Building Powerful Habits with Mighty Mom MD | Archana Shrestha

In episode 240, Taylor interviews Dr. Archana Shrestha, MD, MS, founder of Mighty Mom MD and co-founder of the Women in White Coats blog and book series. She is an Emergency Medicine physician, author, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and online fitness coach. They discuss prioritizing self care to prevent and reverse burnout, finding time for yourself by creating a morning routine, and what it’s like to be a woman in medicine. 

I feel like if I win the morning, I win my day.

Dr. Archana Shrestha

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Letting your cup overflow with @mightymommd . How do we allow ourselves the opportunities to recharge, feel full, and give from a space of fullness?

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Top Takeaways from the episode

• Prioritize your self-care, every day
• Utilize the morning, go to sleep on time! 
• Why the USMLE Step 1 change to Pass/Fail is a positive change
• Recognize when burnout is happening and take action
• Don’t feel guilty for taking care of yourself because it will make you a better parent, partner and doctor

On making time for yourself

Dr. Archana Shrestha:

It really comes down to scheduling it on your calendar and realizing that, even though it sometimes seems like you don’t have that time, you can create that time.

Especially for women or moms, morning is the best time because your kids are not up yet. They don’t need you. I found that generally, if I wait till the afternoon or evening – I mean, pre-COVID, my kids were busy with their activities – stuff would come up, and I was not motivated. As the day goes on, my motivation for working out, for doing all those things for myself, it starts to wear down, and then other people’s priorities start coming in. That’s my time for myself that I can dedicate to myself each day.

Willpower is finite, and you have to take care of those important things early. You can create that routine, but you have to make it easy enough for your brain to buy in, to let your body do it.

Dr. Taylor Brana

Whatever habit you want to change, when it comes to being burnt out and exhausted, take it one step at a time. Increase water intake. Good sleep. Good exercise. Support: reaching out to people you love, having that network.

Find your community

Dr. Archana Shrestha:

The big thing that everyone always says when they come to one of our events, whether it’s in person or virtual is, Wow, I felt so alone in my career in medicine, but now I realize like I’m not alone. And I have other people, other women doctors who are going through exactly the same things as me. 

You’re already feeling imposter syndrome as a woman, and then people don’t even recognize you as a doctor sometimes. It all adds up over time. And especially when you’re feeling it from so many different angles, that’s why our mission is about supporting and uplifting women doctors. Cause there’s so many different things that we’re going through. It’s nice to have some support and guidance and mentorship or even some coaching from other women who’ve been through it. 

Mentorship Program

Women can face gender bias and discrimination before they leave medical school, discouraging them from pursuing their desired fields of study due to stereotypes, including being a working mother. As a student, you might not have met or interacted with another female physician in the field you’d like to enter. The Women in White Coats team have created a program to try and match residents and students with a mentor who can answer questions and offer support. Check out their website if you’d like to seek out a mentor or learn more about this awesome program.

Episode References

• Mighty Mom MD website, Instagram and Facebook Group
• Women in White Coats Blog, Instagram and Facebook Group
• Women in White Coats Chronicles, Volume I and II
• Medscape’s 2020 Survey on Physician Burnout
• The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
• Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
• The #MeToo Movement

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Transcript available on page two.