- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward Creagan, M.D.
"The magic of the electronic village is transforming health information. The mouse and keyboard have extended the stethoscope to the 500 million people now online." — Dr. Edward Creagan
The power of the medium inspires Dr. Edward Creagan as he searches for ways to share Mayo Clinic's vast resources with the general public.
Dr. Creagan, a Newark, N.J., native, is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice medicine and palliative care. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1973 and in 1999 was president of the staff of Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, was honored in 1995 with the John and Roma Rouse Professor of Humanism in Medicine Award and in 1992 with the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award, Mayo's highest recognition. He has been recognized with the American Cancer Society Professorship of Clinical Oncology.
He describes his areas of special interest as "wellness as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-financial model" and fitness, mind-body connection, aging and burnout.
Dr. Creagan has been an associate medical editor with Mayo Clinic's health information websites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the website) provide reliable, easy-to-understand health and wellness information so that each of us can have productive, meaningful lives," he says.
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Stress blog
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May 22, 2012
Narrow your options to reduce stress
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
An opportunity arose for me to participate at a recent medical meeting. I had a full plate and was not overjoyed, but nevertheless agreed to participate. I'm glad that I did. Let me share what I heard. Two leaders in the medical community spoke. They offered this practical advice:
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If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.
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- Eliminate low-priority commitments. When invited to participate in an event or group, wait 24 hours before agreeing. Think about whether you can afford to commit your time and energy. Is this obligation important to you or is it just something that would be nice to do?
- Eliminate distractions. A distraction is anything that does not get you closer to your goal. Your goal might be financial or professional. Or it might relate to your health or a concern for others.
It's too easy to get off track, especially when you're bombarded with options and alternatives each day. Just go to the toothpaste section in your local store — the array of choices will give you a headache.
Learning to focus on what's important and filtering out the rest is an essential skill for reducing stress and achieving success.
Follow me on Twitter at @EdwardCreagan. Join the discussion at #Stress.
3 comments posted
July 10, 2012 5:56 a.m.
1. I am a reformed (okay, reform-ING) pathological agreer... And can tell you that saying "no" is one of the most empowering behaviors I can do. The time-management / goal-focus effects are clear; but for me, the even bigger impact on my life is this temporary emotional confidence high I receive from turning something away. It's as if my brain says "Yeah! He respects me!" and then rewards me with the confidence/drive/focus to do 3 or 4 really productive tasks right in a row (one of which is usually to say no to another marginally valuable, would-be-deflating, commitment. It's a virtuous behavior that begets more of itself.) 2. Appreciated the toothpaste analogy... I was talking to a friend who was recently engaged, now married, about choosing a mate and said something to the effect of "Congrats, Jeff! I can't even choose a consistent deodorant brand!" Consumer marketing...
- Christopher
May 31, 2012 5:00 p.m.
I wish you had added more information to your article. Stress is one thing and suicidal thoughts are a whole other animal. Do you know how many mental ill , suicidal people get turned away from emergency rooms? I think you need a title. What to do when, you are pressed to the limit? How stress can make you ill?
- Mark
May 29, 2012 2:17 p.m.
I laugh when I recall how I handled this. When I'd get an invitation, I'd apologize and say my calendar was full even though it was a "little white lie". I was afraid to say, "No."
- Roberta
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3 comments posted