The SurgeonMasters Podcast

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming back Stephanie Mathless, where she builds on the fundamental breathing techniques from Episode 10 that aimed to calm, relax and destress. On this new episode she introduces two new techniques which focuses on boosting energy levels and bringing more clarity to your today. 

• Technique 1 - Bellows Breath for a quick energy boost instead of coffee

• Technique 2 - Imaginative Breathing for an instant calming effect to improve clarity

How do you apply both breathing techniques in your everyday life? Try doing the following:

• Instead of going for your third cup of coffee, try the quick breathing (bellow breath technique)

• When you have a bit more time, then try the imaginative breathing technique

If you’re not familiar with Stephanie Mathless, RYT - she teaches, leads trainings, and hones her own practice at Corepower Yoga in Chicago, IL. She extols the physical and mental virtues of yoga after managing a challenging back injury though her practice. Stephanie takes great pleasure in guiding each student through their own personal journey to health and happiness.

Using breathing techniques is a perfect example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about measuring our own self-improvement by 'Knowing Your Handicap' and how this system can be applied from golf to other parts of our lives and career. It allows you, like golf, to create a system where you can track and improve, even if you're at different levels than your colleagues, because you're comparing yourself to your former self. 

How do you apply the Handicap System?

By doing the following:

• Look for one part of your life you want to improve

• Look at how you can measure and create your own handicap system

• Track it and let us know how you go!

Knowing Your Handicap is a perfect example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming a new guest, Stephanie Mathless, where she discusses the importance of breathing techniques and the resulting benefits of bringing focus to your breathing, most notably its calming effect. Lengthening your breath - with long open-mouth exhales - has the ability to relax you and in turn has a domino effect throughout your body by slowing the heart beat, reducing tension, and improving your focus and output. 

How do you apply breathing techniques in your everyday life? Try doing the following:

• Build it into your routine, and use them first thing in the morning and last thing at night

• Bring one hand to your heart and the other to your belly. Become aware of your breath

• Build up the length of your inhales and exhales, filling your belly (as opposed to your chest) with air. Allow your exhales to linger a moment or two longer than your inhale.

• Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique to immediately mitigate stress if you're feeling overwhelmed

If you’re not familiar with Stephanie Mathless, RYT - she teaches, leads trainings, and hones her own practice at Corepower Yoga in Chicago, IL. She extols the physical and mental virtues of yoga after managing a challenging back injury though her practice. Stephanie takes great pleasure in guiding each student through their own personal journey to health and happiness.

Using breathing techniques is a perfect example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming a new guest, Katie Klein, where she discusses the use of improvisation to improve collaboration by using other people's ideas to create something together. She describes it as "Yes, and-ing" other people's ideas to create something all together. 'Yes, and...' means "Yes I heard you, I'm listening, and here's how I'm going to build on it..."

How do you use improv in your everyday life? By doing the following:

• Start by listening as listening is the willingness to change and to adapt, it allows you to take the info into a new direction

• See if you have moments in your everyday process where you can say: "Yes, and..."

• Then try using 'Yes, and... " and see how it opens up the possibilities and changes the outcome

If you’re not familiar with Katie Klein, you can currently catch her on stage in Chicago on Second City's 41st e.t.c. revue, "Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno." She is an actress, improviser and teacher. She teaches with Second City Works, Improv Olympics (iO) and performs weekly with improv teams in Chicago, The Late 90’s, Virgin Daiquiri, Superhuman and with her husband Neil in, Ed and Kath. She previously wrote, performed and loved the Second City e.t.c. revue “A Red Line Runs Through It.”

Using improv and 'yes, and...' as a collaboration tool is a perfect example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about the benefits of 'Faking It Until You Make It' and how confidence is key. 

How do you Fake It Till You Make It?

By doing the following:

• Action leads to the emotion, so do it and see how you feel!

• Don't oversell it and go too extreme

• Follow-up with actual results, by showing that you are Making It!

Faking It 'Til You Make It is a perfect example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.