The History of Wellness

By Dr. Douglas P. Murphy | April 19, 2022
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History of Wellness blog header, featuring Chinese herbal remedies, a balance scale, and Chinese text

Though considered by many a newer concept, the tenets of wellness date back to antiquity.  Long before recorded history, human drive for survival and exposure to the ubiquity of physical suffering and death must have elicited a desire to escape or at least defer that inevitability.  And with that desire, a search for the means…

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Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19: Resources for Preventing Physician Stress & Burnout

By Dr. Douglas P. Murphy | December 17, 2021
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Blog Header for Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19: Practicing Wellness in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  -WHO James Lake, M.D., wrote in a June 2020 article in the Psychiatric Times on “4 Pillars of Good Mental Health.”  Dr. Lake states, “It is of utmost importance to focus on improving lifestyle factors,…

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Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19: Better Days Ahead – the Rollout of Vaccines

By Dr. Douglas P. Murphy | December 17, 2021
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Blog header photo for Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19: Better Days Ahead - the Rollout of Vaccines, depicting a Covid-19 vaccine in a bottle

“What is wellness?  A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  -the WHO As I began writing this next installment on the series, “Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19” I was struck by how much had changed in the last 6 months…

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Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19: Mental Health Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physicians

By Dr. Douglas P. Murphy | December 17, 2021
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Blog header photo for Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19: Mental Health Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physicians, depicting a group of healthcare practitioners wearing masks

For most physicians, the practice of medicine is as much a calling as it is a profession.  The calling of this practice is rooted in the character of the physician whose daily decisions and patient interactions are the outcomes of a commitment to values that supersede one’s own self-interest.  However, though medical training is highly…

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Physician Wellness in America

By Dr. Douglas P. Murphy | September 1, 2021
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Blog header photo for Physician Physician Wellness in America, depicting a Covid-19 virus particle.

“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” -Sir Winston Churchill. The issue of physician wellness has grown immensely in importance over the last decade or more, and with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging internationally, perhaps even more so.  This is due to wellness’s critical impact not only on the lives of physicians…

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Wellness Action Item: Exercise

By Dr. Douglas P. Murphy | July 24, 2021
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Blog header photo for Wellness Action Item: Exercise. Photo depicts a person stretching outside in preparation to exercise.

Whether you are an experienced gym enthusiast, a runner or active in a healthy aerobic sport, there is no single act that one can commit to than voluntary physical exercise in support of personal health and wellness.  Physical exercise has been described as the best antioxidant supplement in existence (Kravitz 2009, Ristow 2009).  As you…

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