Doctor Me First with Errin Weisman DO

Welcome back to part III of the work addiction series. In part I, we talked about the definition of work addiction. Part II was a review of the literature overall. Now in Part III I want to talk about how to navigate work addiction and how to re-enter the work environment. Listen in!

If you want to change your work addiction you need to change the way you relate to yourself, your environment, and your work. So many people come to me in the midst of burnout convinced that they need to leave their jobs.

But here's the deal, no matter where you work, you will always take yourself.

Work addiction is not inherent in the environment that you work in necessarily. More often than not, this is an internal conflict that stems from conditioning, perfectionism, and other internal stimuli.

Listen in to hear all of my advice and let me know what you think!

"Done is better than perfect." Dr. Errin Weisman

In this episode:

[01:58] I give a brief review of the previous two parts of the series.

[02:45] If you want to change your work addiction, change the way you relate to your work, yourself, and the others around you.

[04:25] In my experience, the best strategy, once you've acknowledged you are a workaholic, is to take a pause.

[05:46] I want you to look at your finances and see how much you can use as a resource while you pause.

[06:20] Next, sit down and set a budget.

[06:33] Now evaluate your life and see how you are living and see if there are places you can cut back.

[09:04] This time and space needs to be focused on you.

[09:55] Things you need to do when you are thinking about taking a pause.

[11:51] It's important to develop the capacity to disconnect from work.

Links and Resources

Deputy

Katrina McGee Coaching

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Find out more about sponsoring an episode HERE

Email Errin HERE

Emergency medicine is much like a 3-ring circus, just ask Dr. Kelsey Quin. She grew up in the circus capital of the United States and still volunteers in the amateur circus that she performed in. The skills she learned there are helping her succeed as a physician and she's telling us how.

In emergency medicine there is always something going on. People being admitted, administrators coding charts, actual emergencies, and then cleaning up after the emergencies. One of the primary skills needed in an ED is the ability to prioritize each task appropriately.

It's exactly the same in the circus. Between making sure all safety measures are in place to creating an exciting show, there is definitely a hierarchy of tasks.

Dr. Quin is sharing her background, why she chose medicine and her thoughts on medicine today. Listen in to hear it all.

Have you been to the circus lately?

"At the end of the day you have to know yourself and you need to know what got you into this profession." Dr. Kelsey Quin

In this episode:

[02:38] Welcome to the show, Dr. Kelsey Quin!

[02:45] Listen as she shares what she is doing now and the circus she performed in.

[04:53] She discusses how an Emergency Room is very similar to a circus act.

[06:56] Dr. Quin talks about why she chose to be a D.O.

[08:30] She shares what it's like to practice as a D.O. in emergency medicine today.

[11:00] Listen as she shares a bit of encouragement today.

[12:38] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources

Deputy

Find Kelsey:

Indiana Osteopathic Association

All IN D.O. podcast

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Wanna be on this podcast: Schedule HERE

Email Errin HERE

One of the most important things in life is community. Taking a time out with important people and experiencing nature and the world is simply life giving. Listen as Dr. Dena George and I chat about our Taos Adventure and share our reflections from the trail.

On one of our last days in Taos, we decided to go on an amazing hike. We'd planned to do a fairly short trail but we found out that the trail led into several others making a loop. We ended up hiking nine miles and changing elevation by over 2000 feet.

It wasn't easy. As we were hiking we both had times that we wanted to quit. We had to push and encourage each other to keep going and as we did this, we began reflecting on the hike and our trip.

We both decided we need to celebrate the milestones in life, even when we don't realize they're milestones. We also both realized that people do have your back. Use your support system to help you make it through hard times.

No matter your age, physical condition, or belief, we all walk the same steps. You don't have to be the fastest or strongest, you just have to keep walking.

Listen in to hear all of our reflections. Maybe it's time for you to take your own adventure. Just don't forget the most important part, an amazing friend or partner to experience it with.`

"It's not judging the speed and not judging the size of the step. Forward is forward, a step is a step." Dr. Dena George

In this episode:

[02:10] Welcome to our reflections of our trip to Taos.

[03:51] Dena shares about the critter they met the first night in their VRBO rental.

[05:42] They discuss the 9 mile capstone hike they did and the reflections they had along the way.

[07:30] Errin shares her first reflection from the hike.

[10:09] They speak about the gate in the middle of nowhere.

[10:39] Dena's reflection is to celebrate the gate.

[11:38] Another reflection is sometimes you hit milestones without even knowing you did.

[13:28] Dena shares a parallel between water and high achieving professionals.

[16:21] People have your back, use that support system was another reflection.

