by Christine Lamoureux, MD Being a radiologist can be stressful. With the challenges of consistently managing high-volume, complex caseloads, and shifting gears, finding ways to manage stress when not at work can be difficult. Here are strategies that work for me. Work/Life Separation Mentally and physically separating yourself from work for a time can decrease stress. We all suffer from lingering thoughts about a certain case we read or general workplace issues requiring our attention when we end our workday. For peace of mind, I like to make a list after work of things I absolutely need to address the next day. If you work as a teleradiologist from a home office like me, physical separation of work from home is difficult, so designating the rest of your home as a “work-free zone” is crucial. Rest and Recover Physical as well as mental rest is essential. Many radiologists’ schedules result in chronic sleep deprivation, a known cause of mental and physical stress and adverse health effects. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on days off, can help as your schedule allows. I view my time off as a “reset” button for my mind. I like to do things that engage my mind in areas completely separate from radiology such as reading a book, watching a favorite television program or movie, and spending time with my family, friends, and pets. An engaging hobby or activity (even household chores) can be quite meditative and allow your mind to “check out.” Exercise If sitting is the new smoking, we may all be in trouble. The first thing I do after a work shift is get moving—for me that means running, the elliptical trainer, or yoga. Any exercise is better than none. I find that exercise decreases stress, increases my mental clarity, improves my mood, and makes it easier to sit and read for long hours the next day. Lighten Up Being able to recognize and appreciate the lighter side of life can help put things into perspective. I believe it is true that laughter is the best medicine. Seek out people, places, and activities that bring you happiness when you are off work. Finding ways to manage stress outside of work allows you to go back refreshed, with better focus and perspective. Remind yourself that being a radiologist is just one facet of what makes you the complex, whole human being that you are. Christine Lamoureux, MD, is research director and musculoskeletal clinical chief for Virtual Radiologic, LLC. She lives just outside Boulder, Colorado, with her husband and two daughters. Her interests include radiologist well-being and error reduction.

Personal Certification Advisor Cindy Gresham is a member of the ABR’s certificate advisor team.  In 2015, in response to concerns raised in an online survey of our candidates and diplomates, the ABR established a Candidate and Diplomate Service Center in order to deliver more timely responses to questions and comments. The staff members of our Certification Services Department (CSD), as it is now known, are dedicated to the ABR’s Staff Operating Vision: “To become trusted advisors for our candidates and diplomates by providing first-class service, simple and intuitive processes, and relationship-based support.” The ABR keeps candidates and diplomates current on important news and updates via two methods. For large distributions such as our triannual e-newsletter, The BEAM, and our periodic Volunteer Bulletin, we use Constant Contact, the popular email marketing software that provides us with many useful statistics, such as the total number of emails sent, opened, not opened, clicked on, bounced, or when someone has unsubscribed. This is especially helpful for keeping track of important notifications we send, such as attestation and exam registration deadlines, updates on OLA, etc. Signing up is easy: just visit www.theabr.org and subscribe to “Get the Newsletter” at the bottom of the page. Anyone who has unsubscribed can sign up again by replying to the “awaiting confirmation” email from Constant Contact with “permission to send.” For smaller, more targeted distributions, such as reminders of deadlines and fees to those who have not responded to their initial notification, we will often email from information@theabr.org. Last November, we established accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and have added this weekly blogs section to our website news page. It contains useful tips, alerts, and blogs from diplomates with specific knowledge on diverse, important topics. It is important to keep contact information current within myABR and stay in touch with us by following our blogs and social media pages; checking periodically whether an institution may be blocking certain URLs; and whitelisting information@theabr.org as well as Constant Contact due to the potential consequences of unsubscribing. Candidates and diplomates sometimes reach out to us stating that they never received our e-newsletters and other important announcements. No one wishes to pay late fees, miss a deadline, or be unaware of any other relevant information. So please help by enabling us to stay in touch.