The PAUSE
Wise, loving, and inspired writings on the journey of life, love, and medicine
A physician wellness blog with practical tools for burnout recovery, boundaries, mindful leadership, and a life better lived — from Jessie Mahoney, MD.
About the Author: Jessie Mahoney, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, certified coach, and physician wellness expert with over 20 years of experience as a leader in physician wellness, coaching, and mindful medicine
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In addition to this blog, I publish regularly on KevinMD. These are some of the pieces that have been shared most widely
“I Like It” Is Permission Enough
What if no explanation or justification were needed?
What if you could wear a shirt because you like it?
Work somewhere because you like it?
“Of Course” You Are Tired
Feeling physically tired is expected given the lives that many of us lead. Most of don’t rest adequately.
The more we do the more we need to rest.
Our Attention is Our Most Valuable Resource
Attention is our most valuable resource something Dr. Shauna Shapiro, a mentor of mine, says often.
Choose what you want to pay attention to.
Are you paying attention to what’s most important to you?
Emotional Leadership in Marriage: A Mindful Love Shift
Rumination leads to stress, lack of sleep, and chronic cortisol release.
Making thoughtful decisions with the skills and knowledge we have at that time is the best we can offer.
Ruminating is an Expensive Habit
We are trained in medicine to think that overthinking is valuable.
Just in case we might not have thought of something, we should think and worry more.
To make sure we didn’t miss anything inadvertently.
In Medicine We Are Taught that there is a Right Way and A Wrong Way
What if the way others are doing it, isn’t the best way for you?
“Invitations” Instead of “Challenges”
What if the thing bothering you doesn’t have to change for you to feel better?
What if it or they is offering exactly what you “need” in this moment.
What if external feedback were for information only?
As adults we also do this. We look for others to “clap for us in life” to validate that we did enough or a “good job.” The clapping just looks different and is usually less joyous.
Complicated Dynamics
Holidays, especially when spent with young adults, first grandchildren and newly blended families from different cultures are the epitome of “complicated dynamics.”
Embrace Seasonality: A More Sustainable Way to Work, Lead, and Live
Embracing the season you are in is commiting to living in alignment and a choice to not resist reality or swim against the current.
Doors Don’t Usually Close Because We Failed
Doors do not close because we have fallen short or made a mistake. Very often they close because something within us declares unmistakably that we are destined and ready for something else.
Do You Approve of Yourself?
Approving of yourself, as you are, costs nothing and offers incredible value.
It is not a pass, it's gifting yourself energy, momentum, positivity, and hope.
Are You Buffering with Busy?
Busy keeps us from being present. It keeps us distracted from the discomfort. Being chronically busy doesn’t feel good in the long run.
Coaching Is Preventive Care for your Mind
Coaching helps you navigate uncertainty, unexpected outcomes, our broken medical system, and unreasonable performance expectations, with grace, compassion, and strategy.
“The One You Become Will Catch You”
The key to transitioning well is to believe that the one you become will catch you.
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