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What if the best medicine you take this week doesn’t come in a bottle, a supplement, a perfectly periodized strength program, or a color-coded workout app… but from simply moving your body the way it was designed to move?

In this week’s episode of Ending Physician Overwhelm, we’re looking at rhythmic movement — walking, running, swimming, biking, anything repetitive and steady — and why it is one of the most powerful, accessible stress-reducers we have.

And yes… we’re talking real stress reduction.
Not “go for a walk because it’s good for you.”
Not “steps are important.”
We’re talking:

✨ Actual telomere protection
✨ Improved cellular resilience
✨ Better cognitive processing & creativity
✨ Nervous system regulation
✨ The kind of mental clarity you cannot get staring at a computer

If you’ve ever wondered why your best thinking happens on a walk (and never while screaming at your inbox), this episode breaks it all down.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why rhythmic movement has measurable effects on telomerase and telomere length
The Telomere Effect highlights two specific kinds of exercise that protect your DNA: moderate aerobic movement and HIIT. The surprise? Strength training did not have the same effect — which doesn’t mean “don’t lift,” it just means rhythmic movement deserves its own spotlight.

• Movement as meditation (even if you’re listening to a podcast or audiobook)
Your brain needs space to think its own thoughts — unstructured, uninterrupted time that no number of productivity apps can replicate. Rhythmic movement is one of the easiest ways to access that state.

• Why physicians need mindful motion more than ever
Between the broken healthcare system, endless inbox escalation, and policy shifts that directly impact our patients… our bodies are absorbing far more stress than we realize. Movement helps metabolize what can’t be solved.

• How rhythmic movement stimulates autophagy & cellular cleanup
When you move rhythmically, you activate AMPK and other repair pathways that make your cells more efficient, more resilient, and frankly… younger.

• Practical, zero-perfection ways to start
You don’t need to run. You don’t need to sweat. You don’t need special leggings.
You need:
10 minutes.
A door.
Your body.
Repeat.

If you’re following the 10-Week Stress Reduction Challenge…

Here’s where we are:
Week 1 → Yoga Nidra
Week 2 → Greens
Week 3 → Breath
Week 4 → Sleep
Week 5 → Laughter + Play
Week 6 → Berries
Week 7 → Rhythmic Movement

Layer this on top of your other practices — gently, imperfectly.
Every little nudge you give your nervous system matters.

Resources Mentioned

• The Telomere Effect — available through Megan’s Bookshop.org page (not Amazon 🙏): https://bookshop.org/shop/meganmelo
• Episode 200 — Kickoff for the 10-Week Recharge C

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Berry Good Medicine
Ending Physician Overwhelm – Episode 205

This week we’re diving into one of the easiest, most delicious ways to lower stress and protect your health as a women physician: berries. Yes… berries.
No, they won’t fix the existential dread of your overflowing inbox, but they will equip your brain and body to handle the demands of physician life with more ease, more resilience, and more energy.

In Week 6 of our 10-Week Recharge Challenge we’re focusing on how berries help reduce oxidative stress, improve endothelial function, support cognitive performance, lower LDL, reduce inflammation, and literally protect your telomeres. (Translation: they help you age well despite the dumpster fire of modern medicine.)

Inside this episode we explore:

• Why berries outperform apples, bananas, and mangoes on anti-inflammatory scales (by a landslide)
• The surprisingly robust research on berries and heart health, cognition, joint inflammation, and blood pressure
• How berries can support metabolic health when chronic stress, cortisol, and irregular schedules work against us
• Why separating dairy from your antioxidants helps you get the full benefit (no shame—just physiology)
• Easy ways to get more berries into your day, no perfectionism required
• How this week fits into the broader arc of yoga nidra → greens → breath → sleep → laughter → berries

We’re not aiming for perfect. We’re aiming for better—one small intentional practice at a time.
You deserve a body and brain that feel supported, not just squeezed for output.

✨ Browse the books mentioned in this challenge:
 How Not to Age and The Telomere Effect on my Bookshop page:
 👉 https://bookshop.org/shop/meganmelo

✨ If you’re joining us mid-challenge, start at Episode 200 (Oct 28th)—no behind, no guilt.

