Refresh, Reflect, and Re-engage this Heart Month

February 5, 2025|Lisa Maher

Happy Heart Month to my colleagues across the globe! Thank you for all you do each and every day to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease.

Each February, we are afforded an opportunity to reflect on our impact on our patients and our profession. I invite you to take 12 minutes to join me in 3 quick activities to help you refresh, reflect, and re-engage!

Refresh

Welcome to the ‘4-minute refresh’ section.

For the next 4 minutes, I want you to step away from your phone or technology and do something refreshing. I invite and encourage you to set a timer for 4 minutes. Really!

You might select one of the following or opt for a different activity.

  • Go for a quick walk. Outside would be great, but you gain a change of perspective just about anywhere you can go for just a few minutes.
  • Close your eyes and take a 4-minute mental vacation. Envision someplace you’ve visited and enjoyed, or someplace you hope to visit.
  • Slow down your breathing. Think about breathing in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 4. If you can breathe out for slightly longer than you breathe in, even better.
  • Really stretch.
  • Imagine a quick conversation with someone you love and/or find interesting.

When you are done, think about if you feel any different than when you started. Remember that you don’t have to wait until your next day off to ‘refresh.’ These breaks help our minds and bodies recover from stress and to more capably react and respond to whatever comes our way next. And it helps our heart!

Reflect

It is easy for us to save ‘reflection’ for the transition from one calendar year to another—but it is an important pursuit at any time that can give us much-needed perspective on where we are, what we do, and where we are going. Heart Month is a great time to reflect on what you have been doing to help improve the heart health of those in your family, community, or work setting.

Spend 4 minutes reflecting on how your efforts toward improving your cardiovascular health and that of others have made a positive difference in the last 6 months. Can you point to some successes, such as the following examples?

  • Patients that have reduced their risk for heart attack or stroke
  • Individuals who better understand their risk or a particular disease state—this could be a family member, friend, colleague, or patient
  • A patient who underwent a treatment or procedure and now has improved quality of life
  • A person (or people) who are engaged in shared decision-making about their health
  • A new program or activity that is helping ‘move the needle’ on cardiovascular health in your work setting or community
  • Your involvement in improving processes or changing policies that made a difference for your patients or your colleagues
  • Advocacy efforts that you’ve made at the local, regional, national, or international level
  • Talks you’ve given to colleagues—at staff meetings, rounds, or conferences, or articles that you’ve written and shared
  • Students who now know more about CVD, particular procedures, or other topics
  • Someone you mentored (even informally) at your workplace

Now that you’ve reflected on the past, it’s time to look ahead.

Re-Engage: What’s Next?

Our final 4 minutes focus on the future. We all know that actions of every size make a difference and add up over time. Think about one goal you’d like to achieve in the next 3 months related to your job that will help you re-commit to our profession.

As you think about what action(s) you’d like to take, keep in mind the SMART goal framework we ask patients to use:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-Bound

Create one SMART goal for yourself. Write it down and consider sharing it with a colleague.

To hold yourself accountable, make a note on your calendar for three months from today to check in on this SMART goal.

There you have it—a 12-minute block of time you can repeat anytime, even if it’s not Heart Month. Thanks for refreshing, reflecting, and re-engaging. And if you found this helpful—share with a friend!

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