Ending Physician Overwhelm
I'm Megan Melo, board-certified Family and Obesity Medicine Physician and Physician Coach. In this podcast we talk about the many ways that burnout shows up in our lives, and what we can do about it. I'm on a mission to help Physicians take steps towards to heal burnout by unlearning the habits of perfectionism, people-pleasing and limiting beliefs so that we can lead healthier, happier lives. The healthcare system is broken; but you don't have to wait until it's fixed to feel better. I'm here to help. Thank you for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review. Unt...
The We Do Not Care Club for Perimenopausal Physicians (Part 2)
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The Epic List You've Been Waiting For: What Women Physicians Are DONE Caring About
Welcome back to the revolution, my friends. This is Part 2 of our "We Do Not Care Club" series, and today we're sharing the crowdsourced, unfiltered, absolutely brilliant list of things that women physicians are officially done caring about.
But first, let's give proper credit where it's due:
This entire movement exists because of Melani Sanders (@justbeingmelani) - an African-American content creator who courageously started sharing her perimenopause...
The We Do Not Care Club for Perimenopausal Physicians (Part 1)
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What if you could stop wasting your precious brain energy on things that don't deserve it?
Welcome to a very special edition of Ending Physician Overwhelm, where we're diving deep into the revolutionary concept of the "We Do Not Care Club" – specifically designed for perimenopausal women physicians who are DONE with burning themselves out for a system that doesn't value them.
Shoutout to Melani Sanders (@justbeingmelani) for creating this life-changing movement that's resonating with millions of women!
The Truth Bomb You Need to He...
Self-Compassionate Compromise When You Are Deep In It
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What You'll Learn
Life doesn't pause for your perfect plans. Whether it's a scary diagnosis, staffing changes, or family emergencies, curveballs are coming. But here's what we don't talk about enough: how to navigate these storms with self-compassion instead of burning yourself out trying to hustle through everything.
In this episode, we're diving deep into four powerful strategies that will help you maintain your sanity when everything feels like it's falling apart.
The Reality Check We All Need
As physicians and...
Your AI Employee: How to Boss Around Technology That Actually Helps
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Stop Playing Around and Start Making AI Work FOR You
If you're still on the fence about AI tools, or you've tried them and felt frustrated, this episode is for you. We're talking about how to actually use these tools to make your life easier—not add another complicated task to your already overwhelming day.
What We Talk About
The three non-negotiable rules for using AI tools effectively (and why thinking of AI as your employee changes everything)How I went from trial-and-error with mu...10 Ways to Deal in Tough Times
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Recorded from the car on a Monday morning because sometimes life doesn't wait for perfect circumstances - and that's exactly the point.
When Crisis Hits Close to Home
This is a different kind of episode. Raw, real, and recorded in the midst of what I'm calling a "semi-urgent medical crisis" in my family. You know the kind - not a code blue emergency, but the agonizing wait for test results, appointments, and answers that consume your thoughts and rearrange your entire world.
We spend so...
What Am I No Longer Willing To Do?
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Welcome to another edition of Ending Physician Overwhelm - this time recorded from the car because life happens, and we roll with it.
The Question That Changes Everything
When we talk about cutting back on work or reducing FTE, we often focus on what we want less of. But here's what we miss: What do we actually want MORE of?
This episode dives deep into a conversation I had with a coaching client who was looking to reconfigure her work schedule. We weren't...
My Million Dollar Idea
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The Wearable Device That Could Change Everything for Physicians
What if there was a way to get objective, real-time data about how your lifestyle choices are actually affecting your health? Not just a random cortisol test that tells you nothing actionable, but continuous monitoring that could force you to confront the truth about how you're treating your body?
In this special car edition episode, we dive into my million-dollar idea: a continuous cortisol monitor that could revolutionize how physicians approach self-care.
What We Talk...
Alignment vs Burnout
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Finding Your Path to Alignment: The Antidote to Physician Burnout
Are you feeling stuck in a perpetual slog, wondering where your passion for medicine went? You're not alone, and there's a powerful principle that can help guide you back to a place of purpose and energy.
In this episode, we explore the concept of alignment—a state of living and making decisions that honors your core values, leverages your unique gifts, and energizes you through your passions and interests.
What You'll Learn
Al...Break Your Own Rules
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Rules? Who Me?
Hello my friends! Today we're diving into those self-imposed rules that might be governing your life and keeping you stuck in patterns of overwhelm. From the seemingly trivial (must shave legs before wearing shorts) to the deeply consequential (always putting yourself last), these internalized rules often lead us to burnout, exhaustion, and disconnection from what truly matters.
