

Flourishing is about moving NORTH of neutral. It’s about learning tools to be happier, healthier, and more fulfilled in our lives, rather than just feeling “okay” at baseline.

The mere absence of depression, anxiety, and burnout, is NOT wellbeing. Wellbeing is a lifelong journey….with no limits, of how happy and healthy you can be. It’s a daily commitment to show up to be the best version of yourself.

This photo is from when I presented to a group of PTs at the Ontario Physiotherapy Conference a few years ago.

I asked the audience, “what makes a happy, fulfilling, and meaningful life for you?”

Common themes always come up:
- Spending time with family and friends
- Having meaningful connections and relationships
- Doing hobbies and meaningful activities
- Spending time in nature
- Connecting with faith/religion

How will you intentionally spend your time, not just to survive, but to flourish?

07/21/2021

Things were very different before March 2020.

It’s okay to have changed in the last 1.5 years. It’s okay to have grown in this time.

Change with your priorities, values, and how you want to spend your time.

Maybe you are more protective of your down-time + me-time

Maybe you value your relationships and connection more now

Maybe you don’t want to go back to your busy go-go-go lifestyle.

Here’s your permission slip 📝 ....not that you need one from me:

You don’t have to pick up where you left off.

06/27/2021

Sundays are for planning how I want my week to go.

I make some tea, listen to some lofi music, and spend 1 hour to plan for success.

I first plan out my must-do work tasks for the week. My top 3 priorities of the week.

Then, I schedule in time to take care of myself. I schedule in 1-hour time blocks to do exercise, time in nature, social time, journal, etc.

If it's not in the schedule, it doesn't happen! Especially when I'm busy, exercise/socializing usually gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list.

If your health, relationships, career, etc, are important to you...

How do you make sure your WEEKLY schedule reflects that?

06/23/2021

Finding meaning in our day-to-day work to feel fulfilled. ⁣
⁣
⁣
Here are 3 questions I like to think about on my commute home from work. ⁣

⁣
⇾ What did I learn today? Did I build my knowledge and skills? What did I learn about myself? ⁣
⁣
⇾ Who did I connect with today? Were there memorable moments?⁣
⁣
⇾ What did I achieve today? What are some small wins to celebrate at the end of today?⁣
⁣
⁣
When we think about meaningful and fulfilling work, we think about our impact on society. An example of a “big moment" of work satisfaction/fulfillment, could be….when your patients express their gratitude towards you when you discharge them, and they express how much you’ve helped them. ⁣
⁣

Meaning can also found in the small moments. You make an impact in every interaction you have with people. ⁣

⁣
▶️ The energy and attitude you bring to work. Your energy affects everyone around you, a ripple effect. ⁣
⁣
▶️ Taking the extra 2 minutes to connect. Especially during these times, you might be your patient's only source of social interaction all week. ⁣
⁣
▶️ Your mindful presence when you listen to someone share their story.⁣
⁣
⁣

What is meaningful to you, when it comes to your work? I'd love to know. ⁣

06/21/2021

Monday morning mindset.

What's your intention for this week?

05/18/2021

Do you find it hard to say “no” when people ask you for help?

As healthcare workers, it’s in our blood to want to help and care for everyone. But…..it’s literally impossible.

When you say yes to every single helping request, you end up feeling overextended, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Too exhausted to take care of yourself.

This sometimes means having to make some difficult decisions, difficult conversations, and saying no. It’s important to keep the big picture in mind. It’s important to prioritize your own health and wellbeing, so that you can continue doing this work long-term without burning out.

Saying “no” can sound like:

“I cannot offer my services for free.”

“I can’t chat right now, I need to finish documenting.”

“I’m not available that day to see patients, I am taking vacation.”

“I’m honoured that you would ask me to help, but I can’t add anything else to my workload right now.”

“I know I am working from home, but I’m still maintaining normal business hours, and I do not respond to emails or calls after 5pm.”

