Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Stressed is desserts spelled backward

Jasmine Toor, MD
Physician
February 5, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

Tiramisu, chocolate mousse, red velvet cake, freshly baked cookies, and warm brownies topped with ice cream. These are some of my favorite desserts and the things I start thinking about when I am under intense stress. I often gaze at the bakery section at the grocery store just to take a look when I feel overwhelmed with stress at work or home. It is the classic description of what we call comfort food. The good thing is that I can’t remember the last time I bought any of these things other than for a celebration, although I have most definitely thought about it.

As 2020 has arrived, a quick look around can show you how much there is to worry about. Whatever profession you’re in, there are things at play that are not under our control. Stress comes from every angle, sometimes making us feel like hamsters running in a wheel. We worry about what we see in the news, our families, and about our patients.

We worry about affordability of care for our patients, availability of care, and even small things such as not being late for work when you get a few too many red lights. Stress. 2020 is a time of stress, and we need to face the challenges that it causes for us mentally and physically to provide the best care and support for our patients or loved ones. No matter what profession we are in, stress is universal.

What universally holds true is that stress affects our health.

Hormone levels fluctuate, blood pressure rises, and our tendency as human beings is to indulge in comfort eating or unhealthy behaviors, which leads to weight gain, cloudy minds, and a feeling of being unwell.

Stressed is desserts spelled backward (I wonder if this was a clever joke when creating the English language?), but there are things we can do about it.

Be conscious of your stress; seek help if you need it. Be mindful. In this day and age, there are so many resources available. Behavioral health services are offered through most jobs, and through insurance, you can easily be connected to a therapist. Talk to a friend, have weekly get-togethers, go kickboxing, start exercise challenges within your workplace. Everyone is different, find what works for you, but pay attention to yourself and your needs. Be wary of the desserts. They tend to sneak up on you.

Start to exercise; it is such a simple and effective tool. Personally speaking, I have had to deal with a lot of stress in my life, whether it was with family, work, and everything in between.

When I chose to focus on managing my stress in positive ways, it made such a positive impact on my life. Going to the gym three times a week can change so much more than you would think. I have not been doing it for many years, at this point about five years consistently, but I can vouch for the impact it makes on managing stress, mood, energy levels, and overall feelings of satisfaction. Residency was a mental and physical challenge filled with constant exhaustion until I was able to challenge the stress, and prioritize my health by exercising and making healthier choices.

You feel good when you treat yourself well, and you take care of yourself. You take better care of patients, family, and friends.

I do love fast food every now and then, but when it is a regular occurrence, it causes more harm to your body than you think.

There is meaning to the phrase “you are what you eat,” and the importance of healthy eating means so much to maintain both a healthy mind and body.

There are so many chemicals and preservatives in the foods around us that can add to the feeling of being unwell.

ADVERTISEMENT

Although often much more work, it is important to be conscious of what we are eating, especially during stressful times when it is the hardest to do but also the most important time to do it right. Have a strategy to cope with stress, so you don’t turn to bad habits. Have a go-to healthy snack that also gives you some satisfaction, listen to music, exercise. Substitute something negative with something positive, and plan for it ahead of time. You will see what a difference it makes.

To whoever is reading this article, let 2020 be the year where you really take care of yourself, your body and your mind. No matter what profession you are in, no matter where you live, where you were born, and what plans you have for your future, stress will affect you in some way, but don’t let it do you harm.

Stress is a tricky thing. It can sneak up on you. It can crawl into your life, sometimes without you realizing it. Channel it to help you become better and take care of yourself.

Someone once told me that the mind and body are different but dependent on each other. The mind benefits from stillness, and the body benefits from movement. If the body is healthy, it is one less thing for the mind to worry about. A healthy body is just as important as a healthy mind. It goes both ways, and stress affects both.

Make 2020 about making healthy decisions and supporting others with their own. Be the positive change and encouragement that you need for someone else. Pay attention, and be mindful; we owe it to ourselves.

Of course, if you have found any helpful tips or tricks you have learned over the years to manage stress, please feel free to share with us below because it is truly a challenge to overcome. I would like for all of us to work together towards being a little healthier, happier, and a little less stressed each day.

Jasmine Toor is an internal medicine physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Prescribing medication from a patient's and physician's perspective

February 4, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

Use technology to fix medical education

February 5, 2020 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Prescribing medication from a patient's and physician's perspective
Next Post >
Use technology to fix medical education

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Jasmine Toor, MD

  • The pain I feel in primary care is real

    Jasmine Toor, MD
  • Positive growth from the COVID-19 pandemic 

    Jasmine Toor, MD
  • My uncle’s battle against COVID-19

    Jasmine Toor, MD

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • If you go to medical school, you will be stressed: bigly

    Skeptical Scalpel, MD
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • The black physician’s burden

    Naomi Tweyo Nkinsi
  • Why this physician supports Medicare for all

    Thad Salmon, MD

More in Physician

  • The unseen cost of detachment in radiology

    Dr. Yesu Raju
  • I thought success was a destination. Then I became a doctor.

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • The gift we keep giving: How medicine demands everything—even our holidays

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why the U.S. mental health care system is failing and how to fix it [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The unseen cost of detachment in radiology

      Dr. Yesu Raju | Physician
    • I thought success was a destination. Then I became a doctor.

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Why psychotherapy works and why psychotherapy fails

      Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • How oral health silently affects your heart, brain, and body

      Charles Reinertsen, DMD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why the U.S. mental health care system is failing and how to fix it [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The unseen cost of detachment in radiology

      Dr. Yesu Raju | Physician
    • I thought success was a destination. Then I became a doctor.

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Why psychotherapy works and why psychotherapy fails

      Peggy A. Rothbaum, PhD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • How oral health silently affects your heart, brain, and body

      Charles Reinertsen, DMD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...