Editor’s Letter

Mindfulness

and Mindset

No one who knows me well would likely use the word “Zen” to describe me. I’m a classic “Type A” sort, with a to-do list running through my mind on repeat. But lately the whole AHA staff has been setting aside one hour each week to attend mindfulness training sessions, designed to give us new tools for managing stress and anxiety – so essential as the pandemic trudges on. Though I am, at times, hilariously bad at quieting my mind, it has been truly beneficial to incorporate the techniques we’ve practiced into the noisier aspects of my life.

One of the most interesting parts of the sessions has been learning about the science behind practicing awareness and mindfulness. Like a workout for your brain, it can actually change the way your thought patterns, mood, and attention span work. In other words, it can make you mentally stronger. And like all workouts, the benefits don’t come unless you do it … a lot of it … and do it consistently … even when it gets uncomfortable and you want to quit.

The articles in this issue of Arkansas Hospitals have me thinking about my own budding mindfulness practice and how the same principles of being fully present and cultivating awareness could be operating in the world in unexpected ways. From ED doctors and nurses to environmental service staff, every individual who works in a hospital gets more practice than your average Joe at fully attending to the situation at hand and responding swiftly and effectively. Their mental strength is an inspiration. And the urgency of the pandemic, however unwelcome, has demanded that even more attention be directed to addressing the challenges of the present. And that refocusing has been the source of some majorly innovative problem-solving in our hospitals. And those solutions, wrought in adversity, have made us stronger. I hope you find yourself inspired by these stories of the work our hospitals are doing, as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re stronger when we can alleviate pressure on hospital capacity by delivering top-quality care to patients in their homes, like St. Bernards is doing with its Acute Health at Home program. We’re stronger when researchers, like the team at UAMS working on the causes of Long COVID-19, believe they’ve found answers to questions that could help suffering patients begin to put their lives back together. We’re stronger when our leaders find ways to renew and reenergize themselves, so that they can continue to lead from a place of positivity without experiencing burnout. And because our hospitals are stronger, so are our patients and our communities.

Ashley Warren

Editor in Chief