Let’s eat some berries, protect this incredible physician body of yours, and keep going.

Let's Connect

Need more support? Schedule a coaching consultation at https://calendly.com/healthierforgood/coaching-discovery-call

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @meganmelomd

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share with a colleague who might benefit!

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

When was the last time you laughed so hard you lost control?
Not the polite workplace chuckle. Not the “ha-ha-that’s-funny” text response.
I mean full-body, shoulders-shaking, snort-laughing, tears-in-your-eyes, I-might-pee-a-little laughter.

…Yeah.
If you can’t remember, you are exactly who this week is for.

In Week 5 of the 10-Week Recharge Challenge, we’re talking about one of the most overlooked, most physiologic, and most delightfully human tools we have against burnout and cellular stress:

👉 Laughter and play.

Yes, intentional laughter counts.
Yes, even if it feels weird.
Yes, even if your brain says, “I don’t have time for this—I have charts.”

This week, we explore:

Laughter is literal medicine

• Lowers cortisol
• Improves cardiac output, stroke volume, and oxygen delivery
• Supports immune function in conditions ranging from cancer recovery to rheumatoid arthritis
• Positively impacts mood, subjective well-being, and stress resilience

Your body doesn’t care if the laughter is “fake”

Laughter yoga—yes, it’s a real thing—has measurable health benefits even when your brain doesn’t think anything is funny. Your nervous system responds anyway.

Physicians who laugh the least get the most benefit

Studies show that the people who start out the most laughter-deprived have the biggest gains. (Hi, it’s us. We’re the people.)

This week’s challenge practice

Laugh or play—every day.
Two minutes is enough.
More if you want it.
Joy is a muscle.
We are training it.

Resources Mentioned

• Laughter Yoga Worldwide
• Instructional Laughter Yoga videos (check the VIP Challenge portal)
• The Gifts of Imperfection — Brené Brown
• Dr. Stuart Brown’s research on play
• Prior weeks of the Recharge Challenge: Yoga Nidra, Breathwork, Greens, Sleep
• Join the VIP Challenge for curated weekly support → healthierforgood.com

If you’re just finding the challenge now…

Start here.
Or go back to Episode 200 (Oct 28, 2025).
Or join the VIP Challenge and get every week’s tools laid out for you.

There’s no “behind” in this challenge.
There’s only today.
And today, my friend, we play.

Let's Connect

Need more support? Schedule a coaching consultation at https://calendly.com/healthierforgood/coaching-discovery-call

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @meganmelomd

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share with a colleague who might benefit!

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

You don’t have “insomnia.”
You have too much on your mind, too much on your plate, and a healthcare system that treats your sleep like an optional hobby.

In this episode of Ending Physician Overwhelm, we’re diving into sleep as a radical act of self-preservation for physicians. This is Week 4 of the 10-Week Recharge Challenge, and we’re getting honest about why you’re not sleeping—and what you can actually do about it.

We’ll talk about:

• 🧠 “Too-much-on-my-mind-ia” vs true insomnia
   Why most of us don’t have a broken sleep system, we have an overloaded brain, revenge bedtime procrastination, and zero wind-down time.
• 🏥 The real physician sleep blockers
   Call schedules, overnight shifts, EMR inboxes, moral injury, perimenopause, kids, partners, pets, and the culture that tells you to just “push through.”
• 🧬 What chronic sleep loss is doing under the hood
   How poor sleep shows up in your telomeres, metabolic health, inflammation, mood, and decision-making (yes, even when you think you’re “used to it”).
• 🧡 Seasons vs systems
   When sleep disruption is a season (new baby, illness, training)… and when it’s a system problem that may require rethinking your role, boundaries, or schedule.
• 🛏️ What you can control right now
  Small but powerful shifts in:
  • Bedtime behaviors (no more Epic in bed)
  • Wind-down routines (hello, Yoga Nidra)
  • Thoughts about sleep (CBT-i and MBT-i style ideas)
  • Boundary-setting with other humans in your life
• 🧘 How the Recharge habits stack together
  • Week 1: Yoga Nidra → deep rest and nervous system downshift
  • Week 2: Greens → cellular repair, telomeres, metabolic support
  • Week 3: Breath → portable calm under pressure
  • Week 4: Sleep → the foundation that makes everything else work

This episode is your invitation to stop treating sleep like a “nice-to-have” and start seeing it as clinical necessity — for your patients, your people, and your own humanity.

