The UAB Department of Neurosurgery is spotlighting staff to focus on the importance of hobbies for stress relief, wellness and self-care.
The goal of the series is to connect individuals across the department by highlighting their hobbies as they relate to mental, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social and financial wellness.
 
Tori Caudill works in the UAB Department of Neurosurgery Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery as a research coordinator, and in the Department of Psychology as a teaching assistant. Caudill, a UAB alumna, has a background in psychology and neuroscience and is passionate about dismantling the body mass index (BMI) and spreading awareness for eating disorders in underrepresented populations.

What hobby do you currently focus on in your downtime?   
I have a wide variety of interests which leads me to a lot of different hobbies! I love to read (mainly thriller/mystery genres), draw, paint and practice yoga. When it comes to dealing with stress and working on myself though, boxing is my go-to. The boxing gym I visit is completely black-lit, so you can’t see what everyone else is doing and you get to completely focus on yourself and your journey.

What inspired you to explore this hobby?
I’ve always liked weight lifting and I thought hitting something would be fun. Turns out, it totally is!

Have you noticed a change in your well-being since beginning this hobby and how does that translate into your work?  
Exercise in general is essential to my wellbeing, but it’s important for me to change it up a little bit so it doesn’t become a chore. Boxing really lets me release some steam, have some fun and feel confident and strong.

What are you most proud of?  
Honestly, just taking a chance and stepping out of my comfort zone! It’s always a scary thing to try something new that you aren’t sure you’ll be good at.