Ever have days when you’re seeing patient after patient, charting during lunch (what lunch?), and all you can think about is the drive-thru waiting for you on the way home?
You’re not alone. So many women physicians are stuck in what I call the “burnout-food cycle” – where exhaustion leads to comfort eating, which leads to feeling crappy about yourself, which makes work even harder.
In my latest podcast episode of Thriving As A Physician, I spoke with psychiatrist Dr. Kristine Goins who hit rock bottom with burnout. Her story doesn’t focus on eating struggles specifically, but it offers powerful insights for any physician feeling trapped in an unsustainable lifestyle.
When Your Body Screams “ENOUGH!”
Kristine didn’t just feel burned out – her body was sending up emergency flares:
“I would have chest pains in the middle of the day. I would have abnormal body twitching. I wasn’t enjoying anything anymore.”
Powerful, right? But how many of us have physical symptoms we’re just… ignoring?
For many of my clients, these symptoms show up as emotional eating patterns. They come home completely drained, and food becomes the quickest way to feel better.
Or they’re so busy all day they barely eat, then find themselves ravenous and unable to make healthy choices at night.
These aren’t character flaws. They’re signals that something needs to change.
The “Someday” Trap That Keeps Us Stuck
If I had a dollar for every time a physician told me they’ll “get healthy after this busy period,” I’d have a very nice vacation fund.
Kristine had a five-year escape plan. But after COVID took both her grandmothers, something clicked:
“I think I have all this time to figure it out… And I don’t know that that’s really true. If I really want something, I need to make the change now.”
She compressed her five-year plan into FIVE MONTHS. She gave notice at her academic center and bought a one-way ticket to Colombia.
But here’s the kicker – she didn’t quit medicine. She just completely reinvented how she practices it.
Breaking Free Without Leaving Medicine
Kristine now works as a digital nomad psychiatrist. She’s lived in 11 different countries, including 7 cities in Mexico alone.
She’s not on permanent vacation. She’s created a life where work supports her wellbeing instead of destroying it.
“Some days I’m like, life is not real,” she told me.
My Own Travel Dreams
Listening to Kristine talk about her adventures made me reflect on my own relationship with travel. I shared with her that my dream is to take cooking classes in different cultures around the world. I love to cook, and learning authentic techniques from locals would be amazing!
But like many physicians, I struggle with giving myself permission to take longer trips. The pressure of leaving my practice partners, concerns about the cost of traveling as a family of five, and all the logistics can feel overwhelming.
What I appreciated about my conversation with Kristine was her practical approach to making travel happen. She talked about ways to experience places more authentically (and affordably) by connecting with locals, finding affordable accommodations outside tourist areas, and integrating healthy habits like hiring a trainer when you arrive.
Her approach reminded me that travel doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing experience. There are ways to make it work, even as a busy physician.
But I Can’t Just Run Away to Mexico!
I get it. You’ve got kids, a mortgage, responsibilities. You can’t just peace out to another country.
But that’s not really the point.
The point is questioning the stories we tell ourselves about what’s possible. About what we “have to” do versus what we’re choosing to do.
As Kristine pointed out, our biggest barriers often aren’t external – they’re internal:
“It becomes less about the idea of disappointing other people. It’s really about the thoughts that we’re gonna think about ourselves once we take those actions.”
Small Steps Create Big Ripples
In my experience working with physicians, we often think everything needs to change for our lives to improve. But that’s rarely true.
One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned (and seen with countless clients) is that small changes create ripple effects throughout your entire life.
Sometimes it’s as simple as taking an actual lunch break. Or scheduling one evening a week where you leave work on time, no matter what. Or setting aside just 15 minutes for movement in the morning.
These small changes signal to your brain and body that you matter. That your needs deserve attention. And that creates a positive cascade effect that can transform your relationship with food, work, and yourself.
Kristine shared a great example of this when she talked about creating just 5 minutes daily to check in with herself:
“If you can create, even if it’s five minutes a day… to dedicate to thinking about what it is that you really desire and want, I think that is the pathway.”
The Real Message: You Deserve More Than Crumbs
The most powerful thing Kristine said?
“When I’m healthy and well and living my passion, I’m able to do more, serve more. That helps more than showing up to work burned out and sad.”
This isn’t selfish. It’s necessary.
When you’re running on empty, everyone gets your leftovers – your patients, your family, and definitely yourself.
But when you design a life that fills you up, everyone gets your best – including you.
Connect With Dr. Kristine Goins
If you’re inspired by Kristine’s journey and want to learn more about how she helps physicians work less and live anywhere as digital nomads, you can find her in several places:
- Instagram: @TheNomadMDs
- Facebook: The Nomad MDs
- Website: thenomadmd.com
Kristine specializes in helping doctors create location freedom while still practicing medicine. Whether you’re dreaming of working from a beach in Mexico or just want to have more flexibility in your current practice, her resources might be exactly what you need.
Your Next Step
You don’t have to figure it all out today. As Kristine put it: “Start with step one and then we’re off.”
What’s your first step? Maybe it’s just listening to the full conversation at the end of this post. 👇
Or maybe it’s finally admitting to yourself that the way you’re living and eating isn’t working, and something needs to change.
Whatever it is, take that step. Your future self – who isn’t stress-eating in the call room – will thank you.
Are you a woman physician struggling with burnout or emotional eating? I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email and let me know what’s challenging you.
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