Is it hard for you to say no?

09/22/2020

Life is happening right 𝑛𝑜𝑤, not later 🌟.
What are some ways you can enjoy the present moment?
I catch myself thinking, when the pandemic is over “Oh I’ll get to go back to the gym”, I’ll get to travel!”, or that I can enjoy certain things when I’ve reached a level of success.
While these are all things I still want to do, I want to remind myself to enjoy NOW as well. Spending time outdoors enjoying the foliage 🍁. Going apple picking 🍎. Doing a corn maze with friends 🌽.
What things are you enjoying 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤? Share with me in the comments 👇🏻

09/17/2020

In moments of conflict, stress, and difficulty, remind yourself that everyone is challenged right now and everyone is trying their best 🌟
When we come across conflict, usually our first instinct is to blame. Think about when you’re driving and someone cuts you off. “What a bad driver”, you think. Similarity at work, it’s easy to automatically blame someone for things that go wrong, or conflict that arises. But this doesn’t solve anything.
Whether it is at work or at home, remember...:
🌟Everyone is trying to do their best, with the resources they have right now.🌟
Shifting your internal question from “who’s to blame?” ➡️ “what’s possible? What are my choices?” Focusing on solutions that are win-win, instead or assigning blame.

We’re all trying our best 🌟. Virtual hugs to all! ❤️😊

09/10/2020

Self-care helps us be the best version of ourselves, it increases our capacity to care for others 🌟

09/09/2020

For us that work in a caring role, there are some unique challenges that can come up throughout our career. Being aware is key 🔑 so we can optimize our wellbeing. ⁣
⁣
➡️  Burnout: Chronic workplace stress that has not been managed. This can happen when your workload is higher than your resources. ⁣
⁣
➡️  Compassion fatigue : A feeling of emotional exhaustion that happens as a results from hearing about or supporting⁣
a client who has suffered either emotionally or physically. ⁣
⁣
➡️  Vicarious Trauma: Repeatedly being exposed to stories of trauma can begin to alter the worldview of the helper. For example, if you always work with those who are diagnosed with traumatic life-altering conditions, it can start to affect your perspective on health and on life, in either a positive or negative way.⁣
⁣
➡️  Ambiguous Endings⁣:
There’s an emotional bond that happens  when you work with patients, in a supportive & caring role. Sudden, unexpected, or unresolved endings to that bond can be very distressing and draining. It's like a breakup without closure. Eg. You have seen a patient for years, and then suddenly stop coming back for an unknown reason. You aren’t sure why. You ask yourself: did they get better? Were they unhappy with your services? Did they move? Etc. Another example is that you have seen a patient for many months, and then suddenly pass away. ⁣
⁣
➡️  Professional uncertainty: This is especially evident for new grads. The beginner clinician has so many questions and they just wants some clear answers and direction. Unfortunately working in healthcare, many things are “grey” and not black.⁣
⁣
Have you experienced any of the following? Let me know in the comments below 👇🏻.

09/09/2020

What would you do if you weren’t scared?
Would you take action and follow your dreams?
Feel the fear and do it anyways!

09/08/2020

Happy world physical therapy day, to my fellow PTs! ❤️ 💪🏻
I am grateful to be a part of a profession that helps people to regain their function and achieve their goals! It is truly such rewarding work. Whether it is helping people recovering from a heart attack and being able to walk without breathlessness. Whether it is being able to walk after a stroke or a spinal cord injury. Being able to regain energy levels from cancer treatment. Getting back to a sport after an injury. The list goes on!

