Single Mom MD

Today, we're reviewing how to dial things back when you feel overwhelmed. I became re-familiarized with Hofstadter's Law, when critical tasks take longer than expected, even when you leave extra time. With my crazy schedule in private practice and recent challenges starting a new job and needing to acquire new housing, I dropped back to a three task rule - only three things that absolutely, positively had to be done that day before I went to sleep that night. Barring natural disasters, it can be done.

Since we don't seem to know how to truly take care of ourselves, I'm back to the topic that remains critical for each of us, self care. Nurturing your own well being is one of the most critical skills you can learn - so the earlier, the better.

Conversations about Mental Health Stigma hurts our patients but it can hurt us, too. If you're not willing to get help for yourself, why should your patients be willing to pursue it? Be strong enough to ask for help when you need it... or even BEFORE you need it.

While I do believe that adequate sleep, good nutrition, and regular, lifelong learning are some of the best ways to keep focused on your goal, these three ways to keep your mind sharp were not the first that jumped to mind when I thought about them. See if you agree...

How many times have you wished for a glimpse into the future before stepping out of residency and into the challenging world of medical practice? If you're a recent graduate, consider yourself fortunate because I've curated a list of 20 invaluable insights that I dearly wish I had known back then. These pearls of wisdom are here to guide and empower you on your journey, starting right now.

Well... I did it. Things were in pretty good balance, then I had three - or four - or five - big things hit at once and back into overwhelm I went. It's surprisingly easy to do. But the key is in pulling back from that precipice and regaining perspective and some semblance of balance in both my life and my work.

If taking care of kids, practicing medicine, then dealing with Covid isn't enough to make you question your sanity, I don't know what is.

Here are my Top Ten Tips on Caring for Your Mental Health for Single Mom Physicians - let me know if you have more that have worked for you. We're in this together!

To grow, we need to be willing to leave our comfort zone. And a few of the things that may make us uncomfortable but will make us more successful over time include developing healthy habits, taking risks, and admitting when you've made a mistake.

Once you've listened to the episode and implemented a few strategies, let us know what's working best for you ... and what makes you just a little too uncomfortable to do it.

I first met Dr. Pranay Parikh through his Passive Real Estate Academy, founded with colleagues Dr. Peter Kim and Dr. "Mith"MITHULAN

JEGAPRAGASAN, MD. I've taken the course and invested in three or four properties with Ascent Equity Group. And now he's opened his second course to help physicians reclaim their lives through a formula that he's found most effective. Today, he'll take you through the four pillars to help you understand how close we are to where we want to be - and how to create our own timeline and roadmap to get there, both in and outside of medicine.

Have you ever struggled with setting goals and priorities? I've found it essential to getting "everything" accomplished ... mostly because this way I know what is truly important TO accomplish.

In this short and sweet episode, let's discuss some ways that you can re-discover the importance of setting priorities and goals so you can get where you actually want to go.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into your back to school routine with your children. The goal is to help simplify things for you and identify what's working - and what's not. By doing so, you can identify challenges early to make it the best possible school year for both you and your children.

remember that optimizing your back-to-school routine is an ongoing process. By assessing your current situation, setting clear expectations, and implementing time-saving strategies, you can make this transition smoother for both you and your children. We hope the tips and insights shared today help you find ways to fine-tune your back-to-school routine and reduce the overwhelm.

Throughout my life and career, I've suffered disappointments, just like everyone else. Some situations may be unique but the challenges this creates are, I think, universal.

Over time, I've developed many strategies to help overcome the disappointment and get to the next step of this EPIC life we are meant to lead.

In this episode, I discuss my second ten strategies (well, eleven, you know you get a bonus). I definitely want to hear from you about the strategies you've found effective that aren't included in this two podcast series. 

Throughout my life and career, I've suffered disappointments, just like everyone else. Some situations may be unique but the challenges this creates are, I think, universal.

Over time, I've developed many strategies to help overcome the disappointment and get to the next step of this EPIC life we are meant to lead.

In this episode I discuss my first ten strategies. I definitely want to hear from you strategies you've found effective that aren't included in this two podcast series.

Since the "big goal" of Single Mom MD is to help overcome the overwhelm, let's take a deep dive into overwhelm and see what types of things lead us to it. I'm expecting comments about what causes you to feel overwhelmed and anything you've done to help overcome the feeling. I know when I'm overwhelmed, it means I've taken on too much and may need a break - even a short one - for either exercise or to get into nature. Be part of the community by commenting below.

The big goal for this program is overcoming overwhelm so getting from there to empowerment is critical to unlocking your ability to thrive as a single mom physician today and everyday. Just think about what a difference it will make for your children to have a relaxed mom. Then maybe you can look back to yourself and see the value...

Today we discuss options when we face the challenge of our child being too sick for day care - do you take the route of staying home, nanny, or continue day care with an emergency babysitter? Then, let's talk about 10 tips I've learned about parenting - easy things that you can implement today!

