Shame is sneaky.
Shame sounds like it is just stating the truth to you and keeping you honest.
So shame often goes unnoticed and can creep into all areas of your life.
The problem is that this “truth” makes you feel like shit. When you feel like shit, you are so much more likely to reach for something to feel better…
…maybe the doughnuts in the doctor’s lounge that feel so tempting you just can’t resist (but then beat yourself up about it afterwards, getting stuck in more shame)
…that extra glass of wine after work to unwind that feels like such a relief with those first sips but ends up making you tired and so you don’t get those notes done you told yourself you would (and so you feel guilty and frustrated that you can never seem to get on top of things)
…or turning into a drive through on the way home after an exhausting day when you can’t even summon the energy to care about those goals you had committed to when you woke up this morning… and so you wake up again with that feeling of shame about “messing it up” yesterday
Shame drives all of this.
Shame keeps you in a spiral of repeating the same habits over and over and feeling horrible about them but completely unable to stop.
If you identify with any of the examples above, please don’t shame yourself for it. Each of these examples came directly from my own life and I have talked to hundreds of physicians who have the same struggles.
You are not alone.
Don’t stay stuck in the same cycle over and over.
Let’s start to do things differently.
And the first step is intentionally shifting out of shame.
This week on the Thriving As A Physician podcast, I am sharing how I am working to do this in my whole life.
Working on this can completely change how your days feel (so much lighter and less exhausting!).
It will help you create solutions (that actually work for you) for anything that is coming up in your life.
Listen to the full episode below.
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