Abstract
Primary care physicians often feel pressure to rush through the seemingly endless patient care and administrative work we are faced with daily. In residency, I learned how to be efficient, how to juggle multiple things at once, and how to think quickly: all valuable skills. I received positive reinforcement for taking on more responsibilities and roles. By the end of residency, I had forgotten how to slow myself down. When I started my first job, my developing relationship with a new patient showed me just how crucial slowing down can be. In this essay, I reflect on my post-residency efforts to be more deliberate, patient, and mindful. I think about why, in our current medical landscape, it can feel so hard to slow down.