Asara Lovejoy, Founder of The One Command Programs Worldwide, joins Single Mom MD for this episode.

What would it be like to transform your life to fulfill your every dream? Asara Lovejoy, leader in the human potential field says it is more than possible, it is your birthright. She has brought her message that, “ You are greater than you can even currently imagine,” with her One Command 6 Step Technique to over 500,000 thousand folks worldwide with great results. Author, trainer, coach and Quantum Success educator Asara revels in the wonder of who you are and how you can be happy, prosperous and successful in your every thought and endeavor by engaging an untapped portion of your mind. She often says, “Enjoy the next great adventure of your life, discovering your unlimited possibilities with happiness and ease.” She is a top Nightingale-Conant author of The One command: 6-Steps to Happiness Wealth and Success and founder of The One Command Technique taught worldwide.

Ready for more info about what it means to be financially independent? It's simple, to a point, but not easy.

In this episode, we pull it all together. Why do time, money, support, and the lack of them, cause such angst in our lives? Part of it is mindset, but a lot of it is the practical nature of the lives we're in - having both a medical practice and a family is a little nuts, but, with organization and dedication, it can be done - with JOY!

We've talked about kids and we've talked about money. My finance team sent an email recently about kids' money that updated me on recent trends I thought you should know.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

To prepare financially for retirement, you must know how much money you'll need to retire. We'll help get you there.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

In this episode, we cover how to institute new habits with tips on how to get out of the house easier in the morning and several other relevant points that are problematic for everyone, but especially single mom physicians.

Here are the resources mentioned in the podcast:

It should surprise us that when we spend our lives taking care of others, we don't take very good care of ourselves. But it doesn't. We tend to put everyone else first, never quite managing to do all the things we "should" do for ourselves because someone else's demand always awaits our attention. So let's take a half hour now (less if you increase me to 1.25 speed) to focus on our self-compassion "muscle" and learn how to exercise it. Feel free to listen while you're exercising or taking a walk or even while eating your lunch at work. All I ask is that you practice self-compassion and be gentle with yourself.

You know those times when you hear something inspirational but it doesn't really need to be a full episode?

That's what we're offering here - some thoughts for the day to make it light yet potentially profound. From Matthew Ferry on living an epic life to Kimberley Bouchard, author of "Everything Disney" now with a cookbook who's met all these people who perform EPIC tasks in their daily lives and love to talk about everything food. Finally, from Dr. Brene Brown, the importance of vulnerability and how it can open the world for us. I've left a few thoughts on how, around our busy schedules, we, too, can lead epic lives. Are you in?

A few techniques that worked well when my daughter was age appropriate were called "Yes, No, Convince Me" and "Only Ask Me questions that I can say "yes" to." Between these, open communication that started back in the days of her initial anatomy and sex ed talks in pre-school, and the Bank Of Mommy for financial literacy, I hope you'll find some things that resonate with you to use with your children as well.

Join Emily Norris, DPT:

Resource recommended in this podcast:

Jenn Trinidad worked as a nurse recruiter, spending 60+ hours / week on her job. But as her son entered high school and she realized she had only four years left with him before he went off to college, she decided to quit that job and find other ways to pay off crippling debt. Enter Budget Divas and Mystery Shopping where she learned to be intentional about her spending and never had to consider going to a "rice and beans" diet.

Reach Jennifer at:

The keys to time management at work or at home are: having a schedule, staying organized, prioritizing the important tasks, and knowing how to say "no."

Peggy Easterling is a wonder at coaching people on improving mindset. She'll get you from "I can't" to "How can I' all through the lens of allowing yourself grace because God knows you are WORTHY." Allow her to give you the option to choose anything in the world you "want" for your life to put in your "shopping cart" for your future self so you can stand in your present yet prepare for an even better future life.

Don't allow yourself to be sucked into the seeming comfort of isolation. We need community! And in the meantime, we can use affirmations to help us get to where we need to be.

The Affirmations App mentioned: ThinkUp App

In our first episode dedicated to parenting, Dr. Clifford reviews the American Academy of Pediatrics Parenting Goals and information about Gentle Parenting.

Resources offered in this podcast include a list of popular Gentle Parenting Books:

“Gentle Measures in the Management and Training of the Young” by Jacob Abbott (available on Libby)

“Parenting with Love and Logic” by Foster Cline and Jim Fay

“No Drama Discipline” by Daniel J Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

“The Whole Brain Child” By Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

“The Gentle Parent: Positive, Practical, Effective Discipline” by LR Knost

“Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids” by Laura Markham

We make sure our patients are cared for physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and financially, but are we doing a good enough job for ourselves?

In addition to appropriate behavioral health treatments or cognitive behavioral therapy, here are some of my top tips for maintaining your mental health while being pulled in all directions as a single mom and a successful physician.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

Today Single Mom MD welcomes Dr. Christy Walter, a 20 year ER physician now in Florida and Missouri, speaks with us about the trauma and drama of medical school loans and ways for us to get passed it as well as some financial tips and techniques to manage the anxiety.

