Eyeworld Daily News

6 | EYEWORLD DAILY NEWS | MAY 7, 2023 ASCRS ANNUAL MEETING DAILY NEWS PUBLISHER Steve Speares MANAGING DIRECTOR Stacy Jablonski EDITORIAL CO-DIRECTORS Ellen Stodola Liz Hillman GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Susan Steury Katherine Beutner PRODUCTION MANAGER Cathy Stern SALES, SPONSORSHIPS, AND CORPORATE PROGRAMS Jessica Donohoe Joe Dooley Cathy Stern D an Lerner was the keynote speaker during Saturday's Main Stage session. He dis- cussed success and happi- ness and noted that the two things don't always go together. "I've been fascinated by the idea of success and happiness for as long as I can remember," he said. Mr. Lerner noted the doctor profession, a profession that many equate with success, sees many people experiencing burnout. He also said that, when polled, many doctors indicate that they would not recommend the career (60%) and would have chosen a different career (40%). He asked attendees at the session if they've been stressed out, with the majority of the room raising their hands to agree. He noted ways to go from hap- piness to well-being with positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. To make the most of well-be- ing, Mr. Lerner noted a number of things that can be done. He first addressed positive emotions and how to raise them, suggesting keeping a gratitude journal and writing three things down you're grateful for each day before going to sleep. Another recommendation was to just breathe (3 minutes, 2x a day), which he said can help lower levels of stress. In terms of relationships, he said to reach out every day, and he also said to ask for help and feedback. There are far fewer mistakes when people ask for help, and overall well-being of relationships tends to go up, he said. For engagement, he said to use character strengths at work and to use them in a new way every day. And for meaning, Mr. Lerner said to think about how you work with other people and how it makes the world a better place. So, when do success and hap- piness coexist? It really depends on how you define success, he said. Mr. Lerner then brought out a panel for further discussion, with Nicole Fram, MD, Deepinder Dhaliwal, MD, Sam Masket, MD, and Rosa Braga-Mele, MD. Dr. Dhaliwal discussed her personal "wake-up call" when she slipped on water in the OR and de- veloped a disc herniation. To address this, she began doing meditation, yoga, and acupuncture. "We need to think of ourselves as high-per- formance athletes because if we're not well, we can't deliver the care to everyone else," Dr. Dhaliwal said. Dr. Masket said he used to teach that ergonomics was every- thing about the flow of the case but noted that he was really just talking about how the patient and ophthalmologists were interacting physically. Many of us have sacrificed our bodies, often due to ignorance, Dr. Masket said, adding that 15% of ophthalmologists retire early because of musculoskeletal problems. Ergo- nomics is a topic that is coming up more these days, Dr. Masket said. Dr. Braga-Mele discussed her personal fitness journey and par- ticularly noted that the gym is her mental health. It helps her mind refocus but also benefits her body. Dr. Braga-Mele said rather than working towards "work-life balance," it's more like "work-life harmony." Editors' note: The speakers have no relevant financial interests. Keynote speaker highlights success and happiness Mr. Lerner gives a keynote address during the Saturday Main Stage programming.

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