Key Takeaways
Identifying Your Rules: Pay attention to thoughts that contain command language like "I can't," "I must," or "I should." These often signal...Tackling Interruptions and Distractions
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Ever find yourself busy all day yet feeling like you've accomplished nothing? You're not alone. As physicians, we face an overwhelming number of interruptions in our day - many of which didn't exist even a few years ago.
What You'll Learn:
Why constant interruptions are destroying your focus and productivityHow to set clear, kind boundaries with staff and colleaguesWhy multitasking is actually procrastination in disguisePractical strategies to handle both external interruptions and internal distractionsThe Interruption Problem
We're bombarded with distractions that our...
Get a New Soundtrack
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Today we talk about the negative internal dialogue that plays in our heads and how it impacts our wellbeing and performance. This episode explores:
How negative self-talk becomes our default "soundtrack" - especially during challenging momentsWhy our brains are naturally wired for negativity (an evolutionary safety mechanism)How high-achieving professionals often internalize harsh critical voices from teachers, coaches, or mentorsThe emotional toll this negativity takes on us and how it affects our actionsWe discuss insights from Jon Acuff's book "Soundtracks" and provide practical strategies to transform our internal dialogue:
...Energy Management is an Inside Job
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Today we're talking about energy management and why it's our responsibility to manage our own energy levels.
Key Points:
Two of my physician clients shared calling out sick as weekly wins in coaching sessions – highlighting how we're trained to always put patient care first, often at our own expenseEnergy management is each of our personal responsibility, and no one else can see our energy levels or tank sizeOur energy tanks change throughout life stages (residency vs. parenting young children vs. empty nesting)Medicine falsely pretends we all have th...Hitting Unsubscribe
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Today we talk about the concept of "unsubscribing" – not just from email newsletters, but from the thoughts, beliefs, and habits that no longer serve us as physicians.
Episode Highlights:
We celebrate 3 years of "Ending Physician Overwhelm" (launched March 2022)Unsubscribe from harmful ideas and beliefs:The belief that we should be able to function in a broken healthcare system without supportThe notion that we must respond to every patient message in extensive detailThe idea that asking for help makes us "difficult" or "not a team player"Unsubscribe from complexity:Le...Times are Changing; Time to Adapt
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This week, we talk about the significant changes happening in medicine that aren't likely to reverse, and how we as physicians need to adapt to navigate these shifts effectively.
Episode Highlights:
The Reality of Job Insecurity in MedicineStories of experienced physicians being let go with little warningHow healthcare organizations are prioritizing budget over experience and loyaltyWhy the long-term stability we once expected in medical careers is no longer guaranteedHistorical Context vs. Current RealityHow the medical career path has transformed from the...What's Your DOSE?
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In this episode, we explore the neurotransmitters that make up the acronym DOSE - Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Epinephrine - and how they affect our daily lives and well-being.
Episode Highlights:
Creating Meaning
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I explore how to find and create meaning in both our professional and personal lives, especially when facing burnout and challenges in medicine.
Episode Highlights
Medicine was never meant to be easy, but the additional challenges we face today make self-care more important than everWhen experiencing burnout, we often lose our sense of meaning and purpose in workCreating meaning is a challenge of adulthood that requires intentional effortThe gap between what we imagined about being a physician and the reality of practice todayKey Takeaways<...
Get OUT of Your Default Thoughts
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Ever have a moment where you suddenly realize you've slipped back into old thought patterns? In this episode, we dive into what happens when those default ways of thinking return - and how to move past them without getting stuck.
When Old Thought Patterns Come Knocking
After my emergency surgery for a perforated IUD (yes, really!), I found myself sliding back into victim mode thinking - feeling angry about missing work, frustrated about not having sick leave, and generally falling into old patterns of negativity and blame.<...
Trust Your Gut (Literally)
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In today’s episode, I share a personal medical experience that taught me lessons about self-advocacy, trusting intuition, and seeking help - lessons that apply both personally and professionally in medical practice.
Episode Highlights
Why You Don’t Work Less
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Fresh off our exciting kickoff for the second round of Unbound, we're diving into something that affects nearly every physician - why we struggle to work less, even when we desperately want to. Let's explore the mindsets keeping us stuck in overwork mode!
The Hidden Beliefs Blocking Our Path
Have you ever had a free day suddenly open up in your schedule? Instead of treating it as actual free time, chances are you immediately filled it with tasks from your never-ending to-do list. This isn't random...
6 Things You Need Right Now
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Life in medicine is intense right now, especially in early 2025. In this episode, we're diving into six essential elements that can help us not just survive, but thrive during challenging times. Whether you're looking to join our Unbound physician community or just trying to figure out how to make medicine work better in your life, these are game-changers.