[18:33] They saw an outstanding clearing because they took the time to pause.

[20:41] We all walk the same steps no matter your age or physical condition.

[23:12] Do the things you've been craving in your life.

[24:43] Dena shares a final reflection.

[25:26] Hope you enjoyed our reflections from Taos.

Links and Resources

Deputy

Find Dena:

Dr. Dena George

Create An Unstoppable Life Podcast

Facebook | Instagram

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Wanna be on this podcast: Schedule HERE

Email Errin HERE

Welcome another doctor who has stepped into entrepreneurship. Dr. Ashley Butler started her healthcare career as a nurse. She then went on to become a doctor, but in her search for balance realized she was needed in a different way.

While trying to balance it all she realized it simply wasn't possible. They hired Sherri to help with chores around the house and soon she became an extension of the family. Ashley founded MySherri to help other busy families find balance.

Her goal is to normalize getting in home help while removing the shame that comes from not being able to do everything. Home should be a place that you are able to rest and recharge, not another source of stress.

Listen as she shares her story and why she feels so passionate about helping busy professionals to find their balance. Dr. Ashley is an amazing physician and an even better business owner. Her story is fantastic and I love the magic she's putting into the world.

"Balance, particularly for physicians, for female physicians, is something we talk about but always feels right out of reach." Dr. Ashley Butler

In this episode:

[02:01] Welcome to the show, Ashley!

[02:09] She shares her background and what she is doing now.

[04:20] Listen as Ashley discusses why she picked the word balance.

[06:03] She talks about her journey to becoming a physician.

[07:25] Entrepreneurship is something that has always called her.

[09:07] Ashley discusses what her business MySherri is all about.

[13:47] They are building a culture for women, by women.

[15:31] I talk about the people I have hired to help me take care of my family, home and yard.

[19:46] Thank you Ashley for being on the show!

Links and Resources

Deputy

Find Ashley:

MySherri

Use the referral code DOCTOR when you join us today.

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Wanna be on this podcast: Schedule HERE

Email Errin HERE

I'm digging deep into this! I wanted to check more into the actual literature on work addiction but somewhat surprisingly, there isn't much there. What I did find is both shocking and kind of expected. Listen as I bust three myths about work addiction.

The first myth is that there are only psychological consequences to work addiction. In fact, the literature is quite clear that prolonged, chronic stress leads to physical manifestations and work addiction has been placed in this category. Your body does indeed physically manifest its distress.

There is also this pervasive thought that work addiction is a good thing in some ways, but that simply isn't true. Any addiction is a negative influence in our lives. Even if you're addicted to eating salads every day and all you eat is salad while ignoring all the other necessary vitamins and minerals needed to sustain life, that healthy act will become unhealthy.

Additionally, for those of us afflicted with work addiction, it doesn't matter how much time you spend working. There are people who are not addicted to their work, who work astronomical numbers of hours, and when they're not working can simply turn it off.

I'm not one of those people. No matter if I work 1 hour or 20 hours, I feel the same drain or high (depending on the day) regardless. Because it's a drug and the actual time taking it doesn't change the effect.

Also, you may not only be hurting yourself. One of the key problems with work addiction is how our drug affects our children. Don't believe me? Listen in to learn more.

"We can't change the past at this point. We can't take back time with our kids. God, I wish I could." Dr. Errin Weisman

In this episode:

[02:54] Listen as I break down some things I found from my jump into PubMed.

[04:33] Myth #1 is that there are only psychological consequences of being addicted to your work.

[05:05] I share the physical consequences of work addiction.

[06:47] I don't remember the first year of my first child's life and it breaks my heart.

[07:17] Myth #2 work addiction is a positive thing.

[11:04] Myth #3 work addiction is a function of time engaging in work.

[12:27] Healthy things in life can also become addictions.

[13:35] It's not the hours in the day you work if you have a work addiction, it's the impact of those hours.

[14:44] Your tangible takeaway is that you are different, and advocate for yourself because it comes down to an individual basis.

[16:02] Thank you for listening!

Links and Resources

Deputy

Simply Worth It Podcast

PubMed

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Find out more about sponsoring an episode HERE

Email Errin HERE

Nurses suffer from burnout too. I know that I speak mostly to doctor burnout but the field of healthcare as a whole drives burnout. Listen as I chat with Diana Page, an NP working in neuro, about her journey and what she's doing to help nurses beat burnout.

It took Diana years to realize she was burned out. She spent four years at a job, completely miserable, and couldn't figure out what was wrong. Once the light bulb clicked on, she started making huge changes and hasn't looked back.

