(Embarrassing note: yes, this might be the second time you are seeing this post. I accidentally hit the “publish” button yesterday while I was in the middle of updating it and it sent out the auto-generated email before I could fix it. This version is much better, with tips from more people and better formatting. The irony of stressing out about a blog post about stress has not been lost on me,)

Let’s talk about stress, baby
Let’s talk about you and me
Let’s talk about stress relief tips
And the techniques that may be
Let’s talk about stress

No, those aren’t the actual words to Salt-N-Pepa’s early 90s hip-hop classic Let’s Talk About Sex (you can Google them on your own; by today’s standards they’re surprisingly tame), but this felt like an appropriate time for us to talk about stress and dealing with stress.

Look, I’ll resist the urge to get political here, but I think we can all agree that there is a lot of crazy going on in the world right now. Tensions between world powers are high, the stock market is tanking, the Sixers stink, and, oh hey cool, taxes are due in a couple weeks. This is on top of all of our normal routine work and home-related worries and concerns. It’s a lot to deal with.

Back in our February edition of Ask Us Anything, the topic of stress and burnout in the CME/CE community was raised. I thought it would be interesting to poll some members of our community and ask about some of the tips and techniques they use to combat stress. I’ve compiled the responses I received below (a big thank you to all who got back to me!)

A request from me to you, dear reader: if you have a strategy for managing stress that is different from any of those listed below, please add it in the comments section. You never know who may read and benefit from it.

Derek: I do not have any groundbreaking or unique tips for dealing with stress, but I have found the following useful:

1. Maintain a routine, especially in the morning. My wife laughs at how rigid I can be about my routine, but it has been an immense help in reducing daily stress. It helps get my day off to a good start.
2. Designated reading time. This is part of my daily morning routine, but I get up early enough in the morning so I have time to read before I start my day. Reading makes me happy, and it’s a pleasant way for me to start my day.
3. Running/walking. When I need to manage an acutely stressful situation, I’ll often head off for a run or long walk. I have had more long walks after horrible Sixers playoff losses than I care to remember.

Scott: Here are my Big Three:

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s amazing how much we make a big deal out of things that simply aren’t a big deal. Sometimes, you just need to shrug your shoulders and move on. One of my favorite phrases is “NMP” (not my problem). None of us have to save the world. Save your sanity first.
2. Laugh. Laugh at yourself, laugh at others, laugh at stupid YouTube videos. Speaking of laughter, we need to work on our CMEpalooza blooper reel. Derek, add that to your to-do list.
3. Move. I play tennis at a fairly competitive level year-round, and it’s the thing I typically look forward to most on a weekly basis (see Derek’s comment about our woebegotten Sixers, who used to be atop my list but are now wayyyy down at the bottom).

Allison Kickel
Stress relief technique for me is physical activity. Getting a good long hike in, a big swim, seems to make the stress seem trivial. Swimming, especially because it’s sensory deprivation, and I count my laps while I swim, repeatedly, in rounds of ten. I used to count in Chinese, which made me really focus on what I was doing and be present. But even if all I can get in is a walk in the neighborhood or a few tree poses and sun salutes, moving is critical to my mental health. And that’s particularly important in times of strain and disruption.

Riaz Baxamusa
I have a Renpho eye massager from Amazon and a set of Sharper Image leg compression sleeves from Costco. I use these in combination with an online meditation program to completely zone out for 20 minutes. I try to do this weekly. You can also choose to listen to a replay of your favorite Palooza session and try to learn something new, and that would be 30 minutes! (note from Derek: a fantastic suggestion by Riaz, though I should note that CMEpalooza sessions are 1 hour in length, so you could only do one half at a time.)

Brian McGowan
I use two strategies. The first is an almost religious compulsion to daily morning routines, so I know that I will accomplish productive things at the beginning of each day. This gives me a great sense of control.

The second is that I began practicing transcendental (TM) meditation a couple of years ago after interviewing some TM practitioners about their TM research on well-being and burnout in HCPs (JCEHP podcast). So, when things are really spinning stress wise, TM can help reboot my systems!

Audrie Tornow
Ice cream and laughter. Both level up if you enjoy them with family and or friends.