The Big Six (Yes, They Really Matter!)
Community When things go sideways (like that wild HR story we share in this episode), having people who get it makes all the difference. Sometimes...Ways I am combatting my own Cynicism
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Episode Summary:
If cynicism has been creeping in lately, you’re not alone. As physicians, we’re constantly navigating uncertainty—whether it’s within healthcare, in our personal lives, or in the world around us. Over time, this can lead to emotional exhaustion, frustration, and a sense of futility.
In this episode, we’re diving into 10 intentional ways to combat cynicism before it takes over. These are practical strategies to help you step out of the negativity spiral, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with more clarity and purpose.<...
Musings on a Question: Who Do You Think You Are?
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In this episode of Ending Physician Overwhelm, we explore a question that can feel deeply uncomfortable—maybe even confrontational: Who do you think you are?
For so many of us, this question has been used to silence us. To keep us in line. To make us doubt ourselves. Whether it was a parent, a mentor, a patient, or the healthcare system itself, we’ve been conditioned to second-guess our worth and our right to take up space.
But what if we asked this question differently?
Toge...
Knowing What I Now Know – A Tool for Self-Compassion and Change
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In this episode, we introduce the "Knowing What I Now Know" (KWINK) analysis—a powerful tool for self-reflection without judgment. We explore how we, as physicians, can apply this framework to our careers, workplaces, and personal lives with kindness and self-compassion.
We’ve all been conditioned to self-criticize—questioning our decisions, feeling shame for past choices, and internalizing the voices of those who have judged us. But what if we replaced that with self-understanding? What if we recognized that our past selves made the best decisions possible with the inform...
Difficulty with Employers
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Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of Ending Physician Overwhelm. This week, we’re tackling a topic that resonates deeply for so many of us in medicine: the challenges of navigating relationships with our employers.
We’re not talking about the individuals you work alongside every day, but the employer as an entity. What happens when your values, mission, and vision for patient care seem to be at odds with the system you work in? And how can we move forward when trust in our workplace has eroded—or was never...
Self-Compassion in Trying Times
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Today’s topic—self-compassion—feels especially timely. I’ve been navigating my own challenging season recently, and I wanted to share some reflections and tools that have been helping me, in the hope they’ll resonate with you too.
In this episode, we discuss:
The January Blues: How the transition into the new year often brings a lull after the holidays, leaving many of us grappling with difficult emotions.The Power of Self-Compassion: Why meeting ourselves with kindness, mindfulness, and an understanding of shared humanity can build true...So Little Control
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Description:
Deep breath, as we dive into a reality that so many physicians face daily: navigating situations over which we have so little control. From overwhelming inboxes to unrealistic expectations from patients and systemic challenges in healthcare, we discuss the emotional toll this lack of control can take—and how we can respond with intention and self-compassion.
Together, we explore the complex layers of responsibility, moral injury, and the often misplaced sense of blame we carry as physicians. Most importantly, we talk about reclaiming our power, setting boundaries, an...
My Word for 2025: Integration
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Episode Summary:
Happy New Year, friends! As we step into 2025, I’m sharing my word for the year: Integration. It’s a concept I believe we’re all seeking, even if we haven’t quite named it. Integration is about feeling present, grounded, and whole—showing up as your full self at work, at home, and in your body.
In this episode, I explore what it means to cultivate integration as a busy physician, and how this can shift the way we approach our work, relationships, and self-care...
Closing Out Your Year Well
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In the final episode of 2024, we reflect on the year that’s passed and look forward with intention to the year ahead. As physicians, the end of the year often brings heightened perfectionist tendencies, alongside a desire to make sweeping changes. Instead of falling into the trap of magical thinking, we walk through a healthier, more intentional process to close out the year and start fresh without unrealistic expectations.
Together, we explore how to celebrate our wins, honor our challenges, and set meaningful intentions for the new year—without guilt, self-judgment, or t...
Thought Errors & Your Inbox
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Episode Summary:
In this episode, we explore the role thought errors play in shaping how we interact with our inboxes, particularly through electronic medical records (EMRs). These common patterns of thinking contribute to moral injury, burnout, and the overwhelming sense of always needing to be “on.”
See how these beliefs keep us tethered to our inboxes after hours, why patient portals create unrealistic expectations, and how these challenges impact our ability to provide compassionate care. We'll also talk about strategies to set boundaries, challenge perfectionism, and take back...
Wants vs. Needs
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In this episode, we dive into the conflict between wants and needs—a dynamic that significantly impacts how physicians manage their time, energy, and priorities. Inspired by insights from The Gap Versus the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy, Megan unpacks why physicians often prioritize external demands over their own personal goals and desires.
