DRIVE TIME DEBRIEF: A Physician Wellness Podcast with The Whole Physician

By Drs. Cazier, Dinsmore and MorrisonBusiness Medicine Health & Fitness Mental Health Careers

DRIVE TIME DEBRIEF: A Physician Wellness Podcast with The Whole Physician episodes

February 16, 2023#49: "The Giving Tree" Has Got To Go
In the episode, we discuss "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. It is a beloved book by many, but it is problematic to say the least. And altruistic healthcare workers using this as a model of self-sacrifice may want to reconsider.
Highlights:
Self sacrifice is not sustainable, isn't healthy and can breed selfishness, narcissism and codependency.
Those who neglect themselves at the expense of others suffer the consequences: anxiety, depression, and less efficacy.
True generosity begets more generosity.
The most successful givers ALSO score highly in self concern.
Self sacrifice doesn't model loving boundaries.
Generosity and self sacrifice are not the same thing.
Self sacrifice can create a mutually detrimental relationship for all.
Healthy, loving boundaries can result in much better outcomes.
Resources:
https://www.shelsilverstein.com/9780060256654/the-giving-tree/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/parenting/we-need-to-talk-about-the-giving-tree.html
http://www.curiata.com/content/3120.php
https://www.christopherroosen.com/blog/2021/5/29/why-i-cant-stand-the-giving-tree-by-shel-silverstein-a-picture-of-a-destructive-and-selfish-relationships
https://www.topherpayne.com/giving-tree

If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. Additionally, we're happy to lecture for your institution. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
20 min
February 09, 2023#48: Physician Coaching- A Man's Perspective with Michael Hersh, MD
Introducing Dr. Michael Hersh, who was in the same coaching class as Amanda and Laura, and has pioneered the male coaching space. He is a full time practicing gastroenterologist in Chicago who came to coaching to address some of his frustrations with work. Little did he know, the work he did in the professional space created many improvements in his personal and family life. He has amazing insight from the male perspective and all the other skeptics out there! You can find him at betterphyscianlife.com.
Great moments with Dr Hersh:
but something just still didn't seem right. It was, it was almost like, you know, it was fine. But it just seemed like maybe something was missing. There should be more. And I kept seeing these ads for physician coaching. Super skeptical guy. But I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna give this a try. This seems like something. I could try, I don't know....and then he asked me this one question that really changed everything for me. And that was, “well, if you don't do this, then what changes?” And man, that question, so I did it and it just, it literally changed everything.
I think one of the biggest hurdles that we kind of tackle in physician coaching is processing feelings, right?...I didn't even realize I had that many feelings. I was frustrated, angry, worried, and that was about it. And then during one of my coaching sessions, one of my female coaches pulled out a feeling wheel. And I don't know if your listeners know what a feeling wheel is, but this was an overwhelming experience just seeing this thing and all of the potential feelings that can exist. And so I think for men learning to process emotions and feelings is really vital work and it's something that we do a lot of in coaching.
I think that female physicians have kind of been the pioneers in the physician coaching space. They have been the ones that have really gone out there, you know, and in some ways, and again, I hate to be, you know, stereotypical and like gender focused, but you know, women tend to be the caretakers. And so right now the female physician coaches are caretaking for our entire profession.
I think the men, I think all physicians are skeptical, but I think the men tend to be a little bit more skeptical of this work out of the gate. I know I was, but once, once they experience it and they see the power of it, very quick adopters.
And I would say the thing I didn't realize was I thought saying yes, was just saying yes. And I didn't think about the no that I was saying on the other side of that yes. So when you say yes to one opportunity, you're saying no to something else. And for me, the people I was saying no to was my family...
So rather than thinking about a boundary as a negative thing, like, “oh, I'm saying no and that person's gonna not be happy with me because I've said no to them”. Remember the people that you're showing up for in that no, most notably yourself.

Where to find Dr Hersh:
https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/
"Doctors Living Deliberately" Podcast with Dr Arpita DePalma (also on YouTube)
Other resources:
Feelings Wheel

If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. Additionally, we're happy to lecture for your institution. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
For a free quote on Own-Occupation Insurance, you're welcome to use our affiliate link: patternlife.com/drivetime
23 min
February 02, 2023#47: Stress and Overwhelm
Today, we continue improving our emotional granularity (or ability to correctly identify emotions) using Brene Brown's book "Atlas of the Heart." And, since emotions aren't inherently "good or bad," we take a look at what the feelings can be telling us. The focus of todays episode is stress vs overwhelm.
Using Brene's example from working in a restaurant, stress is when you're "in the weeds." It's when your environmental requirements are felt to be beyond your ability to cope well. And it's all your perception. The solution can rely on thinking still: changing perception and/or delegating tasks.
Overwhelm is when "you're blown." It's when you are at the point when you're not thinking well and unable to come up with a solid plan. It's when you're feeling unable to function. The solution here, from Jon Kabat Zinn, is some non-doing time- letting the brain rest or engage in play for a period of time. And then, after the disconnect, it's go time.
Best Health has a useful process:
Capture it - write down every task you can think of.
Chunk it - group your tasks and to-dos into larger chunks (helps you see more clearly).
Choose it - start with activities that strengthen you, that you’re looking forward to. Just pick SOMETHING to start with.
Take action - Just begin. Action is the antidote to overwhelm. Just starting can reduce anxiety.
Focus - stay in the moment rather than getting swept up in the rest.
Resources:
https://brenebrown.com/book/atlas-of-the-heart/
https://www.besthealthmag.ca/article/5-ways-to-stop-feeling-overwhelmed/

If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. Additionally, we're happy to lecture for your institution. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
For a free quote on Own-Occupation Insurance, you're welcome to use our affiliate link: patternlife.com/drivetime
18 min
January 26, 2023 #46: Envy, Jealousy, & Resentment
The theme of this episode is adapted from Brene Brown's book, "Atlas of the Heart". Each chapter focuses on a group of emotions that are common places we go to when we feel _____. (that represented a blank) The chapter on jealousy, envy and resentment is from chapter 2, Places We Go When We Compare. She so exquisitely dives into this group of emotions head on and without consideration for our readiness! Ouch! She is lively and easy to attend to which opened up our platform to discuss the same. In our frank conversation, we address some motivations behind what we are truly feeling towards a partner or colleague that really did nothing spiteful to us but maybe they are living their best life and we are no where close to that zip code. Hope you find the "achy" parts of this conversation not so painful by the end of the show! Enjoy!
Resources:
https://brenebrown.com/book/atlas-of-the-heart/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/201102/what-can-jealousy-teach-you
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-made-practical/202012/the-power-positive-envy
If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. We are also available to lecture for your institution as a part of their wellness program. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
For a free quote on Own-Occupation Insurance, you're welcome to use our affiliate link: patternlife.com/drivetime
20 min
January 19, 2023#45: The Brain-Gut Connection with Cecilia Miñano, MD
Meet gastroenterologist, Dr. Cecilia Miñano. She joins the show today to talk about the powerful mind-body connection, especially in regard to gut health. You'll learn:
The Autonomic Nervous System: comprised of the parasympathetic, sympathetic and enteric systems
How chronic stress (sympathetic state) affects digestion and gut health
How coaching can help with chronic conditions, including:
mindset approaches
somatic processing
Helpful tips before you eat
How previous trauma can complicate somatic symptoms
Considerations when interacting with a chronic gut patient
To find out more, visit:
Dr. Miñano's website: ceciliaminanomd.com
Dr. Miñano's Facebook and LinkedIn Profiles
Get free resources from Dr. Miñano here. You can also sign up for her free webinar Jan 26, 2023 at that same link.

If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. Additionally, we're happy to lecture for your institution. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
For a free quote on Own-Occupation Insurance, you're welcome to use our affiliate link: patternlife.com/drivetime
32 min
January 12, 2023 #44: Thoughts, Feelings, Memories, & Triggers
In this episode, we start with a quick refresher of what thoughts and feelings are and where they come from. We then take it a little further and introduce memories and triggers. These are related in the fact that triggers surface as a result of a memory that was made in the past. This collection of thoughts created feelings at the time it was integrated in our mind and brain. Then, when an internal or external stimulus arises that triggers that memory, you experience those feelings all over again. Sometimes it serves you and sometimes it doesn't. This episode encourages recognition of the triggers and then seeking to figure out where they came from. Then doing the work to try to reframe that thought to produce a better feeling that produces a result that works for you now.
Acknowledgment goes to the amazing Dr Caroline Leaf and all of her work around the mind, brain and body connection. Her website is www.drleaf.com and her podcast is called, "Cleaning up Your Mental Mess". Listen on Apple, Google or Spotify.
If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. Additionally, we're happy to lecture for your institution. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
For a free quote on Own-Occupation Insurance, you're welcome to use our affiliate link: patternlife.com/drivetime
32 min
January 05, 2023 #43: The Co-Survivor with Kristin Flanary, MA (aka Lady Glaucomflecken)
We're honored in this episode to talk with Kristin Flanary, MA (aka Lady Glaucomflecken). She shares her experience when her famously hilarious husband (Will Flanary, MD aka Dr. Glaucomflecken) unexpectedly went into cardiac arrest while sleeping. Her quick action saved his life, but she talks about how that experience changed her and her subsequent journey coming back from what she calls The Quiet Place.
In healthcare, so much on the patient in the gurney, but often overlooked are the family/loved ones/friends who are also affected. Some have labeled them The Forgotten Patients or Co-Survivors. In many cases, they get pushed to the side, but they've just had a significant trauma in their own right as well.
Kristin also touches on some of the experiences with healthcare in the days after the event that could have been improved with minimal effort and just a little thoughtfulness.
We know you'll love Kristin as much as we did. Enjoy.
Want more like this? Join our Weekly Well Check by clicking here.
Links:
Kristin's Twitter: Lady Glaucomflecken
Kristin's Email: [email protected]
Flanary K. The Quiet Place. Journal of Cardiac Failure. VOLUME 27, ISSUE 11 , P1300-1301, NOVEMBER 01, 2021. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2021.10.002
@PSnobelen. A thread of what I share with Lay-Responders after acting to Save a Life, based on the real life questions they ask. Feel free to use this info in your courses, talking etc. Posted September 2, 2020. Accessed June 14, 2021. https://twitter.com/PSnobelen/status/1301187168153591810
@PSnobelen. More common Questions and Answers. Posted September 2, 2020. Accessed June 14, 2021. https://twitter.com/PSnobelen/status/1301187168153591810
Haywood K, Dainty KN.Life after cardiac arrest: The importance of engaging with the 'forgotten patient'. Resuscitation. 2018 Jul; 128 (Epub 2018 May 1PMID:29727707): A1-A2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2018.04.034
Awdish R. Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope. Picador, New York2018

46 min
December 29, 2022#42: The Secrets to Sleep with Funke Afolabi-Brown, MD
Our guest on today's show is an expert in all things SLEEP! Dr Funke Afolabi-Brown is a triple boarded physician who knows what it is like to battle to get good quality and quantity of sleep. This high achieving professional who is also a mom shares the most common interrupters of good sleep for us as professionals and some tips to help create better sleep habits. She has created RestfulSleepMD on the socials and a website to follow which is always engaging and providing the barriers to sleep and some hacks to CREATE sweeter dreams!
Favorite moments from Dr Brown:
when you think about the quantity of sleep, most times we go by the national sleep recommendations, which say seven to nine hours. But I tend to recommend you sleep in the number of hours that works for you.
over the course of the day, you build up products on the surface of your brain the same way we have, you know, products that are lymphatic system washes out, and then when we go into sleep, especially when we go into deep sleep, which is a stage of sleep, you essentially have those channels opening and cleaning that debris off. And some of the proteins that have been shown to be deposited include things like beta amyloid, which has been implicated in conditions like Alzheimer's.
CREATE: “C” stands for consistency, “R” stands for having a routine, “E” is the environment, “A” is "assign" the bed for sleep, “T” is technology, “E” is eliminate.
I usually say sleep is not like a bank. So we can't fully catch up... If we have shifts and we've not been able to get enough sleep, then yeah, please do get some sleep. But if this becomes something that we are doing out of habit, the problem is we're not ever gonna be able to catch up.
Links we mentioned:
https://www.restfulsleepmd.com/
https://lumos.tech/2022/06/07/we-are-recruiting-for-our-night-shift-study/

If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. Additionally, we're happy to lecture for your institution. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
For a free quote on Own-Occupation Insurance, you're welcome to use our affiliate link: patternlife.com/drivetime
*DISCLAIMER: This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.
38 min
December 22, 2022#41: Organizational Psychology in Medicine with Gregory Guldner, MD
Our guest, Dr. Greg Guldner discusses the successful implementation of positive and organizational psychology into medical culture. Two key theories used at his facility were: Job-Demands Resources and Self Determination Theory.
Some episode highlights:
The biggest variable is job demands. This explains why mindfulness and resiliency training have largely failed for medical workplace burnout.
Self-Determination Theory identifies 3 main psychological needs:
Autonomy
Of the 3, this may be the most important, so autonomy supportive leadership is key
What your doing aligns with your values
Belonging
Competence
Workplaces can either thwart or support these needs.
A culture of wellness is: "shared beliefs, shared values, and shared social practices that are so ingrained nobody questions them anymore."
Another component is meaning.
Be deliberate
Pay attention - you'll miss it otherwise
And lastly, psychological capital: self efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism.
Autonomy supporting leadership includes:
Flexibility - recognizing when there are options, allowing for choice, and not directing when able
Nudging - encouraging further thought and reassessment rather than directing
Transparency in decision-making and showing how it aligns with values
What Went Well
A useful practice to deliberately point out competence and the prosocial meaning of what happened.
Use active positive responding
Bolters belonging
Promotes psychological capital
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
The stigma of help-seeking behaviors is something organizations need to improve.
"The most distressed people won't ask for help."
Consider opt-out rather than opt-in

Resources:
Dr. Guldner's RECOMMENDED RESOURCES to get started at your institution.
Marty Seligman, PhD
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyui, PhD's book: Flow
Bakker and Demerouti's Job Demands-Resources Theory
Ryan and Deci's Self Determination Theory
motivationWorks
HCAHealthcare
Claremont Graduate University
Simons and Chabris: Gorilla In The Background (Selective Attention Test)
Dr. Guldner's team will be presenting at the 8th International Conference on Self Determination Theory in Orlando May 31-June 3, 2023. They’ll be presenting their research along with Adam Neufeld and others in a symposium on SDT in physician wellness. The link is here if you are interested in attending. https://co2.memberclicks.net/

If you want to work with us, visit our website: www.thewholephysician.com. We have private coaching and CME courses available. Additionally, we're happy to lecture for your institution. Sign up for our Weekly Well Check by clicking the link. The Weekly Well Check is your weekly dose of encouragement and your only access to secret insider sales on our products.
If you'd like something you can use today, download our free Top 10 Mindset Hacks for Doctors here.
For a free quote on Own-Occupation Insurance, you're welcome to use our affiliate link: patternlife.com/drivetime
*DISCLAIMER: This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.
44 min
December 15, 2022#40: Completing the Stress Cycle
We continue our discussion on stress. This is the second of 2 podcasts that explain what stress does to our mind, brain and body and how we can choose ways to complete the stress cycle. In this episode, we discuss ways to creatively complete the stress cycle and real life examples from our clinical lives of how stressful situations affect us professionally and personally. From breathwork to creative writing, there are many different ways that we can cope with stress.
Favorite comments:
People living with residual trauma are continually getting ready for the next attack or life-threatening event.
“When someone is preoccupied with a real or imagined threat, the resulting fear, rage, or disappointment will be reflected in the body. Research shows that trauma survivors suffer more illnesses”
...physical exertion, literally discharging the extra energy that's pent up in your body. It's that movement that tells the body that it's in a safe place.
We were born to connect. That is what makes us human. That’s what makes us individual and unique to like a mammalian species is that we were made to connect. So sometimes another way to finish that stress cycle is to connect.
Either writing creatively or writing as a thought download or a thought dump. This is something we use and recommend for our clients all the time. So much information can be gleaned by just writing down what's in our brains and what our brains are saying. Once we get it on the paper, it's so much easier to assess what's going on and use the rational part of our brain to process it and make sense out of it.
If the stress's coming from your brain, you definitely can use your brain, you know, with the imagination or the mindful self-compassion or those sorts of things to finish it too.
Referenced in this podcast:
"Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
https://www.amazon.com/Burnout-Secret-Unlocking-Stress-Cycle/dp/198481706X
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-the-body/201910/when-trauma-gets-stuck-in-the-body
Nate Bargatze - https://natebargatze.com
29 min

About DRIVE TIME DEBRIEF: A Physician Wellness Podcast with The Whole Physician

From the publisher's feed

🔥 Doctors Feeling the Burnout? We’ve Been There—and We’re Here to Help You Climb Out of the Fire. 🔥

Drive Time Debrief: A Physician Wellness Podcast

Welcome to Drive Time Debrief, the anti-burnout podcast built just for physicians and healthcare providers who are ready to reclaim their joy, purpose, and well-being.

Hosted by the physician-coaches of The Whole Physician, this podcast delivers honest conversations, evidence-based tools, and practical strategies to help you navigate burnout, set boundaries, and find fulfillment in and outside of medicine.

Whether you're heading into a shift, decompressing on your commute home, or sneaking in a sanity-saving moment during your day, you’ll get bite-sized insights that speak to the *real* challenges of medical life—with compassion, candor, and a dose of humor.

If you’re tired of white-knuckling your way through your career and ready to feel like yourself again, you’re in the right place.

Episodes include:

- Physician burnout recovery stories

- Coaching tools for stress, imposter syndrome, & difficult dynamics

- Self-compassion, mindset shifts, and boundary-setting

- Conversations on career pivots, family life, and rediscovering joy

Hit subscribe and join us for a weekly debrief—because your well-being deserves to be non-negotiable.

You wouldn’t head into battle without armor, so why are we sent into the chaotic Dumpster Fire of Medicine without the tools we need to protect ourselves?

Medicine was supposed to be your calling. Instead, it feels like it’s breaking you—turning altruistic, purpose-driven, bright minds into frustrated, disillusioned, and exhausted shadows of who we used to be.

How do we know? We’ve been there. We’ve lived the long shifts, the impossible expectations, and the emotional toll. And we’ve watched too many of our peers struggle silently.

We’re The Whole Physician—three Board-Certified Emergency Physicians (and physician burnout experts) on a mission to rewrite the story of medicine. Our podcast isn’t just another pep talk. It’s a lifeline—and a quick remedy for burnout you can take with you wherever you go.

Whether you’re driving to your next shift, heading home after a long day, or taking a rare moment to breathe, our episodes are packed with practical tools and mindset shifts that actually work:

- Find hope for the future and a renewed sense of purpose

- Rediscover joy in your work and life

- Repair and strengthen relationships (even the one with yourself)

- Quiet the mental chaos and ease emotional exhaustion

- Realize you are NOT alone.

This is your space. A space where doctors like you—who keep showing up no matter what—get the care, support, and tools you deserve. You are our people. It’s about time someone put YOU first.

🎧 Ready to reclaim your hope and joy? Listen now.

Learn more at www.thewholephysician.com.

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