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

The plausible positive alternative to COVID-19

K. Maravet Baig-Ward, MD, PhD
Conditions
May 5, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

Do you remember those old cartoons with the angel or good guy on one shoulder and the little devil or bad guy on the other? Of course, the good guy was always trying to keep the character out of mischief, and certainly, the little devil was doing quite the opposite. Sometimes, especially now during these uncertain times, it’s easier to see the negative, “hear” that little bad guy over the good one.

The positive is still there, but darn if it isn’t hard to find sometimes. It’s been said that anything good or valuable is worth putting in work to find or achieve it. The discovery process is part of the growth. So, why not take a look right now? Find the brighter side. While we focus on the current COVID-19 crisis, we must also acknowledge that as physicians, we cannot help others if our own mental health is in jeopardy. You must take care of yourself too.

My challenge for you today is for every negative thought, feelings of stress or anxiety, think about what may be causing that thought or feeling. Sometimes it can be hard to identify, and often requires a lot of getting real with yourself. And you know, that’s hard too, and that’s OK.

Once you have those negative thoughts or feelings, I want you to try to find a plausible positive alternative. An example could be feeling stressed about feeling lonely right now during quarantine … or maybe the very opposite … feeling like you’ve got way too many people you are quarantined with.

Negative thoughts could easily drift into feeling sorry for yourself, feeling scared, or feeling as if this is something that won’t ever change. So, how can we turn it around and find that plausible positive alternative?

To begin, you must fully acknowledge your feelings and accept your reality. Find a space that can be just yours for a few minutes, yes, the bathroom counts, and say out loud what you are feeling: “I’m lonely” or “I’m overwhelmed.”

There is some peace in simply acknowledging your feelings. The next step would be to find a plausible positive alternative. For example, your plausible positive alternative to “I’m lonely” could be “I’m given an opportunity to explore other things that I wouldn’t get to if I didn’t have this time right now.” Maybe hiking in the woods, starting that knitting hobby, experiments in what-you’ve-got-in-your-pantry-style cooking, a new language — the list goes on. If you’re overwhelmed by the folks, big and small, around you, your plausible positive alternative could be, “If I’m feeling overwhelmed, they may be too. If so, what can I do about it?” And the answer to that is a lot!

Every choice you make, especially when you are quarantined together, impacts the people around you. Find ways to positively impact them. Have a family meeting to hash out some of the things going on. It’s often good to hear what others may have been needing when you have been focusing on your priorities and your patients. We all stumble and fall. Just make sure when you get back up, give yourself the gift of the plausible positive alternative. You don’t have to listen to the negative side. There is always another side waiting to be found if you look.

K. Maravet Baig-Ward is a psychiatry resident and can be reached on Twitter @drmaravet.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

How COVID-19 is forcing physicians to rethink the concept of job security 

May 5, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

An advertisement for COVID 2020

May 5, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease, Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
How COVID-19 is forcing physicians to rethink the concept of job security 
Next Post >
An advertisement for COVID 2020

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by K. Maravet Baig-Ward, MD, PhD

  • As we live in fear, there is still hope

    K. Maravet Baig-Ward, MD, PhD
  • Advice from a psychiatrist during these unprecedented times

    K. Maravet Baig-Ward, MD, PhD
  • Bereavement during social distancing

    K. Maravet Baig-Ward, MD, PhD

Related Posts

  • How to get patients vaccinated against COVID-19 [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • COVID-19 divides and conquers

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • State sanctioned executions in the age of COVID-19

    Kasey Johnson, DO
  • A patient’s COVID-19 reflections

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Starting medical school in the midst of COVID-19

    Horacio Romero Castillo
  • COVID-19 shows why we need health insurance

    Jingyi Liu, MD

More in Conditions

  • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

    Pearl Jones, MD
  • Why local cardiac CT scans could save your life

    Benjamin Cohen, MD
  • How proposed NIH budget cuts could derail Alzheimer’s research

    Tamer Hage, Tejas Sekhar, and Swapna Vaja
  • A spoonful of vinegar: Why simple glucose hacks deserve more medical attention

    Callia Georgoulis
  • Living through injury: one family’s journey to the other side

    Sarah White, APRN
  • Why congenital CMV should be on every parent and doctor’s radar

    Kathleen Muldoon, PhD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • How the 10th Apple Effect is stealing your joy in medicine

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • What led me from nurse practitioner to medical school

      Sarah White, APRN | Education
    • Why local cardiac CT scans could save your life

      Benjamin Cohen, MD | Conditions
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • How proposed NIH budget cuts could derail Alzheimer’s research

      Tamer Hage, Tejas Sekhar, and Swapna Vaja | 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

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
    • How the 10th Apple Effect is stealing your joy in medicine

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • What led me from nurse practitioner to medical school

      Sarah White, APRN | Education
    • Why local cardiac CT scans could save your life

      Benjamin Cohen, MD | Conditions
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • How proposed NIH budget cuts could derail Alzheimer’s research

      Tamer Hage, Tejas Sekhar, and Swapna Vaja | 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...