If you’re like us, there was probably a time in your career when you sought after that oh so elusive “work-life balance” and saw that as the true mark of self-care.  The only problem, of course, is that “balance” is incredibly hard (if not impossible) to find and, as it turns out, may not actually be what we truly need to thrive.  

In this episode we speak with clinical psychologist and parent of three, Dr. Yael Schonbrun about “work-family enrichment” and how adopting this mindset can help us appreciate the gifts inherent in our multiple roles and how these roles can work together to help us truly thrive.  We also discuss the importance of values and how the evolutionary perspective can put us in a better position to understand and work with our hardwired tendencies to experience guilt and feel overwhelmed.  Yael also shares her perspective on rethinking the concept of rest.     

Highlights:

• Why “work-family enrichment” is such a helpful mindset
• How the evolutionary perspective can help us understand the common experiences of guilt and overwhelm
• How values fit into helping us navigate our multiple roles
• The importance of redefining the concept of rest
• One step female clinicians can take today towards better “work-family enrichment”
• Yael’s favorite “non-conventional” self-care practice

Dr. Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor at Brown University, co-host of the Psychologists Off the Clock podcast, and author of Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like too Much). 

Connect with Yael:
https://yaelschonbrun.com/
https://twitter.com/DrYaelSchonbrun

Connect with Melissa & Karen at Intentional Therapist:
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelissatiessen/

Share one of your own self-care experiments via our SpeakPipe page at: https://www.speakpipe.com/intentionaltherapist

Ready to upgrade your self-care? Check out the independent study version of our course, Thrivival Skills for Therapists, and earn 3 CE credits! Because self-care is PART OF our jobs! More info at: https://intentional-therapist.newzenler.com/courses/thrivival-skills-for-therapists-independent-study

Disclaimer: This podcast seeks to be educational in purpose and is not to be used as clinical advice. Please connect with a therapist one-on-one for personalized support.