Send us a text

Recorded from the car on a Monday morning because sometimes life doesn't wait for perfect circumstances - and that's exactly the point.

When Crisis Hits Close to Home

This is a different kind of episode. Raw, real, and recorded in the midst of what I'm calling a "semi-urgent medical crisis" in my family. You know the kind - not a code blue emergency, but the agonizing wait for test results, appointments, and answers that consume your thoughts and rearrange your entire world.

We spend so much time being on the other side of these moments as physicians. But sometimes, we're the ones sitting in the waiting room, holding our breath, and trying to navigate the impossible balance of being both caregiver and professional.

If you've ever faced a breast cancer diagnosis, fertility struggles, or watched a loved one go through a medical crisis while trying to hold your own life together, this episode is for you.

10 Ways I'm Getting Through (And You Can Too)

1. Notice Yourself and Your Needs
You can't pour from an empty cup. Even when this isn't your medical crisis, you're still a crucial part of the equation. Ask yourself moment by moment: What do I need right now to show up for what matters most?

2. Continue Your Routines with Self-Compassion
The basics still matter - maybe even more now. I'm still trying to get to bed on time, wake up for exercise, and eat regularly. These routines might look different during crisis, but they're your anchor. Don't abandon what keeps you grounded.

3. Let People Know What You Need
Here's the hard truth: I am less reliable and dependable to everyone else right now, and that's okay. I'm canceling plans, rescheduling patients, and making different choices. Being upfront about this isn't failure - it's honesty about where your energy needs to go.

4. Accept What's True AND Allow Moments of Good
You can simultaneously acknowledge that this is incredibly difficult while also letting in moments of joy, silliness, and playfulness when they appear. This isn't about toxic positivity - it's about not shutting yourself off from the full human experience.

5. Practice Creative Procrastination
Those big projects and dreams you've been planning? It's okay to put them on hold. This isn't giving up - it's being strategic about your focus. Future plans can wait when family needs you now.

6. Get Crystal Clear on Your Values
We say family is our top priority, but are we living like it? When crisis hits, you get clarity fast about what actually matters. Use this clarity to make decisions moment by moment, even when it means inconveniencing others.

7. Know Who's on Your Team
Some people in your life are good to bring into the loop during tough times. Others, despite being good people, are not equipped to help in crisis. This is boundaries work in action. Choose wisely who gets access to your vulnerable moments.

8. Prepare for Growth
You didn't choose this lesson, but here it is anyway. There are things for you to learn and ways for you to grow in this space

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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Welcome to another edition of Ending Physician Overwhelm - this time recorded from the car because life happens, and we roll with it.

The Question That Changes Everything

When we talk about cutting back on work or reducing FTE, we often focus on what we want less of. But here's what we miss: What do we actually want MORE of?

This episode dives deep into a conversation I had with a coaching client who was looking to reconfigure her work schedule. We weren't just trying to work less for the sake of working less - we were being intentional about creating space for what truly matters.

The Laundry Trap (And Why We're Not Cutting FTE for More Chores)

Let's be crystal clear: We are not cutting our physician FTE in order to do more laundry.

Yes, those piles of laundry create distress. Yes, the house needs attention. But if you find yourself cutting hours only to spend that precious time doing tasks that breed resentment and frustration, you've missed the point entirely.

Three Areas Where You Need to Ask This Question

1. At Work: What Professional Boundaries Have Shifted?

That evening clinic you agreed to when you first started? The complex procedures you took on to save patients a referral? The schedule flexibility you once had that no longer serves your current life phase?

Just because you were willing to do something before doesn't mean you're wrong to say no now.

Your life has changed. Maybe you have aging parents, young children, or different priorities. There's nothing wrong with recognizing that what worked then doesn't work now.

2. At Home: Where Are You Trading Time for the Wrong Things?

If you have more money than time available, why are you still doing your own laundry, cleaning, and yard work?

Your kids and partner need to learn life skills anyway. Get the humans in your house contributing, or pay someone else to handle what doesn't bring you joy.

3. In Relationships: What Are You No Longer Willing to Tolerate?

This applies everywhere - with patients, family, colleagues, and friends. Maybe you used to let visits run long, take on cases outside your expertise, or accommodate behaviors that drain your energy.

You get to change your mind about what you'll accept.

The Permission You've Been Waiting For

You don't need to justify why something that was okay before isn't okay now. Evidence changes. Life circumstances change. Sometimes you just wake up and realize you need better boundaries because you're drowning.

All of these reasons are valid.

Your Action Steps

1. Get clear on your values and goals - What do you actually want more of in your life?
2. Identify your non-negotiables - What are you willing to be flexible on, and what absolutely isn't up for discussion?
3. Practice the uncomfortable conversations - Whether it's asking for schedule changes at work or setting boundaries at home.
4. Remember: Boundaries aren't selfish - They're necessary for sustainability and showing u

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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

The Wearable Device That Could Change Everything for Physicians

What if there was a way to get objective, real-time data about how your lifestyle choices are actually affecting your health? Not just a random cortisol test that tells you nothing actionable, but continuous monitoring that could force you to confront the truth about how you're treating your body?