Today, the wonderful Jennifer Bryce, Maestra of Decluttering and Cleaning Your Home Towards a Peaceful Existence shares with us several methods she's used to become a professional organizer. With clients across Central Florida, she's now taking her system online to help you get your own homes organized.

You can find her at www.JenBryce.com and on YouTube (she's awesome) @JenBryce.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

Join the Single Mom MD community here and let's talk more for personalized attention to your specific questions. 

We look forward to welcoming you.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me through the chat below and via social media @SingleMomMD.

Follow us at Single Mom MD:

We're in for another fun episode today with the return of Christine Swartz aka RV Mama of 4, who tells me if you can change a dirty diaper, you can hook up a sewer hose and have fun setting out for a vacation with your kids ... for any length of time.

She reviews the importance of taking the time to travel with your kids now because we will never get these moments back!

Answers more specific questions about how to get started, how to hook in that sewer line, and what happens when things go wrong (with the truck, the RV, or something else) in this very generous community.

Find Christine at ...

In today's episode, we discuss the importance of career development and ways you can access it as a single mom physician.

Welcome to Single Mom MD.

This podcast is dedicated to all single moms who are physicians who need just a little bit of help, support, or community.

I’m Dr. Gail Clifford and I am here to help single mom physicians have an easier time of it than I did.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

In this episode, we discuss some down and dirty behavior from toxic nurses. Though a minority in the practice of nursing, this group of nurses can make any physician's life miserable or, in my case, crippled. More physicians are leaving hospitals or the practice of medicine because of the lack of respect and coordinated care possible with nurses like the ones we discuss.

And I greatly respect nurses. When I left medical school, I asked my professors what was the one thing I could do to guarantee my success in medicine and they said, "Be nice to the nurses." and "Listen to the nurses." Even when I did, it wasn't enough for the toxic nurses.

One of my former residents returns today to share her experience at her hospital and we workshop ways to survive it rather than leave medicine, whether or not she chooses to change jobs.

Resources mentioned in podcast:

Today, we focus on Mindset and how creating an action plan can help us reduce our sense of overwhelm.

Whether it's creating your first time audit - the 168 hour tool that identifies how we spend each hour of our week - or some other project, breaking down any task into manageable steps makes it more likely that we accomplish the task (a) in the least painful way (b).

Sometimes, it's enough just to know what the next step is. Identifying the steps in advance makes this so much easier! There's no question about what's next ... and even if you have to pivot, you can easily create new steps if a wrench gets thrown into the mix (like the kids telling you "I need something for the bake sale, Mom" just 10 minutes before you leave the house (ProTip: Check those backpacks daily!).

We also discuss non-food rewards we can give ourselves. Please share with me your favorites ... I'm always looking for more suggestions to add to my list.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

We're in for a fun episode today with Christine Swartz aka RV Mama of 4, who tells me if you can change a dirty diaper, you can hook up a sewer hose and have fun setting out for a vacation with your kids ... for any length of time.

She reviews the importance of taking the time to travel with your kids now because we will never get these moments back!

And what happens when things go wrong in this very generous community.

Find Christine at ...

All of you that have worked with me know that when I take care of my patients, I consider their physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and financial needs.

Each of these is critical for our patients so why don’t we do more of these when referencing our own self-care?

In this episode, let’s talk about general suggestions for maintaining financial health that may be applicable to women physicians and especially single moms.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, comment in the section below or contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

All of you that have worked with me know that when I take care of my patients, I consider their physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and financial needs.

Each of these is critical for our patients so why don’t we do more of these when referencing our own self-care?

In this episode, we talk about general suggestions for maintaining spiritual health that may be applicable to women physicians, especially those who are single moms.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, let us know in the comments below or contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

Most of us, both as single moms and as physicians, don't spend enough time taking care of ourselves and emotional health may be the frist to go. yet it's critical for your maintaining relationships with your family and your patients, the medical staff and everyone in your life. 

Here are some of my favorite ways to maintain emotional health. 

You know what you need to do to take care of yourself: Exercise regularly, get sufficient quality sleep, eat a balanced diet, manage your stress, prioritize preventive care, and practice good hygiene.

But are you doing it?

Have your children learn great habits now by modeling the best behavior for yourself that will lead all of you to a healthier and happier lifestyle.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.

As single women raising children while practicing medicine, we have different needs than other physicians and other women. This podcast, Single Mom MD, is meant for all women physicians raising children without the support they need or may have expected when she dreamed of her life before being accepted to medical school.

In this episode, we review the information in Gail's chapter from the Wall Street Journal / USA Today best selling book "The Expert's Cure." Helping physicians use the right brain and creativity prevents burnout, reduces depression, and, we hope, reduces our risk of suicide. It's an important topic to have out in the open.

When you think of additional topics you’d like covered on this podcast, contact me via social media @SingleMomMD.