I recently finished a coaching package with a client. On paper, her life looks so crazy busy, with it only worsening over the coming weeks. A partner is retiring without a definite replacement. Her method of efficient charting has been indefinitely disrupted. She has more than her share of responsibilities at home.
And yet, she feels totally in control. She knows she's got this. And she is definitely not going to be overeating at Thanksgiving.
Stressed and overwhelmed and anxious would be how the vast majority of women physicians would be feeling entering into a similar situation. And not one of us would blame the other for feeling that way!
Life as a woman physician is generally an unbalanced one. We want to give 100% of our time, energy, and attention to our patients, while giving 100% of our time, energy, and attention to our families and friends when we aren't at work.
But that math doesn't work out. So we always feel like if we're doing a good job in one area, another area is suffering.
It doesn't really seem like an option to look at it any other way.
To review, when not every single person in the world would think the same thing about a circumstance, then the way we think about it is a thought, and therefore something we are choosing.
My client isn't stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious about her circumstance at all. She has made decisions ahead of time regarding how she will respond to various situations, what and when she will be eating, and how she will show up for herself, her patients, and her family and friends.
In short, she knows how to manage her thoughts and feelings to get the results she wants.
When we know how to manage our thoughts and feelings, anticipate and plan for possible sticking points, and care for ourselves as well as we care for our patients and families, we are then in direct control of how we experience our lives.
It's so empowering to know and believe that nothing and nobody in your life has to change in order for you to think and feel the way you want to.
So therein lies the choice: how do you want to experience your life?
Do you want to feel guilty because some area of your life is not being adequately attended to?
Do you want to be constantly overrun with negative thoughts and feelings about yourself, your kids, your spouse, and your patients?
Do you want to feel like a victim of insurance companies or difficult patients?
Do you want to believe that mental and physical exhaustion is just standard for every female doctor and that there's nothing you can do to improve it?
I had to work with a coach for me to learn how to change those thoughts and beliefs around. While I do believe that it's possible to make great changes on your own, the speed at which clarity and determination come when working with a neutral outsider is usually welcome. We often look for help when we're fed up and need change right away. And that's how I can help you as a coach.
Practicing MDs and DOs can join my Doctors Only Weight Loss group coaching program. It only runs a couple times each year, so be sure to get your name on the information list by clicking here. You'll be among the first to know when the next session opens to registration.
Not a doctor but still want to take your weight loss journey to the next level? Please use my Contact page to connect, and I’ll help you get started!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