In this special car edition episode, we dive into my million-dollar idea: a continuous cortisol monitor that could revolutionize how physicians approach self-care.

What We Talk About

• Why random cortisol tests are basically useless (and what question I always ask patients who request them)
• How a continuous cortisol monitor could provide the objective data your scientist brain needs to finally prioritize self-care
• The institutionalized sacrifice of women physicians—and why the system profits from your overwork without compensating you
• Why the self-care strategies that worked at 24 won't work at 44 (and what you need to do differently)
• The uncomfortable truth about why you've been conditioned to ignore your body's needs

The Million Dollar Question

If you could see in real-time how your cortisol levels spike when you're running on four hours of sleep, grabbing donuts from the break room, and charting until midnight—what would you do with that data?

More importantly: What will you do right now, without that monitor, knowing that your current patterns are harming your health?

Your Homework

Put on your imaginary continuous cortisol monitor this week. What would it be showing you? If you were tasked with reducing those levels, what one change would you make first?

Remember: You can't continue to sacrifice your health for a system that profits from your overwork. The future of healthcare depends on you figuring out how to set limits so you can stay in the game without breaking yourself.

Key Takeaway

Being a woman physician doesn't have to be bad for your health—but only if you stop living into that narrative and start making choices that honor the fact that your body at this stage of life needs different care than it did 20 years ago.

This week, choose self-compassion over self-sacrifice. Your patients, your family, and your future self will thank you.

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: megan@healthierforgood.com
• 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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Finding Your Path to Alignment: The Antidote to Physician Burnout

Are you feeling stuck in a perpetual slog, wondering where your passion for medicine went? You're not alone, and there's a powerful principle that can help guide you back to a place of purpose and energy.

In this episode, we explore the concept of alignment—a state of living and making decisions that honors your core values, leverages your unique gifts, and energizes you through your passions and interests.

What You'll Learn

• Alignment acts as a powerful antidote to burnout (and the research showing you only need 20% of your time in alignment to see benefits)
• How to recognize when you're out of alignment and what to do about it
• The critical importance of tuning into your thoughts and feelings to find your way back
• Boundaries are essential tools for maintaining alignment in both your professional and personal life

Key Takeaways

When you're in alignment, you're like a car with properly aligned tires—moving forward smoothly and efficiently, even when the road gets bumpy. But when you're out of alignment, every mile feels like a struggle against resistance.

The good news? Research suggests that spending just 20% of your time using your gifts and talents in areas aligned with your passions can significantly protect against burnout.

Remember: It's not your fault if perfectionism and people-pleasing have brought you to a place of burnout in our broken healthcare system. AND you have the power to tune into your thoughts and begin changing them to feel better. Both things can be true simultaneously.

Your homework: Start noticing where you feel energized in your work and where you feel drained. This awareness is the first step toward finding your alignment and creating the medical career you truly want.

Next week, we'll continue our journey toward ending physician overwhelm together. Until then, remember that you deserve to practice medicine in a way that honors who you are.

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: megan@healthierforgood.com
• 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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Rules? Who Me?

Hello my friends! Today we're diving into those self-imposed rules that might be governing your life and keeping you stuck in patterns of overwhelm. From the seemingly trivial (must shave legs before wearing shorts) to the deeply consequential (always putting yourself last), these internalized rules often lead us to burnout, exhaustion, and disconnection from what truly matters.

Key Takeaways

• Identifying Your Rules: Pay attention to thoughts that contain command language like "I can't," "I must," or "I should." These often signal an internalized rule that may not be serving you.
• Questioning Who Benefits: Many of the rules we live by primarily serve others at our expense. The medical culture of "patient first" can easily morph into "I always come last," creating an unsustainable path to burnout.
• Imagining Life Without the Rule: Who would you be without this constraint? Often, letting go of rigid rules leads to better boundaries, improved self-care, and a sustainable medical practice.

Three Steps to Use Now

1. Find Your Rules: Notice when you think "I can't," "I must," or "I should" - these indicate potential rules governing your choices.
2. Ask Who the Rule Serves: Is this rule primarily benefiting you, or is it serving others at your expense?
3. Envision Yourself Without the Rule: How would your life change if you let this rule go? Would you be happier, healthier, or more balanced?

Who Cares? You Do!

When we live bound by rigid, internalized rules, we create the perfect environment for burnout to thrive. By questioning and releasing rules that don't serve us, we create space for sustainable medical practice and a more balanced life.

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: megan@healthierforgood.com
• 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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Ever find yourself busy all day yet feeling like you've accomplished nothing? You're not alone. As physicians, we face an overwhelming number of interruptions in our day - many of which didn't exist even a few years ago.

