- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
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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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Dec. 12, 2012
Holiday survival tips
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
As American psychiatrist and author M. Scott Peck said, "Life is difficult. This is the great truth, one of the greatest truths." Once we accept this fact, it's a little easier to move forward.
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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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And the challenges we face don't go away just because it's the holiday season. Indeed, this can a time of heightened stress for many people.
A wise colleague of mine who is dealing with some difficult personal issues shared with me a few survival tactics that I would like to share with you:
- Watch the numbers. This means striving to get 30 minutes of walking or related activities a day, and eight hours of solid sleep a night. It also means being mindful of calories and high-fat foods.
- Put first things first. Whatever is important for you to do today, write it down. Repeat after me: Write it down. It's easy to become overwhelmed with demands and expectations. You will get swept away in a tsunami of demands if you don't take care of your own needs.
- Sharpen the saw. The author Steven Covey spoke about "sharpening the saw." He tells the story of two lumberjacks working in the forest. The lumberjack who was most successful was the one who would periodically stop to sharpen and oil his saw. Follow this example. Make time to preserve your greatest asset — you.
- Let go of unrealistic expectations. Don't get hung up on the mythology of the holiday season. Few American families fit the traditional mold of a mom, a dad and 1.7 above-average children. We live in a time of the blended family and step-relatives. Be gentle with yourself and be realistic with your expectations.
As demands for your time increase during this season, you need to do more for yourself — not less. After all, what are the holidays all about? It's not the stuff. It's about about finding peace and serenity for ourselves and sharing it with our fellow travelers.
Follow me on Twitter at @EdwardCreagan. Join the discussion at #Stress.
4 comments posted
December 20, 2012 7:47 a.m.
Our family has eliminated the biggest demand of all on people: presents! We decided to only purchase a minimal amount as part of a stocking based on a wish list. It makes preparing and enjoying the season so much better. How nice it is to be with family and not have to worry about what has been spent. It frees up alot of time, too for those special "me" times. Our sons are adults now and we discussed this new approach after we tried it last year. It is surprising when one steps back to see how commercialized this special family holiday has become. We do not, of course, have children around which does make a difference.
- Barbara
December 20, 2012 6:12 a.m.
I want to thank you for your ideas ido them all now but dont get out of it what i need to i am very stressed death in the famioy 3 years ago christmas time adds to it i just need to LEARN to manage things better THANK YOU!
- indy
December 19, 2012 11:54 a.m.
This article is just what I needed to remind me to slow down and take better care of myself, especially during this Season.
- Stephanie
December 13, 2012 1:33 a.m.
I read Dr.Creagans posts (he is a genius in my opinion) and this surely is his best and most helpful to date. It doesn't matter where we live,particularly in the west, the pressures of Christmas are the same for americans or for us Brits and Dr.Creagans message rang so true.I love Christma i really do.A time to be with my wife and two kids,other family and friends. It's a time for me to be grateful for how lucky I am to have them and to enjoy them (my wife has cancer so this time is even more precious) I'm going to re focus and follow his holiday advice and thanks so much.Thankyou Dr.Creagan-if you're reading this.
- Stephen
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4 comments posted