Take 10 minutes to learn how to make your life as a surgeon a little better…
On this episode, Jeff welcomes back Karla McLaren, our Healthy Empathy expert to the mini-podcast. Karla shares with us her concerns about the level of compassion fatigue and burnout in our healthcare system. She indicates that a big part of the problem is the emotion work we do day-in and day-out, as well as the lack of acknowledgment we pay to this type of work.
So what can we do?
Karla suggests we bring cognitive awareness to the situation and the work we’re doing.
Here are three steps to bring a mindful, cognitive pause to your emotional work:
- Step 1 – Get in the Moment: Stop what you are doing (no matter how briefly). Allow yourself to acknowledge your emotion.
- Step 2 – Name the Emotion: Use an adjective to name the emotion you are experiencing.
- Step 3 – See What You’re Doing: Add a breath and allow your mind to process the moment – “The Now!”
Most importantly, practice embracing your anxiety!
Guest: Karla McLaren, M.Ed.
Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, social science researcher, and empathy pioneer. Her new book, Embracing Anxiety!, is out now. Her lifelong work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, self-healing, and healthy empathy. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics LLC and the creator of the online learning site EmpathyAcademy.org.