Right now, there are more masks in the world than ever before. 

52 billion disposable masks were produced in 2020 alone. That’s one billion masks for every week of the year. 

While they were a crucial part of the effort to protect our health, these masks have had one common and unwanted side effect: 

A sense of isolation – both physically and emotionally. 

We have spent the past two years learning how to stay connected in a world that has enforced space – and if you have struggled with that, you’re not alone. 

Beyond the social stressors of the pandemic, many of us have also struggled with the additional workload, the pressure of making new decisions and the challenges of everyday life – all of which suddenly seemed much harder to juggle. 

For healthcare professionals, life in the midst of COVID was a different kind of juggling act, supporting our communities and each other while navigating a complex political climate and putting once-in-a-lifetime medical training into practice. 

The thing is, even in these intense situations, it’s often the same tried-and-true techniques that keep our mental and physical health intact. 

During trying times, Dr Kate Abbasi swears by goal setting, volunteering and anything that gives you a sense of purpose. 

A physician and hospitalist working in Portland, Oregon, Kate is a natural carer, a hard worker and a believer in the power of life’s simple joys. 

On this episode of the SheBurns podcast, we chat about the power of a resilient mindset, learning to live with less, and the unexpected benefit of working in the healthcare industry through COVID. 

So what’s this episode really about? 

• What we could all learn from living with less
• The unexpected COVID bonus for healthcare professionals 
• The beauty on the other side of acceptance 
• Why you should seek out opportunities to look at life from others’ perspectives 

Why you should listen 

Whether you’re a physician, a patient, or just a person navigating the post-COVID world day by day, the extra distance in the world can feel a little lonely at times. This episode is a great reminder that if you look for opportunities to connect, you’ll find them, along with a host of other people who feel the same way. 

Links 

SheShatters

You can quote me on that…

“I think it's one thing to have a pandemic, which none of us could control – but now we have a potential option to control some of it and people choosing not to be able to control it or choosing the other direction, and that can be pretty hard.” - Hannah Austin 

“People who say ‘things happen for a reason’ – I actually really hate that saying. I hate it so much because I have to go into the hospital, and what reason am I going to give this person who doesn’t have long to live?” - Dr Kate

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