Key Topics Discussed:
1. The Conflict Between Needs and Wants
Physicians are highly trained to respond to external drivers and prioritize others' needs, often at the expense of their own.
Taming the Inner Critic
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In this episode, we dive into the pervasive challenge of managing the harsh inner critic many women physicians face. We explore the origins of this critical voice, how it develops, and its impact on our lives. Let’s also talk about compassionate strategies to identify, understand, and quiet this inner critic, so you can learn to live life with less negative noise.
Key Takeaways:
Understanding the Inner Critic
Origins:Often rooted in societal expectations to excel and please others, reinforced from childhood through adulthood.Influenced by environments that eq...Why We Struggle
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In this episode of Ending Physician Overwhelm, we dive deep into the real reasons behind our struggles with setting boundaries as physicians. It’s not just about finding time for lunch or stepping away from work—it’s about uncovering the deeply ingrained patterns and thoughts that keep us stuck in cycles of guilt, overwhelm, and exhaustion.
Dr. Melo shares personal anecdotes, like the untouched chocolate croissant that became a symbol of her overcommitment (or maybe just anxiety?), and offers insights into why we often put ourselves last.
If you’ve...
Breaking Free from Human Giver Syndrome: A Message for Women Physicians
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In this episode, I explore the concept of Human Giver Syndrome, a term coined by Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, in their groundbreaking book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. This deeply ingrained societal expectation pressures women—especially women physicians—to be endlessly selfless, cheerful, and giving, often at the expense of their own well-being.
Many of us have experienced pushback for being “too negative” or “not a teamplayer” when we’ve tried to meet our own needs. Today we unpack three specific ways Human Giver Syndrome shows up in th...
Connection As An Antidote to Burnout
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Connection is something most of us are lacking. Which is weird, because most of us are surrounded by people daily.
But it’s not just people that give you connection. It’s being able to show up, be yourself, ask for help, be vulnerable, and support others that creates connection.
We need a balance of give and take. Period. And most of us aren’t getting that, but we need that. If you are lacking this in your life, struggling as a women physician, and wanting more connection, Unbound is for...
Dealing with Disappointment (Perfectionist’s Edition)
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How do we take care of ourselves when we have BIG feelings, when we are used to taking care of everyone else.
I’m not talking politics today, though I acknowledge that I, and many of you, have some big emotions right now, which are not limited to disappointment, but too numerous to mention.
If you struggle with hard times, like most humans do, this is one to lean into. I’m sharing how to hold on to hope, acknowledge the feelings, and take care of yourself through the feel...
Who Do YOU Want to See?
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Feeling a bit fiery today, but I want you to sit with this one.
I am done believing that I should look, work or speak a certain way, based on internalized norms passed down from generations of patriarchy in medicine. I don’t want to practice that way, I don’t want to speak that way, and I don’t want to receive my care that way.
But in order for us to change the dynamic, WE are going to need to show up differently, and ASK for things we’ve n...
Boundaries Around Other People’s Messes
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What happens when you clean up other people’s messes?
They don’t get to solve the problem (and learn)
They don’t get to experience the consequences (and learn)
You feel exhausted, and internalize that you SHOULD be the one who fixes ALL the problems.
In today’s episode, I’m going to walk through what this can look like, and invite you to think about these challenges differently. You are such a good problem solver. And there are some problems that truly only you can so...
Control or Freedom? You pick
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Ok, who else here likes to feel in control? Likes it too much, I mean. As in, tries to take control of every situation and then wonders why she feels so stressed, tight and yell-y.
Today I’m talking about the idea that you can have complete control or complete freedom, but not both. Although this too is an illusion because we can’t actually control much of what we try to control. We can have rules and structure and try to manipulate people and situations, but we don’t actually succee...
Trauma Responses are Not Your Fault
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Trauma responses are very real, and very challenging for us as humans.
Especially if you are judging yourself for experiencing them.
Today I am talking about how trauma shows up in our lives, including in ourselves and people around us. We’ll talk about seeing trauma as “too much, too fast,” and often with too little support/resources, and the ways that can manifest in your life.
As promised, here are some resources that you can explore:
The Residency Graduation Speech You Really Needed
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Were you a great resident?
Me too
Were you the one that was kind, flexible, accommodating, hardworking?
Me too
Were you the one who left residency and worked and worked and worked, looking for validation, wanting to hear that you could take a break, that you could get the help and support you needed to take care of patients exactly the way that you wanted too, and not the way that your system expected you too (rapidly, with empathy, thoroughness, but RAPIDLY and meeting all...