Amanda Jamrogiewicz
For those who know me, it’s probably not a surprise that I use movement to relieve stress. Running, walking, hiking, biking, strength training. I also love to garden and will take a break to pull some weeds or deadhead my flowers and take some deep breaths. Just getting outside, moving, letting the physical body and mind wander away from what’s stressing you out is helpful for me!

Becky Carney

1. Outdoor walks in nature — no phone, no podcast, just your breath (and, preferably at least one dog)
2. A kickass Peloton workout with an overenthusiastic instructor who makes you believe you are capable of anything
3. Breath work. My favorite and easiest explained here.
4. Expressing gratitude and positivity affirmations (sounds silly, but verbalizing such things really helps re-center and put the day’s stress in perspective)

Beth Brillinger
“There are no CME emergencies.” This is a little bit flippant, but the intention for me was always to level-set my colleagues, calm down, and start systematically solving a problem. The idea that urgent problems within continuing education, like a faculty member no show or “notice of noncompliance” from an accrediting organization, won’t cause deathly harm, helps to focus our attention to calmly solving the problem.

Another idea for relieving stress shifts the attention away from potential stress-inducing problems to taking the best care of ourselves in order to be better prepared to handle those problems. Positive physical health habits can help decrease your stress, lower your risk of disease, and increase your energy. In accomplishing my health and fitness goals, I find that I am so much better prepared to tackle stresses that come my way.

And finally, another way that I have been able to reduce my level of stress is to step away from electronics, constant news, and social media. I still want to keep up-to-date on what is happening in our world, but I find that limiting the amount of information that I consume is much better for my well-being. I can actually be much more productive at work when I am not feeling the need to be interrupted by this time-draining habit.

Sarthak Pandit
I listen to classical music when I review grants as it is very calming and peaceful. Taking a walk during the middle of the day and stepping outside is an excellent stress reliever.

Andrew Grzybowski
I find simple things like taking a walk, deep breathing, or listening to music with my eyes closed to be helpful. I also like cigars and will occasionally try to escape for a midday break, if I have time. Sometimes I’ll lean on my colleagues and friends to disconnect. Talking it out with people I like can be a big help.

Mike LoPresti
My top 5 stress relievers. As always, all lists are final. (note from Derek: Mike is doing it right.)

1. Pet dogs. C’mon– just take a look at those faces!
   
2. Talk with friends (to mentally get myself out of a rut, and maybe some therapy or guidance along the way).
3. Read a good page turner, nothing too serious (again, to mentally put myself in a different place, even if just for a while). Current stress reliever is All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
4. Do a jigsaw puzzle, maybe while also listening to an audio book. This 5,000 piece puzzle got me through an especially stressful time.
   
5. Workout/walk/run/whatever to some angry music. It helps flush the stress out of my system. Just search ‘Angry’ on Spotify and pick a playlist.

Amanda Kaczerski

1. When I’ve had a stressful day, I like to run/exercise (on the super stressful days I’ll do some kick boxing!). I find that it helps clear my mind of the day and the stress. During the stress of the day, I really do appreciate doing some deep breaths and walking away from my computer. It helps me assess what the stressor is and determine how to move forward.
2. I had someone remind me one day that what we do in grants isn’t life or death. If we don’t get to review all the requests by a set date, will anyone die? No. If we don’t get a grant into a system by a date, will anyone die? No (although I’m sure the requestors may feel that way). Pausing for a moment and recognizing that I can only do so much with my time and that even through the asks, assignments, and responsibilities seem like they all are urgent, it helps me stay focused and calm down a bit. Then with a calmer mind I determine what I will prioritize, what I may be able to delegate, and what just needs to be put to #2 or #3 on the list. This helps me when I’m stressed with multiple projects going on at the same time and being pulled in many directions. It’s taken me a while to learn that it’s ok to tell someone you need a few extra days, it’s OK to say no to accepting a new project or invitation to a new workstream, and it’s OK to let an email sit unread while you prioritize another task.
3. Lastly, I do like to start my day with some quiet time and meditation to try to help me stay focused and grounded.

David Clausen

1. 30-second deep breathing exercise with eyes closed and positive thought generation
2. 35-minute Cross Fit workout w/ heavy bag hitting

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of joining 1 million of my closest friends in celebrating our beloved Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl parade around the Philadelphia Art Museum. Here’s a picture of us:

If you squint, you can see me near the upper-right corner. I’m the one wearing green and cheering.