What You'll Learn:

• Why constant interruptions are destroying your focus and productivity
• How to set clear, kind boundaries with staff and colleagues
• Why multitasking is actually procrastination in disguise
• Practical strategies to handle both external interruptions and internal distractions

The Interruption Problem

We're bombarded with distractions that our brains aren't designed to handle - from Epic messages popping up during patient visits to constant texts and emails. These interruptions don't just slow us down; they can make patient care unsafe.

When someone interrupts you with a non-urgent question:

• Don't respond immediately
• Use clear, kind language: "I can't answer that right now. Please refer to the clinic policy."
• Remember that each time you allow an interruption, you teach people it's okay to interrupt you

Setting Boundaries

You can take control by:

• Teaching others when you'll respond (not immediately!)
• Setting specific times to check messages and email
• Communicating clear windows when staff can bring questions to you (e.g., "between 12-12:30 when I'm done with morning patients")

Handling Internal Distractions

When you feel bored, frustrated, or low energy during your workday, you likely seek distractions (checking email, social media, grabbing unnecessary snacks). Instead:

• Recognize these feelings as normal
• Take quick, intentional breaks that serve you (deep breathing, jumping jacks, brief colleague interaction)
• Choose the "uphill" task (finishing notes now) over the "downhill" task (checking email)

Remember: Finishing a note immediately after seeing a patient takes minutes, while coming back to it days later can take 10-15 minutes. Those small choices add up to major time savings.

Take Action Now

You are not lazy or broken for struggling with focus. Our human brains seek dopamine and relief from discomfort. But by making different choices about how you handle interruptions and distractions, you can regain control of your day and finally feel accomplished when you leave work.

"I will not be stopped by interruptions anymore outside of medical emergencies. I will not let my brain get disrupted. I will not blame myself or say unkind words to myself. I will just choose to make some different decisions."

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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Today we talk about the negative internal dialogue that plays in our heads and how it impacts our wellbeing and performance. This episode explores:

• How negative self-talk becomes our default "soundtrack" - especially during challenging moments
• Why our brains are naturally wired for negativity (an evolutionary safety mechanism)
• How high-achieving professionals often internalize harsh critical voices from teachers, coaches, or mentors
• The emotional toll this negativity takes on us and how it affects our actions

We discuss insights from Jon Acuff's book "Soundtracks" and provide practical strategies to transform our internal dialogue:

1. Filter your thoughts through three questions:
   • Is it true?
   • Is it helpful?
   • Is it kind?
2. Understand that negative thoughts aren't something we can just switch off - they're more like a volume dial we can turn down
3. Techniques for reducing negative thoughts:
   • Naming or personifying the negative voice
   • Using grounding techniques to bring yourself to the present moment
   • Creating replacement thoughts or affirmations to reprogram your thinking

I want to emphasize that changing jobs or circumstances won't automatically fix negative thought patterns; we need to actively work on them. By reducing this negative mental chatter, you gain greater mental flexibility, emotional resilience, and the ability to advocate for ourselves.

Join our challenge and practice rewiring your brain with more helpful thoughts. Like now…

Don't forget to rate, review, and share this episode with someone who might benefit from addressing their negative self-talk!

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

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: megan@healthierforgood.com
• 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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD

Send us a text

Today we're talking about energy management and why it's our responsibility to manage our own energy levels.

Key Points:

• Two of my physician clients shared calling out sick as weekly wins in coaching sessions – highlighting how we're trained to always put patient care first, often at our own expense
• Energy management is each of our personal responsibility, and no one else can see our energy levels or tank size
• Our energy tanks change throughout life stages (residency vs. parenting young children vs. empty nesting)
• Medicine falsely pretends we all have the same energy capacity
• When we choose to take a sick day when truly needed, we help change the unhealthy culture of medicine

Notable Quotes from Today's Episode:

"We are trained to put ourselves last, always. We are trained to work through, push through, ignore our bodies, ignore anything that we're feeling or experiencing... in order to put patient care first."

"No one can see the energy that we do or don't have. They can't see how big the tank is, they can't see how big the spigot is that's draining."

"Who we are and what we do matters. It matters and it makes a difference. We're going to figure out a way that we can do this and manage our energy in a sustainable way."

Practical Advice for All of Us:

• Let's assess our current life stage and energy capacity realistically
• We need to recognize when our tanks are depleted and take necessary breaks
• We should set proactive boundaries with our teams about our limitations
• We might need to consider whether our practice environments match our energy styles
• Remember that chronically pushing through low energy is unsustainable for all of us

Final Thoughts:

Finding alignment between patient care and self-care isn't mutually exclusive. By being responsible stewards of our own energy, we can create sustainable pathways to continue practicing medicine effectively while honoring our human needs.

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

Connect with us:

• Website: healthierforgood.com
• Email: megan@healthierforgood.com
• 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: megan@healthierforgood.com

Follow me on Instagram!
@MeganMeloMD