This week, Kendra and Katie unpack a quiet but common struggle among physician spouses:
the belief that gratitude and dissatisfaction can't coexist.

We explore:

• Why so many physician spouses downplay their hard moments

• The "gratitude as gaslighting" trap

• How privilege guilt + comparison silence our real needs

• A simple AND vs BUT framework to spot healthy vs harmful gratitude

• How to hold emotional complexity without minimizing yourself

• Four questions to help you take action instead of staying stuck

• Why acknowledging what's hard is not selfish—but essential for thriving

Key Takeaway:
You can be grateful and want change. You can love your life and need more support.
Both things can be true.

• "It Gets Better Now" Coaching with Kendra

• Supporting Physician Spouses Community + Podcast Archive

• 10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea — Suzy Welch

• Artful TV series (BYUtv)

When the call schedule explodes, the backup plan fails, and everyone's unraveling — how do you hold it all together?

In the final episode of The Predictability Problem Series, Kendra and Katie unpack what it really means to create flexible family systems that bend but don't break when medicine runs the clock.

You'll learn:

• Why rigid plans actually increase stress in high-uncertainty seasons

• The Plan B Framework — Predict, List, Automate, Name — to restore calm when things go sideways

• How to build "structured flexibility" that keeps the household steady

• Why Plan B isn't failure — it's the foundation of resilience

• Simple system swaps to turn daily survival into sustainable rhythm

Because predictability isn't about control — it's about confidence that you can recover, reset, and reconnect no matter what medicine throws your way.

🩺 Connect with us off the Podcast - All our freebies + Office Hours registration: stan.store/supportingphysicianspouses

💬 Book a coaching consult or learn more: itgetsbetternow.com/schedule

Instagram @supportingphysicianspouses

Email us! hello@supportingphysicianspouses.com

0:00 – Welcome & Series Recap
4:30 – Why rigid systems crack under medical unpredictability
8:20 – The Plan B Framework explained
14:10 – Flexible systems in real life (bedtime, call weeks, holidays)
22:00 – How to apply Plan B without guilt
27:15 – Closing thoughts + next steps

Even the calmest, most grounded person can feel off balance when their relationship starts to feel like two people living parallel lives. In Week 3 of The Predictability Problem Series, Katie explores how physician spouses can rebuild calm through connection, even when medicine keeps changing the plan.

You'll hear:

• A real-life story of emotional safety in action

• Research from Dr. Tate Shanafelt and Dr. Wayne Sotile on what predicts thriving in physician families

• How much "meaningful time" couples actually need—and what to do if you can't get it

• Why micro rituals of connection (3 minutes, 3 times a day) are the secret to predictability when schedules never stop shifting

• Practical examples you can try this week—no extra time required

Because predictability doesn't come from your calendar—it comes from knowing you can count on each other.

Links & Resources Mentioned:
🩺 All freebies + Office Hour registration: stan.store/supportingphysicianspouses
💬 Learn about coaching for physician spouses: ItGetsBetterNow.com

Timestamps:
0:00 – Welcome + recap of The Predictability Problem Series
3:40 – The accident story that redefined emotional safety
7:55 – What research says about time, connection, and burnout
11:20 – Why emotional safety = predictability
14:00 – How to create "micro rituals" (3x3 framework)
22:40 – Co-regulation and the biology of connection
26:30 – Weekly challenge: Build your micro rituals
29:15 – Closing + what's next in the series