We both agree that it took significantly longer to realize that we were burned out because of the toxic mentality that permeates our clinics and hospitals. Everyone is pushing themselves to the brink so no one realizes just how deep in the hole they are.

Diana is a bright light shining into the deep dark pit that is burnout. She has an amazing story and I'm so happy that she is sharing it.

Do you agree with us that burnout is inherent in the culture and practice of medicine, no matter what part you play in the field?

"If everyone around you is burned out and no one's talking about it, then you're like, I guess this is just what we do." Diana Page

In this episode:

[02:33] Welcome to the show, Diana!

[03:04] She shares her background and how she's helping nurses with burnout.

[04:38] Listen as she talks about when she realized she was burned out.

[07:26] Diana discusses lateral violence and unhealthy competition in toxic work environments.

[10:28] She shares some tips on ways to weed out the places with toxic work environments.

[12:53] I add a few things that I encourage people to look for.

[15:27] If they answer your questions honestly and take responsibility, it speaks a lot about the organization.

[17:42] Diana discusses how she helps her mentees when they feel like they are in over their heads and when it's time to find a different job.

[20:16] I talk about the 4 C's that I work with my clients.

[23:26] We can change healthcare if we all work together!

[26:04] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources

Deputy

Fierce Self-Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff

Episode 308 - Dr. Kristin Neff - Fierce Self-Compassion

Find Diana:

Selfcare Catalyst

Instagram

LinkedIn

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Wanna be on this podcast: Schedule HERE

Email Errin HERE

Hi. I'm Errin Weisman. I'm a DO, a family medicine physician, podcaster, coach, wife, mom, and work is my drug.

Me being me, I had to go through and do some research regarding work addiction but it isn't in the literature. Regardless, I noted the classic signs of addiction and decided to compare those to the way I view work.

Please note, I'm not diagnosing you. These are my own personal experiences and thoughts on how work affects our brains and how we interact with the world.

So anyhow, addiction is compulsive, often continued despite harmful consequences, and characterized by tolerance and withdrawal. I had to ask myself, does work really fall into this definition?

In my opinion, absolutely yes. Listen in to hear my thoughts and ways you can determine if you are in fact a work addict.

"I really do think that being addicted to your work impairs you socially, it definitely impairs you physically and psychologically." Dr. Errin Weisman

In this episode:

[02:04] Thank you for joining me for part 1 of my work addiction series.

[03:04] Listen as I define what addiction is and how being a workaholic fits.

[06:25] I share how you can recognize if you are a workaholic.

[07:50] The first thing I want you to do is recognize that recognition is key.

[09:18] I believe it starts as a coping mechanism.

[10:09] Here are the takeaways that I want you to think about.

[10:11] Do you fit the classification as a workaholic?

[10:17] If it's a yes, I want you to ask yourself these questions.

[10:22] #1 Were my parents or mentors workaholics?

[10:26] #2 Could I be modeling behaviors that were shown to me?

[10:33] #3 Do I have negative feelings associated with working less that might be rooted in my past?

[10:42] #4 What triggers me to feel the need to overwork?

[11:09] Thank you for listening!

Links and Resources

Vive Funds

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Find out more about sponsoring an episode HERE

Email Errin HERE

Sufficiency is knowing that wherever you are it's okay. Brig Johnson chose this word because it is the word that follows her through life. Listen as she shares more about sufficiency and her journey and why she's passionate about lifting up other women of color so they can shine.

She has spent decades in medicine and dealing with the slime that walks the halls of our facilities. Not only as a woman but as a woman of color who has been given even less of a voice. For a time she pushed all that shit down, but no longer.

As she began traversing the coaching space, she was constantly bombarded with images and stories of white women coaches and that altered her view of what was possible for her. She kept going but it was tough.

With the evolution of conversation after the murder of George Floyd however, she started to see an uprising of women, just like her, sharing their gifts. The floor of conversation is now open and she can now see so much more possibility.

We are chatting about all things medicine, coaching, and overcoming negative self-talk. Brig relates her journey into podcasting and how it too has helped her overcome some deep internal baggage. This was an amazing conversation that you won't want to miss.

"We identify so much more with what we do as opposed to who we are. We are human doings as opposed to human beings." Brig Johnson

In this episode:

[02:08] Welcome to the show, Brig!

[02:57] Listen as she shares why she picked the word sufficiency.

[05:50] She discusses her career journey.

[07:12] Coaching was always at the back of her mind and she knew it was something she was intrigued by.

[10:14] Brig talks about why she believes women of color coaches aren't as successful as white women coaches are.

