Rate The Importance
I have been chosen by The California Acupuncture Board to participate as a "Subject Matter Expert" for the development of future California Acupuncture Licensing Examinations. As a young acupuncture student, I was terrified of these people. Now I'm one of them.
Some days as an acupuncturist, when I look at the thousands-of-years old traditions of Chinese medicine, I feel like a neophyte. On other days, when I look at my growing practice and the list of successes and referrals, I feel like an old pro.
Today I feel like an old pro.
Part of my participation as a subject matter expert was filling out a questionnaire about what parts of my education I use the most in clinical practice, what I could have learned more of, and what do I not use at all in practice. It was a "rate the importance 0 - 5" sort of questionnaire. You know the type. 412 questions. 412! I really put my most sincere thought into this and it took two hours. One question stood out among all of them. It looked like this:
187. Knowledge of the impact of stress reduction in maintenance of health.
0 - Does not apply to my job; not required for job performance
1 - Of minor importance
2 - Fairly important
3 - Moderately important
4 - Very important
5 - Critically important
Obviously, I chose 5. I really wanted to give it a 10, and accompany my answer with an essay but that wasn't an option. I would go so far as to say that stress reduction is imperative and nonnegotiable in the maintenance of health. I have conversations about stress reduction with each and every one of my patients. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) gives an extensive report on the negative effects of stress on one's health. Please read it.
Life is full of potentially-stressful situations of which we can not control. I tell my patients to not focus on things that are out of our hands, but rather control the controllables. Yes, gas prices are high, but we can strategize our driving and quit making so many unnecessary trips. Choose organic foods at the local farmer's market that have been lovingly grown and harvested rather than heading to the regular grocery store. Exercise to get the endorphins flowing. Get some bodywork. Try acupuncture, massage or chiropractic.
Breathe deeper. Smile more. Pray often.
Thanks for reading.
Tamara ZumMallen
beautiful entry - I totally feel the same way - some days I feel like I have so much to learn, other days, 'an old pro!' like you said! Such an interesting spectrum of feelings one gets an opportunity to experience as a provider/facilitator to help people heal & transform. Magnificient.
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Hi Dr. Shamira. I'm glad you liked this one. Treating stress is so important. I believe that stress is the root of all evil. Thanks for your kind words. - Tamara
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You said: "Life is full of potentially-stressful situations of which we can not control. I tell my patients to not focus on things that are out of our hands, but rather control the controllables."
I say: exactly right! The glass doesn't have to be half empty. Avoid the headache and don't worry so much. Life is so full of possibilities!!
Great post--Thanks.
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