In this episode, Dr. Shelly Bhowmik shares her tips for resetting negative thoughts that keep you stuck. She explains how to identify the thought patterns that keep you from moving forward and how to replace them with positive ones. She shares her personal story of overcoming burnout by learning how to change her thinking patterns, which she says helped her finally get the help she needed.
- Sometimes we don't realize how bad our mental health has gotten until it's too late. We're all guilty of taking our mental health for granted, but that's because it's something that's always there—t's an essential part of who we are, and we don't even think about it until something goes wrong.
- Mindset is medicine, but it's not just a way of looking at the world or an attitude adjustment. It's an entire lifestyle and way of thinking that will change everything for the better if you let it.
- Your mindset is so powerful when it comes to transforming your health and well-being. It can be the difference between success and failure, between feeling good about yourself and not, between having energy and feeling tired all the time.
- Technically, burnout is an occupational syndrome that is a result of neglected chronic workplace stress. Its three main characteristics are exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased professional efficacy.
- Burnout could also mean acting without intention—being on autopilot, not being present. It occurs when you have been trying to do too much and it begins to affect your physical and emotional well-being.
- The goal is to be more intentional about your daily activities so you can avoid burnout. This could mean paying attention to your energy levels, taking breaks when you need them, and making time for things that bring you joy.
- Physical symptoms of burnout vary from person to person. Some people experience inflammation, hormonal imbalances, migraines, gastrointestinal issues, and eczema.
- Burnout is a real problem for women in midlife. When you're dealing with hormonal changes and other stressors, it can make you feel more vulnerable to burnout. Women in perimenopause or menopause may be especially susceptible to burnout because of the extra weight they gain during these times.
- You can fight burnout by building resilience. The ReST framework stands for REvive, Strive, and Thrive. It's a way of thinking about how to build up your resilience so you can keep going when things get tough.
- Your thoughts are what drive all of your actions, they give rise to your feelings, and your feelings then give rise to your actions. This is why mastering your mindset is the place to start if you want to change the way things happen in your life.
- Emotions and feelings are two different things. Emotions are the physical reactions that occur in your body when you're exposed to stress in your environment. Feelings are the mental processes that occur in response to thoughts.
- Once you identify the limiting belief, it's time to reflect on whether or not that's really true. If it is, then there's nothing wrong with believing it--but if it isn't, then you can start rewriting that story that you're telling yourself.
- Women of color and other marginalized people are often in environments that are not conducive to growth. We are made to believe that we are less important, and so there's a lot of work that constantly has to be done just to try and break away from those external messages that you receive.
- Small wins add up to bigger things. When you're trying to achieve a goal, it can be easy to get discouraged when you don't immediately see results. But the truth is that small wins add up over time and help you meet your goals.
About Our Guest
Shelly Bhowmik, MD MPH is the founder of Platform Wellness and creator of the ReST burnout prevention method. She empowers women of color to enjoy professional growth and success without having to sacrifice personal health and wellbeing. Dr. Bhowmik is a double board-certified physician specializing in Preventive Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine who earned her medical degree from George Washington University and completed her residency training at Johns Hopkins University. Now based in New York City, she has the privilege of serving organizations ranging from the Federal Reserve to the NBA. Learn more about her work in the following channels:
https://www.shellybhowmik.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellybhowmik
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