'tis the season for giving

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but can also be one of the most stressful times for healthcare workers. 

Healthcare does not rest during the holiday season, and as you know, work often gets busier. On top of an overloaded work schedule and increased personal commitments, we’re entering into the time of year that has shorter, darker, colder days. Now more than ever, it’s essential to take care of your mental and physical health.

These five tips can help you to manage stress during the next few weeks, and make the most of  the holiday season:

       1) Plan What You Can

While planning ahead is always a good idea, it’s important to remember that there are some things that are out of your control. Planning ahead can help you visualize your work shifts, holiday activities, and obligations you’ve committed. It’s okay to say no when you feel overwhelmed or overburdened, keep a calendar to help you decide which ones you will truly enjoy.

       2) Be Realistic

As we enter into the season of giving, remember that you give every day in your job - your time, your care, and your patience. While giving in and outside of work can help you feel happiness, it can also lead to burnout. It's important to know your limits. Keeping a realistic approach to the season and what you can take on both personally and professionally can help you manage expectations for the winter months.

       3) Make a List (& Check it Twice)

With so much going on, the last thing you want to do is lose track of time and feel overwhelmed with everything you need to accomplish. Instead of trying to remember everything you need to do, make a list (or two) and check off each task as you complete it. Making a list of professional and personal to-dos, ideas for holiday shopping, or writing down goals for the month will help you keep on top of everything.

       4) Savour the Season

With so much going on, remember to take a step back away from it all and enjoy the charm of the season. Throw on a Christmas playlist, make a cup of hot chocolate, and take a walk around your neighbourhood to look at the lights. 

       5) Remember to Rest

The holiday season brings more stress, more work and more travel, which typically means less rest. On top of taking on extra personal obligations, it’s also the peak of cold and flu season, so its extra important to rest and take extra measures to stay healthy. Keeping active, staying hydrated, and getting enough rest will be essential for keeping your mental health and immune system strong.

Remember you are never alone, ask for help and support when you need it, and recognize the signs of burnout. Our library has multiple resources to support your mental and emotional wellness. 

Give yourself the gift of mental and physical health this holiday season. We’re in this together!

We got this,

- the formation team

Meet Dr. Alika Lafontaine, an award-winning physician and the youngest president in the CMA’s 155-year history. Of Métis, Cree, Anishinaabe and Pacific Islander ancestry, he’s also the organization’s first Indigenous leader.

Assuming this role in one of the of the most challenging times in recent history, Dr. Lafontaine is committed to transforming the current state of the Canadian medical system.

Since taking over as head of the CMA in August, Dr. Lafontaine has been speaking to health ministers, elected officials and medical professionals about his and the CMA’s vision for change – primarily, that Canadian leaders would focus less on reducing upfront health costs and more on patient outcomes and how best to achieve them, such as by investing in family-care providers.

One of the main things Dr. Lafontaine has pushed for is a national licensure for physicians, which would allow Canadian physicians to easily work anywhere in the country and immediately address current shortages. Many Canadians today are struggling to find a family doctor, and emergency departments are often short-staffed and over capacity, if they’re open at all.

Dr. Lafontaine is equally as passionate about the human resources shortage that’s causing strain at institutions across the country. Instead of addressing the issue, Dr. Lafontaine explained that hospitals have allowed health professionals to cover the shortfall by working too many shifts, beyond the point of exhaustion, creating potentially unsafe conditions.  

“Now the system is breaking because people have gotten to the point where they’re saying ‘I’m just going to walk away.’” he says. “I don’t believe Canadians realize just how close to the precipice we are, physician advocacy has never been more important.”.

However, Dr. Lafontaine has a plan to change Canada’s ‘faceless’ health-care system and put us on a better path forward. To start, his goal is to break down the silos between provinces and territories, to share information, people and resources in a more collaborative way. Next, he wants to move toward true team-based care.

“Physicians have a role, nurses have a role, pharmacists and other members of the health-care team have a role. And it’s respecting that we’re all trained differently and we all do different things well.” explained Dr. Lafontaine.

We have a long way to go, but there are advocates working hard for us to get there.

We’re better together.

 We got this,

- the formation team