My One Thing: P. David Adelson, MD

Physicians are incredibly committed to their patients and families, but everyone needs their own “one thing” – that thing they do for themselves, to feed their souls and refill their ‘tank’.  We want to highlight some of the amazing things our physicians are doing not directly for their patients but for themselves. Having our own passions isn’t just nice to have; it’s a necessity – like putting on your own oxygen mask first before helping others on an airplane – and ultimately it makes us better able to care for others.

What’s your name and role at WVU?
My name is P.  David Adelson, and I am the vice chair for the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, the executive director of the West Virginia University Medicine Children's Neurosciences Center, and the Steve A. Antoline Endowed Chair for Children’s Neurosciences. 

What is your “one thing”? 
I enjoy hiking and being outside in nature.

What do you love about it?
I love the quiet and peacefulness when I am walking alone through the different trails and being amongst nature, in the woods, along streams, climbing hills and mountains. I love to see the differences in the surroundings each time I go – to hear the different sounds, but then the overall quiet when I am out there. I even enjoy hiking on the same trail during different seasons to see the evolution and change of nature around me.

When did you start it?
I only started about 16-17 years ago. I had to give up running, as I was getting a lot of knee and hip pain. I found that I could hike pain-free, and it was easy and fulfilling to just go hiking on the numerous trails that were available to me when I lived in Phoenix, Arizona. I enjoy the exploration and challenges, and I found that I liked getting “lost” on unfamiliar trails by wandering around (I used AllTrails and GPS, so not really) and just choosing different paths to follow. I often take the one less traveled, especially if there are others out as well. 

How have you maintained doing this throughout the stages of your life and career?
Hiking – or just going for walks – is easy to do, either right out your front door or by driving to search out new locations, at any age and any stage of life. Walking and hiking have allowed me to build my endurance through after dinner walks of two to three miles each, and I like to do an 8-10 mile hike on the weekends. I have also added other activities to my hikes, including backpacking, canoeing, camping, and traveling to different places and different trails. I have backpacked and camped rim to rim across the Grand Canyon, Utah, California, Massachusetts, and Colorado, as well as Northern Canada. And now, of course, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

How does this activity enrich your life?
I have tried meditation but am too impatient, and my mind wanders too easily when I try to sit still for any length of time. I found that by hiking in nature, I could obtain a wonderful sense of peace and be able to clear my mind and relax with just walking along obtaining nature therapy, or even just listening to music, an audiobook, podcast, or a walking meditation.

How does doing this activity make you a better physician?
We are constantly barraged by events around us as part of life, whether by the nature of our jobs or in our personal lives. As we add more life stressors, particularly in our profession, it is almost like an accumulation of debris that can further wear us down and interfere with our perspectives and our decision making. Making time for oneself is important, and in this way, I feel like I can combine health, mental health, and the spiritual components of a more balanced life. This activity allows me to clear that “debris” of life and feel fresh in my approach to patients and their families, as well as to my colleagues, my co-workers, and then to my family, to provide the best care I can. I would say that if a physician is not optimal in how they are feeling physically and or mentally, this will carry over to how we treat our patients and the rest of the healthcare team, and will also likely trickle down to our home lives. This is not a recipe for good outcomes.

Do you have any advice for others on continuing their one thing?
It is often easy to make excuses, but my advice would be to find an activity that is meaningful and enjoyable, easy to continue regularly and then just like the rest of our lives, make sure that you schedule time to be able to pursue your “one thing”.  Again, most important is to make time for yourself!

Lastly, I would also say that you should never feel trapped in pursuit of that one thing. It should never be drudgery. While hiking is my “go-to”, my activities and interests have changed over time, and it is often fun and enriching to learn something new and challenge yourself in other ways with other pursuits.