OVERCOMING OBSTACLES a life-or-death situation for the patient .
2 . Practice mindfulness . Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and observing your thoughts , feelings and bodily sensations without judgment . By practicing mindfulness regularly , you can learn to identify negative thought patterns and emotions that may be holding you back from achieving your goals . Take a few minutes each day to focus on your breath and notice what thoughts and emotions come up . This can help you become more aware of your internal state and make conscious decisions about how you respond to challenges . Attitudes of mindfulness include non-judging , non-striving , being aware of what is happening , being patient , keeping an attitude of resilience and having a beginner ’ s mind which is fresh , open , experimental and most of all , not afraid of failure .
3 . Reframe negative thoughts . Negative thoughts cause negative emotions and can create major obstacles to achieving your goals . When you catch yourself thinking negatively , try to reframe your thoughts in a more positive light . I ’ m not saying you have to change your thought to a positive , unrealistic thought like “ Everything is great !” but I am suggesting finding a different thought that is helpful , productive and empowering . For example , if you find yourself thinking , “ I ’ ll never be able to do this ,” try reframing it as , “ This is a challenging task , but I ’ m capable of figuring it out one problem at a time .” By reframing your thoughts , you can shift your mindset from one of defeat to one of possibility .
4 . Practice self-compassion . When facing obstacles , it ’ s important to be kind and compassionate to yourself . We are our own worst critics . We expect ourselves to be perfect , and to check all the boxes that got us into medical school . Guess what ? Once we are full-fledged physicians with our own licenses to practice , you can choose which boxes to check , and checking them all does not equal success in your career or in your life . You get to choose how to define success for you . Acknowledge that everyone faces challenges and that it ’ s okay to struggle . Expecting yourself to be perfect all the time can cause unnecessary suffering . Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer a friend who is going through a difficult time .
5 . Visualize success . Visualization is a powerful tool that can help you overcome obstacles . Spend some time visualizing yourself successfully navigating the challenge you ’ re facing . Imagine yourself feeling confident , calm and capable . This can help you build confidence , reduce anxiety about the situation and open your mind to curiosity and creativity .
6 . Clear your mind of clutter . Our minds circle through different compartments throughout the day . We go from being caring and responsible parents , to physicians and colleagues , then back to being a parent , spouse and caregiver . Having agility allows people to transition between various brain states : present awareness , imagining , thinking and evaluating , flow , collaboration , mind wandering , creative and strategic thinking . But how can your mind be agile if you are always trying to remember who is picking up your kids , what after school activities they have , what you ' re going to eat , when you ' re going to fit in exercise ? How can you have a fresh , agile mind when you have not gotten seven to eight hours of sleep ?
To clear your mind of clutter , get some rest ( and as much quality sleep as your kid allows you to have ). Lack of restful sleep reduces your ability to think , have patience and be kind , all of which are asked of you every day . Set an hour weekly to go over your week , and put everything on the calendar , sharing it with your family and those who support you to manage your household . Plan ahead of time . Plan your meals ahead of time . Submit your vacations for the year ahead of time . Upgrade your brain energy by protecting your emotional energy through sleep , exercise and nutrition .
7 . Practice managing your emotions . When it comes to managing your emotions and feelings , it ’ s important to remember that it ’ s okay to feel frustrated , angry or disappointed . Emotions actually do not create a problem until you act on them or react to them . Know that there are no right or wrong emotions . They are your emotions , and you can choose to own them . Sometimes one bad patient interaction can ruin the entire day . So how can you manage your emotions after that ?
First , acknowledge your emotion , whatever it may be : anger , disappointment , fear , shame . Stop , take a breath , and name the emotion . Just say it in your head , then describe what it feels like . Don ’ t suppress it . Don ’ t judge it . For example , if my patient took half of the office visit complaining about the front desk , or the big curb in the office driveway , or that I was running late - I would feel frustrated . At the end of the encounter , I stop and say in my head that this is frustration , and it feels very hot in my stomach and in my chest . While taking more breaths , let it flow through your body without reacting to it , and then let it go . Then you can move on to the next patient . After a while of practicing this , you will get used to the emotions , and it will just be there and naturally your mind can process it without reacting to it .
You may also find it helpful to practice mindfulness or meditation or engage in activities that help you relax and recharge . And sometimes it takes a 6-mile run to get the frustrations out .
8 . Seek support . Be vulnerable and be brave enough to seek support from others . Whether it ’ s a friend , family member or professional life coach , having someone to talk to and offer guidance can be invaluable when facing obstacles . Remember , you don ’ t have to go through it alone .
Lastly , I ’ d like to share with you what I have been using to coach ( continued on page 12 )
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