👉 If you want more support applying this in real life, make sure you’re on my email list so you don’t miss future challenge updates, stories, and tools for women physicians who are done sacrificing themselves to the system.

Let's Connect

Need more support? Schedule a coaching consultation at https://calendly.com/healthierforgood/coaching-discovery-call

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @meganmelomd

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share with a colleague who might benefit!

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

You’ve been told to “just take a deep breath” more times than you can count.
Usually by someone who doesn’t realize you’ve been holding your breath since pre-med.

This week on Ending Physician Overwhelm, we’re talking about something deceptively simple — breathing. Not the kind of “calm down” breath that makes you want to throw a stethoscope, but intentional, physiologic breathing that actually changes your body chemistry.

In Week 3 of the 10-Week Recharge Challenge, we’re taking a minute (literally, one minute) to breathe — on purpose. Because even when the world doesn’t give you space, your breath can.

In this episode, we’ll explore:
 🫁 Why most of us are over-breathing and under-resting — and how to fix that
 ⏱️ A one-minute breathing practice that resets your nervous system (no mat, no app, no drama)
 📚 What the research (and the book Breath by James Nestor) reveals about how our modern lives have changed how we breathe
🧠 How intentional breathing retrains your brain to recognize safety — and why that matters in burnout recovery

You’ll finish this episode feeling calmer, clearer, and ready to reclaim your next inhale.

🎧 Listen now, and then try the practice right where you are — standing in line, sitting in your car, walking into a patient room.

👉 Join the 10-Week Recharge Challenge for Women Physicians — where we’re layering micro-habits to unwind the stress you’ve been carrying for years.

📚 Curious to go deeper? Find Breath and other favorites in my Bookshop collection.

Next week: we’ll keep building on these habits as we explore how movement reconnects us to ourselves — even when we’re tired, busy, and a little skeptical.

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

This week, we’re getting a little leafy. In Week 2 of our 10-Week Recharge Challenge, we’re focusing on feeding your cells from the inside out. No, you don’t need to become a kale evangelist — but yes, your mitochondria are begging you for some help.

As physicians, we’ve been trained to care for everyone else first. We run on caffeine, cortisol, and guilt, and we convince ourselves that “real” self-care can wait until the inbox is empty. But your body isn’t a machine — it’s an ecosystem. And if you’ve been running it on fumes, it’s time to replenish the soil.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:
🌿 Why cruciferous veggies (like broccoli and kale) literally boost your immune defense and repair gut lining
🧬 How greens increase nitric oxide, improving blood flow, brain clarity, and energy
🩸 The connection between greens, telomere repair, and cellular aging
🥗 The habit science of “I’m someone who takes care of myself”
🍃 Simple ways to get more greens into your day (no perfectionism required)

Join the 10-Week Recharge Challenge for Women Physicians and get curated weekly resources — recipes, guides, and accountability — to make these habits stick.

👉 Join the VIP Challenge for $49

Mentioned in this Episode:

• The Telomere Effect by Elizabeth Blackburn & Elissa Epel
• Yoga Nidra practice (see Week 1)
• Broccoli sprouts (tiny but mighty!)

Next Week: We’ll explore breathwork — your built-in stress reset button.

Let's Connect

Need more support? Schedule a coaching consultation at https://calendly.com/healthierforgood/coaching-discovery-call

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @meganmelomd

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share with a colleague who might benefit!

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Hey friend — can we talk about the badge of busyness for a minute?
That invisible medal we wear to prove our worth?

In medicine, we’ve turned endurance into identity. We work through exhaustion, chart through dinner, and treat rest like a reward we haven’t quite earned. But that constant hustle for worthiness isn’t just costing us our joy — it’s literally aging us faster.

