It’s tempting to think of accepting the reality of the moment as acquiescence or giving up, but the opposite is true. Awareness and acceptance of what’s going on inside of you and around you is a recipe for equanimity. With this equanimity, you are able to operate at a higher level as well as be an effective agent for change in the system. Sounds like a paradox!

In this episode, we look at mindfulness as a tool for addressing and mitigating burnout, fostering self-compassion, promoting a sense of well-being, squashing imposter syndrome, restoring autonomy, working through our ‘specialness’, getting out of a scarcity mindset, doubting self-doubt, and getting charts done so you can get home on time (yes, it’s true!) 

Guest Bio

Gail Gazelle, MD, MCC is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Master Certified Coach for physicians. She is the author of Everyday Resilience. A Practical Guide to Build Inner Strength and Weather Life’s Challenges, and most recently Mindful MD. 6 Ways Mindfulness Restores Your Autonomy and Cures Healthcare Burnout. To hear more of Gail, she’s the featured guest on Stimulus Episode 27. 

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For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We Discuss

• What is mindfulness?
• The thinking mind can be overwhelming.
• Mindfulness training helps us gain autonomy.
• Apps and other methods to assist with meditation and mindfulness.
• Mindfulness helps in gaining awareness and insight into one's inner dialogue.
• Recognizing that we are not our thoughts helps restore autonomy and cure burnout.
• Imposter beliefs contribute to burnout and prevent recognition of our own accomplishments.
• Steps that can be taken to challenge and overcome imposter beliefs.
• Combatting the "special syndrome" experienced by many physicians?
• The role self-compassion plays in reducing burnout and improving motivation.
• Shifting from inner criticism to inner ally.
• How does the focus on comparison affect healthcare professionals' well-being?
• Practicing gratitude and abundance mindset shifts physiology and wellbeing
• Emotional reactivity and resistance to accepting reality impact healthcare providers.
• Mindfulness helps healthcare providers appreciate the present and avoid a "milestone mindset"
• There's often confusion between acceptance of the moment and acquiescence to an external issue that you want to change