Take 1 ridiculous moment as needed for anxiety

I've just finished my psychiatry rotation, and am more convinced than ever that all of the little things we do to keep it together during medical school are really, really important. Even with the amazing hours (and they call it "psych-ation" for a reason), psychiatry can be really emotionally taxing. There are generally a lot of small steps between mental illness and recovery, and at points it can feel like you aren't going anywhere. My antidote to the sometimes overwhelming sensation that nothing I was doing was helping anyone was to spend a few hours to make something for someone else (and particularly for the little photogenic snuggly someone else you see pictured above and below).

Note to self: try not to forget this lesson for the 1,000,000th time…

For those of you who are wondering, the pattern for the coat is courtesy of my very own nemesis, Martha Stewart. I considered several other options, including this one, but was drawn in by Martha's dog fashion show (scroll to the sidebar)...