Staying Focused

By: Dr. Deborah Rothman

I would like to think I am typically a highly focused and “geshikt” person. This means I am pretty together, dependable, and laser focused and get things done in an orderly fashion. This past week I was flying out of town for a quick getaway for the weekend. I had finished a wonderful work week helping patients on their wellness journey and was rushing home after my last patient. Being prepared, I put my newly enhanced driver’s license in the pocket of my skirt before washing up to head to the airport. As I entered the TSA precheck line I felt around in my pocket, failing to find my license. I rummaged through my knapsack and wallet to see the empty slot where my driver’s license usually sits undisturbed. Flummoxed, I recalled that my skirt was a little creased, and while rushing I had changed it at home, all the while forgetting my license was already in my pocket. For someone who prides themselves on being on time, overly organized, etc., this hit me hard. I was dumb founded and disappointed in myself. I pulled my husband off the line and explained the situation as I was beginning to realize and absorb what had happened. He is so accustomed to my being on the ball, he was as shocked as I was.

The next half hour became a mad panic rush trying to figure out how to get my license to the airport so we would not miss our flight. This was something completely new and foreign for me. In a frantic state, taking deep breaths, I called my sister-in-law. I was fortunate that she was home and since she lives around the corner from me, she let herself into my house. On the phone, trying not to panic, continuing with relaxed breathing, I gave the specifics of my skirt pocket and where the skirt was hanging in my closet. She snapped me a pic of my innocent looking smile on my newly imprinted and very obnoxious real enhanced driver’s license ID. (Getting that done with the proper identification at DMV is a whole separate stress related article!) She saved the day and drove to JFK like the impatient driver I love her to be!

My driver’s license was back in my hand not 25 minutes later. During this time, with my blood pressure soaring, feeling so let down, my husband pulled up an old video of my youngest grandchild. It was the absolute best quick fix. He turned my mood around so quickly that I was able to just laugh at myself. We were fortunate to make our flight and put this frustrating experience behind us. My husband joked that I should draft an article about it, so here I am.

Hopefully as you are reading this article you are being understanding of how something so innocuous like this can happen. Perhaps you are even nodding your head if you have experienced something similar. There is no need for judgement here, as I was adequately hard on myself! Life happens. Events do not always go exactly as we plan. “Man plans, G-d laughs,” is a saying that resonates, which I have often heard in both English and Yiddish.

I am a believer that you do not just take life events at face value. This is true whether in happy times, sad times, even frustrating ones. Instead, I look at situations and try to learn from them. In this particular situation, after wanting to smack myself on the head, I learned an important lesson. While I utilize all my self-healing tools, including self-treating with acupuncture, exercising daily, and eating healthy, listening to music, and practicing deep relaxed breathing, I can still get stuck. It is so easy to allow ourselves to fall into stressful moments and berate ourselves with what we could have done differently. I truly feel that my baseline anxiety levels are much better because of the wellness tools I practice on a daily basis. Yes, this was a frustrating moment. However, I bounced back quickly because I work on myself to keep my stress levels down. It is what you practice on a day-to-day basis that enables you to deal with the oh no moments. Without the daily health practices, I believe I would have spiraled into a frustrating and self-loathing moment that would have blocked me from being able to figure out a solution in the heat of the moment. I am blessed for being able to utilize acupuncture and wellness for myself.

I am especially grateful to be able to offer them to my patients and those looking to keep their day-to-day stress levels under control. I love seeing my patients reap the healing benefits acupuncture offers. During stressful times, how wonderful it is to be able to rely on your wellness tools. Allow me to help you avoid sweating the small stuff. Book your acupuncture session today. Make sure you have your wellness tools, as well as your Enhanced ID in your pocket at all times! 

Dr. Deborah Rothman is a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, as well as a Diplomate of Acupuncture. She is in private practice and runs a wellness center in Lawrence, offering a complete solution for all your health and wellness needs. Comments and questions are welcome. She can be reached at 516-203-4500 or [email protected]. Please visit AcuZen.com and follow AcuZenWellness on Facebook and Instagram.