Hello, I’m
Kayse Budd, M.D.

A great professional goal is to love what you do and feel invigorated by doing it. I, personally, am constantly evolving my career so it meets (or comes close to) these objectives daily. There were times in my life, however, when this goal was definitely out of reach. During my medical training I experienced several episodes of burnout, with fatigue, disenchantment, and an intermittently despairing mood. This caused me to embark upon a multi-year mission to heal myself and transform my career into something I could genuinely love and successfully manage without losing my balance.

Humans seem to have an innate desire to know why we are here. We search for meaning almost as naturally as we breathe. Sense of purpose at work, specifically, is more important than ever, as burnout is sharply on the rise. In fact, scientists have proven that sense of purpose is a key feature of resiliency.

Almost everyone appreciates the power of creativity. Unique things or novel ideas can catch our eye, brighten our day, and ignite change. Creativity is inspiring, and feeling inspired is fun! Of course, having fun is its own kind of medicine. Fun enhances our sense of connection (to others, self, and life). It reduces stress and increases happiness. Creativity, specifically, can help your business bloom and your life stay fulfilling.

Have you ever noticed you’re more likely to catch a cold if you’ve recently been stressed, slept poorly, or been emotionally upset? That last one is particularly interesting evidence of the mind-body connection!

As a holistic psychiatrist many of my patients ask, “How can I love myself more?” Our inability to love and accept ourselves plays a large role the mental health crisis on the planet. We reject our appearance, our abilities in mind or body, our challenging personality traits, our family backgrounds, the conditions of our upbringing, our jobs, our bank account, and our relationship status. Most of us feel we are just never enough.

It’s that time again, when we are collectively dreaming about a new year and all the fascinating possibilities it could bring. Intention setting around the start of a year is a powerful tradition that actually dates back to ancient Babylon (~2000 BC). In those days intentions were most likely about pleasing the Gods. Presently, there is still a spiritual thread woven through many people’s intentions. With so many challenging things happening in our world, it’s helpful to feel connected to something sacred.

Life is a mystery, and 2020 has been a stranger year than most. With multiple disruptions and many unknowns, it’s been nearly impossible to stay consistently calm. As a nation, and a world, we’ve had to reexamine fundamental beliefs and habits, get creative, and reinvent (or at least reorient) ourselves in multiple aspects of life. With an election just around the corner and political anxiety mounting on both sides, the “year of uncertainty” continues!

In honor of Suicide Prevention Week, I wanted to offer a collection of questions, statements, and inspirational bits of wisdom gleaned from my years of practice as a holistic and spiritually oriented psychiatrist. Review this list and make a mental note of the words and phrases that resonate the most. Repeat these to yourself when you need to reorient to a place of inner equilibrium—this week and always!

Your most amazing traits are often wrapped up in your most challenging ones. The two are connected—like opposite ends of a chain. Both your strengths and weaknesses exist for a reason.

Sus rasgos más sorprendentes están a menudo envueltos en los más desafiantes. Los dos están conectados como los extremos opuestos de una cadena. Tanto tus fortalezas como tus debilidades existen por una razón.