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By Susan Stone, MD, MPH, CHCF Cohort 8, Current Alumni Board Member
Shinrin-Yoku is the Japanese practice of “forest bathing” or spending time in nature to reduce stress and improve mood. As an active participant of enjoying the beauty of nature, I was recently on a hike along a beautiful trail. After a busy and often stressful week in medicine, the rolling green hills and sun melted away all my distracting thoughts. It was bliss.
Returning home, my phone was buzzing away with earthquake alerts. Most surprising was that I had just been hiking along the trail of this earthquake unaware. I was lost in Shinrin-Yoku. Interesting that there could be such a disruption as I went along my path, and I was too distracted to notice. The irony of this lack of awareness struck me as like what is happening in our current healthcare setting.
Faced with a system in distress, we continue to walk the path that is shaking below our feet. The disruptions grow larger and as providers we must try to continue to persevere through funding cuts, provider shortages and a looming threat to our very system.
How will we face the current path of threatened Medicaid threats to our communities? Daily news of threats to social security, immigrants, women’s rights are constant. This is injustice. Causes of social injustice, including economic injustice, racism, discrimination, and unequal social status need to be fought.
Success in fighting injustice requires that we have hope that we can show what is happening and the results. Additionally, we will need the self-confidence to create change. We have had the good fortune to participate in a fellowship that has taught us to use our voices for change.
It is critical that we all become active in sharing information about the threats we are facing. Getting the conversation started can be effective. There may be differing opinions and values but that is part of the conversation.
We can look to our history and many leaders in the civil rights movement taking brave steps and think of what we can do for our communities.
Get involved. Be active. Stay updated. Those are the first steps.
Be able to educate and call out the serious threats we may be facing if the changes that are threatened succeed.
Employ your Shinrin-Yoku and self-care to be able to endure.
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