Leading up to the morning of the parade, I was on the fence as to whether or not I was going to go and was leaning more towards the “not” side. I knew traffic and parking were going to be total chaos, public transportation a disaster, and I’m not really a big fan of hanging out in large crowds. I also had a 9 am meeting I couldn’t cancel, it was cold, and sitting at home watching the festivities on TV from my warm couch sounded a lot more appealing.

But I went. My meeting finished early, a friend gave me a great tip on where to park, and I layered up. The same friend had a house near the parade route where we could use “the facilities” and grab a few beverages (yes, Eagles fans consumed several beers during the parade. This should not come as a shock to any of you.) before our 15-minute walk to the parade. It was an ideal situation, and I’m so glad I did it. There’s really something about being in the city that I love, amongst a massive group of people all in a happy mood, all celebrating the same thing, cheering, hugging, giving out high-fives, and having a good time. We were fans, but we were a community celebrating together.

Today, we are releasing the CMEpalooza Spring 2025 agenda. While it’s not quite as great as your favorite football team winning the Super Bowl and celebrating at the victory parade, it’s still pretty darn good. We’re rather proud of it.

The agenda is made from abstracts submitted by the CME/CE community and includes sessions that are highly creative, innovative, and practical. You will see some faces you have seen at other ‘paloozas, but you will also see a lot of new faces, including an end-of-day session from a group of industry fellows. For those interested, the day kicks off slightly earlier than usual with a Mindfulness Session sponsored by our friends at qdCME at 8:40 am ET. There’s a little something for everyone.

Take a look at the agenda and let us know what you think. We hope you like it. While it’s not required, feel free to cheer, hug, and give each other high-fives. Go Birds.

Here are three things that blew my mind this week.

1. Severance on Apple TV+. I’m a little late to the Severance party and just started watching it. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really read the show description previously and thought the show was about a group of people who get laid off and receive a severance payout (spoiler alert: it’s not), which sounded pretty boring to me. A friend recommended it, and I figured with all the buzz it was getting, there must be more to it than just Adam Scott moping around his house drinking cheap wine and watching Seinfeld reruns. Turns out that, thankfully, my first impression was way off. I won’t say too much, because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched, but suffice it to say that the first couple of episodes blew my mind and I’m still thinking about them. There is one scene where a character repeatedly tries to leave through an exit door and every time she walks through the doorway she ends up back in the hallway she was trying to leave. I had to watch it multiple times before I caught on to what was happening and then all I could do was nod my head in appreciation. A very clever, well-executed show.
2. The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges. In Borges’s short story, the universe is a library composed of an indefinite number of hexagonal galleries filled with bookshelves. Each shelf contains thirty-five books; each book contains 410 pages; each page contains forty lines; each line contains 80 characters. There are a total of 25 possible characters: 22 letters (there’s a reason, but it’s not worth explaining here), 2 punctuation marks (comma and period) and a space. Each book contains a different sequence of the 25 characters. The universe contains a book for every possible sequence of the 25 characters (while the amount is vast, it is not infinite). No two books are identical. Thus, every possible book has been written on every possible subject. Everything. The history or Jupiter? Written. The true confessions of the Dread Pirate Scott Kober? Written. Predictions for the next fifty Super Bowls? Written. There is a book for everything. I still can’t quite wrap my brain around it. Borges does note that actually finding a specific book in this library is nearly impossible and could be a lifetime task. People go on lengthy expeditions to find a book that justifies their existence. It’s mind-blowing writing.
3. The CMEpalooza Spring agenda. No, it hasn’t been released yet, and we aren’t releasing it today. We’re cleaning up a few remaining details and plan to release it on Monday (March 3). But, obviously, I’ve had a chance to see it and I’m truly thrilled and amazed at the quality of abstracts we received and allowed us to put together what we both think is a pretty cool agenda. Is it mind-blowing? I mean, c’mon, I’m trying to do a thing here. No, it’s probably not mind-blowing, but we had some very clever submissions (there’s a beatboxer involved) and I was pleased at the number of “new faces” who submitted abstracts. It’s a really good agenda and we think you’re going to like it. More to come on Monday!