Wellbeing Connections with Dr. Carla is a weekly blog post written by Dr. Carla Chugani, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh.  At the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Chugani (a therapist and mental health researcher with expertise in collegiate mental health) was asked to begin preparing weekly wellness emails for her division.  These messages have since spread across her university and she is delighted to share them with the University of Delaware community.  Her weekly messages are a mix of skills from evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness practices, practical tips for solving everyday problems (e.g., email overload and zoom fatigue), and reactions to major world events.  Overall, the goal of these messages is to provide weekly reminders to create space for wellbeing, self-care, and reflection.

Hi Everyone,

I attended a zoom retirement party for a really wonderful, fabulous physician and human named Dr. Dena Hofkosh last week.  Dena is one of those people that just makes you feel safe – she has mentored so many people throughout the years, ferrying each student, resident, trainee, and junior faculty member safely through all manner of storms.  I was amazed and humbled to witness 40 years of friendships, memories, challenges, inside jokes, and hard work.  I think if I could even achieve a fraction of the service Dena has dedicated to others, it would be a life very well spent. 

Dena’s celebration got me thinking about how I want to be remembered by my colleagues and students – and what I need to do now to create that legacy.  It was also an opportunity to get some perspective.  I realized how overly focused I have been on how hard things have been during these last 14 months.  I think seeing Dena’s legacy grounded me in a more long-term perspective.  This time is hard, and, it will pass.  Things will change, grow, and evolve in ways I could never have predicted.  My job right now is to keep following my values and do the best that I can each day for myself, everyone around me, and the people that I have the privilege of serving.  I say this because I know that I can’t always be successful, but it’s important to me that people know and remember that I really tried my best to be a helper.  For this week’s wellness practice, I want to encourage you to spend some time reflecting on your own legacy.  How do you want people to think of you or remember you?  In what ways are you living your legacy?  Where (if anywhere) might you want to change course or grow?

Best,
Carla