In this 200th episode of Ending Physician Overwhelm, we’re diving into the science of stress, telomeres, and how chronic overload is changing our bodies — and more importantly, how we can start to change it back.

You’ll learn:

• Why the “cortisol swamp” of modern medicine is eroding our health and energy
• How telomeres hold the key to cellular aging (and why chronic stress shortens them)
• What’s changed in medicine that keeps our responsibility high but our control low
• How to stop blaming yourself for existing in chronic stress — and start paying down your “stress debt”

And, we’re kicking off the 10-Week Recharge Challenge — a series of small, science-backed weekly practices to help you lower stress and rebuild energy.

This week’s focus: Yoga Nidra — the guided “yogic sleep” practice proven to decrease cortisol and improve rest.

Because feeling better isn’t a luxury. It’s your prescription for longevity, clarity, and peace.

👉 Join the free challenge by listening to the episode or upgrade to VIP for curated Yoga Nidra resources and reminders:

https://www.healthierforgood.com/the-10-week-recharge-challenge-for-women-physicians

📚 Mentioned in this episode:

• The Telomere Effect by Elizabeth Blackburn & Elissa Epel (Buy it here at bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/110729/9781455587971)
• Episode 12 of “Ending Physician Overwhelm” with guest Dr. Rashmi Schramm on Yoga Nidra (and go listen to Dr Schramm’s podcast “Inner Peace and Power” 

You are not alone. You are not broken. And you are so much more capable than you realize.

Let's Connect

Need more support? Schedule a coaching consultation at https://calendly.com/healthierforgood/coaching-discovery-call

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @meganmelomd

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share with a colleague who might benefit!

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

You're Not Broken. You're Just in a Broken System.
After four years of coaching women physicians, I've noticed patterns; patterns that show up again and again in brilliant, capable doctors who feel like they're barely holding it together.

If you've ever felt like a hot mess inside while everyone thinks you have it all figured out, this episode is for you.

What You'll Discover in This Episode:
1. We all feel like hot messes inside You think it's just you who's struggling to thrive in healthcare. It's not. Every woman physician I've coached feels this way. The problem isn't you; it's the system. But this belief keeps us isolated, thinking we're the only ones falling apart.

2. We're all carrying trauma (even if we don't see it) Migraines. Panic attacks. That third glass of wine. Emotional numbness. These aren't character flaws; they're trauma responses. Our bodies weren't designed to hold this much stress for this long.

3. We think we "should" know how to take care of ourselves. Here's the truth bomb: You were never taught self-care. You were taught self-sacrifice. Stop that sentence in your head that says "I'm a doctor, I should know better." Knowing medical facts doesn't mean you know how to care for yourself.

4. The system doesn't value your unique gifts You have patients who say "I never want to see anyone else." You make a real difference. But the system treats you like a widget. When you don't fit in their box, you internalize the message that you're not valuable. That thought is killing us.

5. We get in our own way "Who I am isn't enough. What I want doesn't matter. I need to be better before I deserve what I want." Sound familiar? This belief is the biggest stumbling block keeping you stuck.

6. We won't set boundaries until we believe in our own value You think you have to prove your worth first, then you'll deserve boundaries. But that day never comes. The system profits from your lack of boundaries. You have to believe in your value NOW to set them.

7. We think there's ONE right way to do everything Medical training taught us to look for the algorithm, the evidence, the one best answer. So we keep searching for the perfect planner, the ideal system, the magic app. Meanwhile, we take no action at all. The best system is the one that works for YOU.

8. Change is uncomfortable—and we hate that You can rewire yourself. You can set boundaries. You can take better care of yourself. But it requires time you don't think you have and attention you don't think you have. Growth feels awkward. That's how you know it's working.

9. The answer isn't out there. It's in here. I know you want a hack, an app, a planner that will fix everything. But no external system will replace doing your own internal work. You need tools and support, yes—but you have to do the work yourself.