09/07/2020

Are you 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 of 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥, feeling blah? Me too.⁣
⁣
I'll be honest: I advocate a lot on self-care but I've totally stopped lately... Constant change and demands at work has been overwhelming and exhausting. I've gone from working out 3-5x a week, to having little willpower to do anything besides binging on Netflix after work. I've caught myself many times thinking "I'm so over it". ⁣
⁣
We are all human and it's normal to have "slips" when it comes to behaviour change. The important thing is to get back to behaviours that help with your health and overall wellbeing. It is our responsibility to care for ourselves--No one else's. ⁣
⁣
I truly believe that when we "work on ourselves" and take care of ourselves first, that's when we can care and lead others.⁣
⁣
I love the idea of starting my morning right. It's everything. It sets the tone for the rest of the day, and your life.⁣
⁣
I'll be doing the "miracle morning" routine starting tomorrow! Some mornings I won't have time to do it all, but I want to incorporate few elements every day. ⁣
⁣
Here's my plan:⁣
⁣
✅ Silence: Starting morning without checking my phone, and keeping it on airplane mode until I'm ready.⁣
⁣
✅ Affirmations: "Today will be a great day. I am grateful to be of service"⁣
⁣
✅ Visualization: I like to spend 10-15 minutes closing my eyes, thinking about how I would like the day to go.⁣
⁣
✅ Exercise: going for a short walk.⁣
⁣
✅ Reading: I'm currently reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.⁣
⁣
✅ Scribe: I like to write 3 things I am grateful for. ⁣
⁣
⁣
I am ready to get out of my "rut"! ⁣Do you feel the same?
⁣What are you doing for your wellbeing this week?⁣

08/30/2020

Being alive, in itself, is a miracle. Take the time to enjoy today ❤️

08/15/2020

Have a restful and recharging weekend, you deserve it! 😊🌞

I don't set alarms on the weekends...but I still end up waking up at my usual 6:45am anyways😅 At most, it’s 7 or 8am.

How about you?

08/14/2020

Be someone that uplifts others. Be the reason why people feel seen, heard, and supported.

08/12/2020

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚- Brene Brown⁣
⁣
As humans, we’re wired for connection. 🧠👩🏻‍🤝‍👩🏼👩🏽‍🤝‍👨🏾

Connection is such an important of building a strong therapeutic alliance with our patients. Spending a few minutes in the beginning of every session to connect and to build rapport is time well spent. It improves patient satisfaction, as well as help the coaching relationship, to help our patients foster lifestyle changes.⁣
⁣
It also makes our work so much enjoyable as well!⁣
⁣
Do you spend time to intentionally connect with those around you?

Follow for weekly tips like this! ✨ @ Toronto, Ontario

08/12/2020

𝘼𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 and eliciting motivation with our patients.
To really cultivate change in our patients, we need to spend more time asking good questions, eliciting reflection, and motivation. Trying to understand what’s important to our patients rather than telling them what we THINK is important.
I’ll be sharing what I’m learning through completing my health & wellness certification here on ig!
✨ Follow me for more coaching tips! @ Toronto, Ontario

08/10/2020

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 🌞 🌈
* Start your day thinking with gratitude and curiosity of what the day will bring. I 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 go to work, and to be of service to others.
*

08/09/2020

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆? ☀️
*
Start your day filled with gratitude and an open mind as the day reveals itself to you. Every day is different, the people we meet, and the conversations we have. Today will be a great day 🌞
*

08/07/2020

𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮!! A gentle reminder for you to take care of yourself today ❤️. Self care isn’t selfish. It’s a priority and essential, especially when you take care of others as a living.

08/06/2020

✨Don't let your beliefs 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 ✨
⁣
Have you heard of self-fulfilling prophecies? Certain beliefs that causes itself to become true, because of a positive feedback loop between the belief, the actions taken, and the results. ⁣
⁣
For example: ⁣
🧠 You believe "you aren't leadership material"
🤔You stop trying to work towards this and give up, because “What’s the point?”
😥Ultimately reinforces your original belief that you aren’t cut out for this