[13:49] She speaks about her podcast Breakthrough With Brig.

[18:00] I talk about my Slack group and why I had to apologize to them.

[19:44] Listen as Brig discusses walking away from the medical field.

[23:40] She shares why she believes people identify more with what they do instead of who they are.

[25:31] Brig discusses the new groups she has.

[27:36] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources

Vive Funds

Duped: The Darkside of Online Business podcast

Find Brig Johnson:

Become Un-F*withable

Life Coach School

Breakthrough with Brig podcast

Facebook | Instagram

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Wanna be on this podcast: Schedule HERE

Email Errin HERE

Look. You can totally be addicted to work. Just like any other addiction, work addiction is super nuanced and rather than try to talk about all the different areas in one go, I'm turning this into a series!

That's right. I'm doing a whole new series specific to being a workaholic and how you can recognize it and change it.

First is recognizing that you are indeed a workaholic and what to do if you realize you are one. If you find yourself working until you are completely empty and dry… then you're a workaholic. If you think about work 24/7 and can't ever shut it off, then you're a workaholic.

Sound familiar? Then here are some quick tips to start separating yourself from work.

First, practice self-compassion. We are all human and we're all living our lives the best that we can. If you realize you're living to work and are tired of it, then give yourself the grace to fail and keep going.

Second, get support. Yes, allow yourself the grace to fail but get the support you need to fail less! Also make sure that your friends and family know that you're a work addict. They can help you keep things in perspective when you start working too much again.

It's all about taking small steps. Listen in next week for additional information and more tools and coping mechanisms you can use to tackle your work addiction.

"You can't expect yourself to show up daily, always being the best, instead you just have to show up your best at that moment." Dr. Errin Weisman

In this episode:

[01:13] Thank you for joining me for my new series about work addictions.

[03:24] I am a workaholic.

[06:30] I want to give you some quick tips about what you can do if you realize you are a workaholic.

[06:53] #1 show yourself some self-compassion.

[07:42] #2 get support.

[08:30] #3 let your family and close friends know that work has become your drug.

[08:51] #4 take small steps from here and think about what the next best step is.

[10:15] Work addictions can potentially be harder than substance based addiction.

[12:11] You are not a unicorn!

[15:16] Look for more steps coming up next week in this new series.

Links and Resources

Locum Story

Doctor Me First Episode 245

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Find out more about sponsoring an episode HERE

Email Errin HERE

How does compassion impact life? This is something that Dr. Kristin Neff has spent years studying and has written several books about. She's specifically interested in self-compassion in women and why it is necessary for wellness. Listen as I do a bit of fan-girling and we talk about this very important topic.

Dr. Kristin Neff is one of the world's leading experts on self-compassion. In fact, she was the first to operationally define and measure the construct. She has now also designed an 8-week course to help teach the skills necessary to develop healthy self-compassion both personally and professionally.

But why is she so intrigued by this particular skill?

She became very interested in the practice of Buddhism as she was going through her graduate program and self-compassion is one of the core tenets. After realizing that there wasn't a whole lot of scientific research about the construct of self-compassion, she took the field on.

Listen as she shares the definition of self-compassion and why it's more important now than ever. She also delves into the place of self-compassion in a post-Me Too world and how you can start to work on being more compassionate to yourself today.

"Women are socialized to be tender but not fierce and this is what can lead to things like inequality." Dr. Kristin Neff

In this episode:

[02:49] Welcome to the show, Kristin!

[04:29] Listen as she shares why she picked self-compassion as her words for today.

[06:53] Kristin talks about an experience she had that inspired her to write about fierce self-compassion.

[09:05] "It's all about the alleviation of suffering."

[11:25] She discusses authenticity and finding your self-compassion.

[13:07] Kristin shares her definition of worthiness.

[15:18] She speaks about finding a way to love ourselves.

[17:01] Listen as she talks about her online course for medical professionals.

[21:29] See the links below to check out her books.

[22:26] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources

Locum Story

Doctor Me First Episode 28

Doctor Me First Episode 201

Doctor Me First Episode 228

Doctor Me First Episode 244

Find Dr. Kristin:

The Center For Mindful Self-Compassion

Books:

Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive

Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself

The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive

Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals 1st Edition

3 WAYS TO GET INCREDIBLE HELP AT LOW-COST!!!

1. Buy my Kindle Book, Doctor Me First, on Amazon
2. Join us for our Monthly Burnout Masterclass Series.
3. Sit with me in my Slack Channel.

Schedule a call with Errin HERE

Wanna be on this podcast: Schedule HERE

Email Errin HERE