10. The doctors crushing it aren't doing it alone They hire help. They delegate. They're in communities. They have support systems you can't see. You only see what they're doing—not all the things they're NOT doing and not the he

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

What if you gave yourself permission to dream bigger?
We spend so much time answering questions about our patients, our practice, our responsibilities. But when was the last time someone asked you questions just about you? Not you as a physician. Not you as a professional. Just... you.

In this episode, we're doing something different. I'm inviting you to sit down with me—imagine we're in a cozy space, maybe sipping something warm—and explore seven powerful questions together. These aren't clinical questions or administrative puzzles. These are the kind of questions that crack open possibilities you didn't know existed.

Why this matters now
Recently, I attended a celebration of life for a neighbor who died far too young. Her wife, a physician, shared how cardiovascular disease took her suddenly. As I sat there, I couldn't help but think about how we spend our time, what we prioritize, and whether we're living in alignment with what truly matters to us.

We're so practiced at ignoring our own desires, our own needs, our own dreams. We've been trained to see self-care as selfish and ambition as ego. But what if that's exactly backwards?

How to use this episode
This isn't a typical listen-and-forget episode. I want you to actually engage with these questions. You can:

• Speak your answers out loud in the car
• Journal through them in a quiet moment
• Discuss them with a trusted friend
• Schedule a call with me to explore them together

The magic happens when you let yourself answer honestly, without judgment, without immediately jumping to "but that's not practical."

The Seven "What If" Questions

1. What if I didn't need to make any money? How would you spend your time if income wasn't a factor? This opens up what you'd choose versus what you feel obligated to do.
2. What if I couldn't fail? What would you attempt if success was guaranteed? This reveals the desires you're holding back because of fear.
3. What if I chose to love myself more? How would your daily choices change if you treated yourself with the same unconditional love you give others?
4. What if I knew when I was going to die? Would you spend this much time at work? Would you over-perfect everything? This question cuts through to what you don't want to regret.
5. What if I believed their actions? Whether it's believing when people show they don't value you, or when they show they genuinely want to help—what would change?
6. What if only my desires mattered? Not to ignore others, but to remove the external noise and hear what you actually want. You're not the only solution for your patients, even though they've told you that you are.
7. What if I chose to keep it easy? What if you didn't make everything so complicated, so perfect, so systematic? How would that simplify your decisions?

The exercise that changes everything
I challenge you to pick just one of these questions and let yourself really sit with it this week. Don't rush to the practical answer. Don't i

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

How to keep showing up when the system keeps breaking down

Recording from my car today because perfectionism can take a back seat - we've got more important things to talk about.

Let's not sugarcoat this: Healthcare is a dumpster fire right now. Between government officials spreading vaccine misinformation, declining reimbursements, inadequate staffing, and the general chaos of October 2025, you have every reason to feel cynical.

But here's what we're NOT going to do: We're not going to gaslight ourselves into pretending everything's fine. And we're also not going to drown in cynicism.

What You'll Learn:

• Why cynicism is a protective mechanism (and why it backfires)
• The critical difference between cynicism and clear-eyed realism
• How to set boundaries without abandoning your patients or yourself
• Where to put your limited energy when everything feels like a five-alarm fire
• Why "doing less" isn't failure - it's survival

The Truth About Cynicism: Cynicism tells you: "If I expect nothing, I can't be disappointed." But you know what? You're still getting hurt. You're just getting hurt while also becoming passive, disengaged, and spreading negativity to everyone around you.

Clear-Eyed Realism Says:

• The system is broken AND I choose how I respond
• I can't fix everything AND I can decide what's worth my energy
• I'm under-resourced AND I won't compromise patient safety
• Things are hard AND I deserve to take care of myself

Your Reality Check: When you're short-staffed and expected to maintain full productivity, something has to give. You're not making up for systemic failures with your personal exhaustion. That's not noble - it's unsustainable.

Bottom Line: You're not broken. The system is. Your job is to decide how you'll navigate that reality without sacrificing your humanity in the process.

Let's Connect

Need more support? Schedule a coaching consultation at https://calendly.com/healthierforgood/coaching-discovery-call

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @meganmelomd

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share with a colleague who might benefit!

Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD