What’s On Your Wellness Playlist?

I am an abdominal radiologist in the abdominal and ultrasound divisions at Mayo Clinic Rochester. Being a radiologist, I have found much of my source of unwellness and burnout tends to be psychological, rather than physical. There is a lot of mental burden, and it is no surprise that radiology is the most mentally demanding physician specialty with increasing workload contributing to burnout [1].

Music is something I have always enjoyed, so I’ve added my three tunes to the ARRS Wellness Playlist on YouTube—songs curated for those mentally tougher days in the reading room, including “Rise Up” by Andra Day, “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, and “Hero” by Mariah Carey.

Music has been found to improve mood and decrease anxiety and cortisol levels [2], even improving depression [3]. Physiologically, music can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate [2]. In particular, listening to peaceful and low tempo music has been found to decrease heart rate [4].

There are times in the reading room where I fi nd it useful to have relaxing music to help decrease anxiety and irritation, as well as calm down. However, there are days where I want and need to get pumped up to help tackle a rougher day, just like getting pumped up at the gym for a workout. In fact, motivational music has been shown to combat cognitive and physical performance decline caused by exercise fatigue in sports [5].

The other factor in this study by Bentouati et al. that showed to combat cognitive and physical decline was a 30-minute nap. This also showcases the importance and power of sleep, which we are all very aware of in mitigating burnout and unwellness. Since we are on the topic of sleep, listening to relaxing music has been found to be as effective as diazepam in reducing anxiety [6], and thus benefi cial for aiding sleep. Music can lower our blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate to help us fall asleep and achieve quality sleep, further boosting our wellness.

Build a Community of Belonging During ARRS’ Wellness Symposium in San Diego

Helping us move forward in the wellbeing space during the ARRS Annual Meeting, our 2025 Radiology Wellness Symposium in San Diego, CA will lay out a lot of the hard work done by many imaging centers to shift the narrative in our working environments. The widespread shortage of radiologists, combined with higher volumes and the prevalence of burnout, has been challenging radiology practices of all types.

Focused on hard-won practical solutions for workforce belonging and overall positivity, multi-generational leaders in radiology education, operations, and informatics will tackle the differing approaches for schedule optimization, multiple strategies to help those trainees who are unwell, better incorporation of international medical graduates, and the many benefi ts of proper coaching and mentoring.

As with all ARRS Annual Meeting sessions, live and virtual audience interaction remains welcome, especially during our question-and-answer portions, so I hope to see you in San Diego or online for the 2025 ARRS Wellness Symposium!

References

1. Harry E, Sinsky C, Dyrbye, LN, et al. Physician task load and the risk of burnout among US physicians in a national survey. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 2021; 47:76–85. doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2020.09.011

2. Fancourt D, Ockelford A, Belai, A. The psychoneuroimmunological effects of music: a systematic review and a new model. Brain Behav Immun 2014; 36:15–26. doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2013.10.014
3. Daykin N, Mansfi eld L, Meads C, et al. What works for wellbeing? A systematic review of wellbeing outcomes for music and singing in adults. Perspect Public Health 2018; 138:39–46. doi.org/10.1177/1757913917740391
4. Sandstrom, GM, Russo, FA. Music hath charms: The effects of valence and arousal on recovery following an acute stressor. Sage Publications 2010. doi.org/10.1177/1943862110371486
5. Bentouati E, Romdhani M, Abid R, et al. The combined effects of napping and self-selected motivation music during warming up on cognitive and physical performance of karate athletes. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1214504. doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1214504
6. Berbel P, Moix J, Quintana S. [Music versus diazepam to reduce preoperative anxiety: a randomized controlled clinical trial]. Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim 2007; 54:355-358. (Estudio comparativo de la efi cacia de la música frente al diazepam para disminuir la ansiedad prequirúirgica: un ensayo clínico controlado y aleatorizado.) doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1214504