⁣
You have the ability to choose your beliefs and believe in something more empowering and true. ⁣
⁣
For example:
🧠 You believe that you can get better as a leader and leadership skills can be developed.
👩🏻‍💻You work hard towards this, learn new skills, and practice.⁣
😄You get better at being a leader and this positively reinforces your belief.
⁣
No one is born with all the skills. Everything can be learned. Everyone can get better at something if they intentionally learn and practice. That is the beauty of our brain. ❤️🧠 ⁣
⁣
What is one limiting belief you are letting go of today? @ Toronto, Ontario

08/05/2020

To become really really good at something, it takes 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 + 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮. It’s not about being “naturally talented”. It takes an average of 10,000 hours of practice to truly “master” something!
mindset

08/04/2020

Finding work that you love 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙔𝙊𝙐!
⁣
There's a Japanese concept called Ikigai, roughly translating to “a reason for being”. Having a deep sense of purpose and meaning in what you do every day is so important for our wellbeing. It's also having your work align with what your strengths are, and what you love doing. It's the difference between being excited to get up in the morning, vs another "Ugh, it's Tuesday after a long weekend."⁣
⁣
Finding clarity with this is so empowering, so that you can do work that lights you up and fires you up.
⁣
Try it for yourself! I created a printable that is free to download. Print it out, and spend 15 minute to brainstorm ideas in each section, and then come up with your Ikigai statement. Link in bio @ Toronto, Ontario

07/30/2020

𝘽𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 about the kind of life you want to live.
Intentionally choose what kind of work you want to do, and what kind of life you want to live. What kind of things fulfill you. Who you spend time with. Make a decision and go after it! Don’t let fears hold you back. It’s never too late to try something new, learn something new, and be a beginner at something and suck.

After all, this is 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 to live! Don’t let life just “happen” to you. You get to choose.

07/29/2020

Don't let your job 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪!
⁣
It's so important to have hobbies and sources of fulfillment beyond your job. Hobbies that you can you can totally "be in the zone", be in flow, and give you a sense of achievement and fulfillment.⁣ 😀
⁣
Being "in flow" is important to our wellbeing. It's when you are totally immersed, focussed and engaged in an activity. It’s also a bit of a challenge and takes skill. For example, watching Netflix doesn’t count as its low skill and low challenge. It can be relaxing but not necessarily energizing or fulfilling. A great example of a flow activity is playing sports. When you’re playing a game, you’re totally engaged and can’t be thinking about anything else!

When do you feel like you are "in the zone"? Share in the comments below! 👇🏻 @ Toronto, Ontario

07/29/2020

Be your own 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿, not your own 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙮.⁣
⁣
We often are so hard on ourselves...telling ourselves that we don't deserve acknowledgement or celebration before "we've made it". This doesn't do anyone any good. ⁣
⁣
Remember to celebrate your little wins along the way. 🎉🎉🎉 Every baby step. Every action that you take, that is closer to your goal. Because ALL of that counts! Not just when you've reached the "end goal". ⁣
⁣
When you celebrate your little wins, you feel good. When you feel good, you are more motivated to keep going!

07/23/2020

...But I'm 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙮 to have time for myself!⁣
⁣
When we are busy and stressed, we have an endless to-do list, the last thing we think of is to take time for ourselves. We are always putting other people before ourselves, in our job and in our life. But when we start to feel more and more depleted, it's difficult to continue caring for others.⁣
⁣
📆 Schedule some "me time" for the rest of the week and weekend. Put it in your calendar. It's an appointment with yourself that you can't cancel or miss. Make it a priority!⁣
⁣
What is your favourite thing to do for "me time? Share in the comments below!👇🏻

Address

PO BOX 99900 UF 714 615 RPO WOODBINE
Markham, ON
L6C0V2

Website

http://www.clinicianwellnesshub.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Clinician Wellness Hub posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Clinician Wellness Hub:

Videos

Self-care is not selfish

A kind reminder that self-care is not selfish. When you take care of yourself, you become the best version of yourself. When you take care of yourself, you tell yourself that YOU are worth it. When you are the best version of yourself, it has a ripple effect on everything and everyone around you.