The Mindful Scrub applies the concepts of mindfulness to a routine activity that we perform often as surgeons. The idea behind the mindful scrub is to help bring your mind to the present moment as you enter the OR for a case, leaving the stressors of home, the ward, and consults behind. This allows you to bring your full attention to the case at hand, to optimize learning and your surgical performance and help you tune out all the chatter that can be a distraction.
This meditation involves systematically focusing your attention on different parts of the body from head-to-toe in a guided tour fashion, helping to deepen awareness of bodily sensations and stress. This practice cultivates the skills of engaging, sustaining, and shifting attention - these skills can help you manage stress and enhance your focus.
This meditation is a shortened version of the original Surgeon Body Scan, to allow you to integrate it more easily into your daily routine after familiarizing yourself with the basics.