HEALTHY LIVING
Managing Your Mind Is the Key to Empowered Living By Nora Vasquez, MD
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id you know that your thoughts create feelings which drive all your actions? I didn’t. When I first learned this simple, yet profound concept, it transformed the way I experienced my life for the better. This awareness created opportunities for me to purposefully choose who I wanted to be in the world, even when the frustrations of career burnout or personal challenges arose. I began to realize that I had more agency and options in my life than I previously thought possible. I recognized that although there are some circumstances I cannot control, I always have the power to choose how I want to think about those circumstances and ultimately, how I want to respond. I stopped feeling like life was happening to me. I started to pause, reflect and then respond instead of just reacting. That is the key to living life on your own terms. There were times in my career as an outpatient Internist when I felt the symptoms of burnout but didn’t even know it. I assumed that if I just kept working and going through the motions, the burnout would resolve on its own. Of course, the burnout didn’t subside because I kept thinking negatively about my circumstances and expecting myself to feel better. Now I understand that burnout is a temporary state of emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and a sense of ineffectiveness due to prolonged exposure to occupational stressors. I share this with you to help you realize that by understanding the power of your thinking and managing your mindset, that is the way to living an empowered life personally and professionally. Now I understand that to mitigate burnout, we need to think differently to find a new solution. As a Certified Physician Coach, I’ve had the honor of coaching hundreds of physicians across the United States and Canada. What is resoundingly clear is that many are struggling to balance all the responsibilities of life and their medical practice. Often, they are just trying to survive the next shift. The truth is, if you have a human brain, you’ve probably had similar negative thoughts. If you find yourself spinning in negative thoughts and feel the symptoms of burnout: 1. You are not alone, and 2. It doesn’t have to be this way. 14
SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • January 2022
Here are a few tips to create an empowered mindset: 1. Create Awareness − Start to notice your self-talk and explore your negative thoughts. Then, choose to challenge your negative thoughts and the story you have created of your lived experience. You can ask yourself, “Is this thought true?” and then look for counter evidence. Then, if it is true, you can ask yourself, “Is this thought serving me and creating the results I want in my life?” 2. Change Your Narrative − With increased awareness, you get to decide to rewrite your story if it isn’t serving you. You can explore all your options and see if you want to change your circumstances, or simply change the way you think about them. 3. Get Support − Your well-being matters. I realize not all circumstances are easy to manage alone. That is why I always encourage help-seeking behavior. Everyone deserves to get the support they need, whether that is from a trusted peer, family member, pastor, counselor, physician, coach or psychiatrist. Reach out and utilize the support and community you need so that you can thrive. 4. Resources − BCMS is committed to supporting physicians through the Physician Coaching and Wellness Program. You can participate in the free monthly Physician Coaching webinars where you can learn effective tips to create an empowered mindset. You can register and learn more by visiting the BCMS Calendar of Events at www.bcms.org. Nora Vasquez, MD is a Certified Physician Coach and a Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician with over a decade of experience. She developed the Physician Wellness Webinar Series for BCMS physician members to empower physicians with evidenced-based coaching strategies to mitigate burnout and enhance physician well-being. You can learn more about Dr. Nora Vasquez at www.renewyourmindmd.com. Dr. Vasquez is a member of the Bexar County Medical Society.
