Be here now: Integrating mindfulness into your daily life with ease (Burnout Busters | The Podcast)

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, sometimes all it takes is returning your awareness to the present moment. The science behind mindfulness is known worldwide and cross-culturally: Our brains are prediction-making machines, so it can take some training to prevent ourselves from jumping to conclusions about events that haven’t happened yet. This week, Steve Wengel, MD, is our guest from the “wellness biz” (his words). Dr. Wengel is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and the assistant vice chancellor for campus wellness for UNMC and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Join the Burnout Busters for a practical discussion about how time-pressed health care professionals can make mindfulness work for them.

Steve Wengel Headshot Steven Wengel, MD, is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and the first-ever assistant vice chancellor for campus wellness for UNMC and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Dr. Wengel is from Omaha and has been a practicing psychiatrist since 1991, specializing in geriatric psychiatry. He treats patients with a broad range of psychiatric conditions, including dementia, depression, and anxiety disorders. He is currently the director of the UNMC Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, and he previously served as the chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry, from 2004 to 2018. Dr. Wengel has a longstanding interest in the role of non-medication interventions for reducing stress and anxiety. He has employed meditation techniques in his personal, clinical, and academic practices for many years, and has worked with the University of Nebraska to create innovative academic and clinical programs in stress reduction. In his current role as the wellness champion for UNMC, he oversees academic programs reaching out to faculty and trainees in all disciplines. His goal is to reduce stress and burnout in health care students and staff, as well as to reach out to other populations across the state and region.