When your home feels tense and you can't quite name why, it's easy to wonder, "What's wrong with me?"

Today we're talking about physician families as ecosystems, and how to rebalance things when your family feels off, for physician spouses who are juggling unpredictable schedules, solo stretches, and the mental load that never seems to turn off.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to recognize the signs your family ecosystem is out of balance (before things blow up)

• How to observe what's happening before you rush to fix it, and why that matters

• How honest communication creates the feedback loops your family needs to adapt

• How to protect your progress with simple rituals and routines that keep you connected

You'll hear:

• Katie share what it felt like coming off a month of away rotation, and the moment overwhelm hit hard (even with her spouse coming home)

• A real-time reframe from spiraling thoughts ("this will never end") back to what's factual and true

• Practical ways to "rebalance the inputs," like sleep, play, laughter, and connection, plus how to identify the drains that are quietly depleting you

This episode is especially for you if:

• you've been holding everything together while your spouse's training schedule keeps shifting

• you feel overwhelmed, but you struggle to explain what's actually causing it

• you want your home to feel lighter and more connected, but you don't know where to start

Links & resources mentioned:

• Download the Match Survival Guide: Click here!

• Leave some encouragement for those going through Match at (214)810-0468

Stay connected:

• Get email updates + resources: www.itgetsbetternow.com

• Follow us on Instagram: @supportingphysicianspouses and @kendra_itgetsbetternow

What if your struggles aren't a sign that something is wrong with you—but rather a signal that your family ecosystem is out of balance?

Kendra explores what it means to view your physician family as a living ecosystem. Drawing from an idea that stopped her mid-audiobook, Becoming You by Suzy Welch, she unpacks how the interdependence between spouses, children, and the medical environment mirrors the delicate balance found in nature.

Kendra shares how shifts like new jobs, relocations, and call schedules ripple through a family system, and why love, rest, and rituals act like sunlight and water—essential sources of energy for resilience and connection.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• 💡 Why your struggles aren't personal failures, but ecosystem imbalances

• 🌱 How to identify your family's unique energy sources (connection, rest, rituals)

• 🧭 How external factors like hospital culture, relocations, and call schedules shape family life

• 🔄 What it means to build resilience as a system, not just as individuals

• 💬 Reflection questions to help you restore balance in your own family ecosystem

Reflection Questions:

1. What are the sources of energy in your family's ecosystem?

2. What are the stressors currently draining it?

3. What small adaptations could bring more balance right now?

Mentioned in this Episode:

• The 2-2-2 Rule: A rhythm of connection—date night every 2 weeks, overnight every 2 months, vacation every 2 years

• Inspiration from Becoming You by Suzy Welch: "When one member of the family is struggling, it's an ecosystem problem."

Connect with Us:
💌 Email: hello@supportingphysicianspouses.com
📱 Instagram: @supportingphysicianspouses

What if the most realistic path to flexible, meaningful work in this season is becoming a Family Virtual Assistant with a clear roadmap, training, and a fast track to being matched with a family?

In today's episode, I'm joined by Dr. Brittany Bankhead, a double board certified trauma surgeon and the Founder and CEO of Modern Mom Lab. Brittany shares why virtual assistants are not just for business owners, families need them too, and that insight led her to build a clear training path for women who want work that fits real life.

We talk about the Family Virtual Assistant Institute, the training program Modern Mom Lab created to help moms become family virtual assistants, using skills they likely already possess: communication, scheduling, systems, follow-through, and the kind of "make it all happen" competence that already runs a household. If you are a physician spouse who needs truly flexible work, or you know someone who does, this episode is a must listen.

• Why families need virtual assistants too, not just entrepreneurs

• What a family virtual assistant actually does for a household

• The kinds of skills that translate well into this work (and why you may already have them)

• What the Family Virtual Assistant Institute teaches, and the support that comes with training

• How families and FVAs find each other through Modern Mom Lab's ecosystem (including The Grid)

• What it can look like to build flexible income without sacrificing your family's needs

• Modern Mom Lab www.modernmomlab.com
• Instagram @modernmomlab
• Instagram @bbankheadmd

Coupon code mentioned in the episode: BETTERNOW100 for $100 off the FVA Institute or the Grid.

Please share it with a physician spouse who needs flexible work, or a mom who would thrive with training, support, and a clear path into a role that families value. You can also leave a review (it helps other physician spouses find us), and share on social media. Tag us @supportingphysicianspouse on Instagram and Facebook.