"Nowadays, I go on long walks through the city alone. I make dinner for one. When I go on bike rides, it’s a solo activity. I find comfort in myself, slowing down and making every small occasion a simple, peaceful one. I have a stronger sense of self, and through that, I have rekindled the fire that I felt during my first years of being in medicine. When I return home from the hospital, I don’t dive into the distraction of another person. Now, I write daily journal entries that help get my heart on a page, where I can set it aside and leave it be for some time before revisiting it. I put music on in my apartment, and dance and dance and dance. My new self-soothing methods aren’t perfect (none are), but at least they are now focused on nurturing and strengthening myself. No distractions, just facing my feelings head-on. It’s an art I am starting to get the hang of."

Fae Kayarian is a medical scribe.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Falling in love during a pandemic: a lesson in self-soothing." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/01/falling-in-love-during-a-pandemic-a-lesson-in-self-soothing.html)