Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/getting-through-difficult-times/MY01831
- 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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Aug. 10, 2011
Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
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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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Reading the blog comments, it's clear that many of you are struggling with issues of caring for others in the face of adversity and at great personal cost. I have a great respect for your commitment, and I want to share with you a coping technique that's helped me.
It's based on the idea that if you can see a light at the end of the tunnel, you can endure just about anything. To use the technique, tell yourself, "OK, this is a bad situation. I didn't wish for it, but I can focus my energies on resolving this problem for a certain period of time." Then decide how long, whether it's 10 days or a hundred. In other words, create an end point and keep it in your sights. Consider this story.
The English Channel is 23 miles of punishing water considered nearly impossible for a swimmer to navigate. However, a woman swimmer attempted it and got within 2 miles of this incredible achievement when she became confused and discouraged. Enshrouded in fog, she signaled that she wanted to quit. She was hauled out of the water and onto the boat. Only a few minutes later, however, the fog cleared and the shoreline came into view. The despondent swimmer said if she'd only known how close she was, she could have marshaled that extra energy to finish.
So it is with all of us. If we can visualize a goal, if we can tell we're making progress, however modest, we can almost always find the will to go the distance.
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