DrJoyCoaching Newsletter, vol. 6

April 2021 

Hi Friends, 

There's a saying that goes “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.”

Well, Corona virus certainly came in like a lion in March 2020…

Since then, we have marked half a million Americans dead from Covid, just as many, or more, out of work, our nation’s children attending school from home, and our healthcare workers overworked, overwhelmed, and burned-out by this crisis. The good news, as we start to vaccinate the U.S. population, is that the number of infections and deaths seem to be trending down. I guess we’ll see what happens after the Spring Break numbers come out...

The Pandemic’s Effect on Women

But, as you all know, women have been hit particularly hard this past year, with many of us having to juggle our own work schedules and also kids’ schooling. Some of us who were enjoying our empty nest now have college kids and young adult children back at home. Our partner may be working from home, or out of work. We had to upgrade our Internet…We are exhausted. Exercise is a challenge when the gyms are all closed. Honestly, how many times can I walk around my neighborhood?!  Zoom yoga and exercise, food delivery services, online shopping, and Netflix have all seen a surge in popularity, but after a year, they are getting very stale.

Could a Pandemic be an Opportunity?

Interestingly, many of us have taken 2020 as an opportunity to begin reevaluating our lives and our values. The importance of our relationships and our own personal fulfillment are topping this list of key values. Family, personal autonomy, flexibility… these all seem to be front and center. Do you feel stuck in a job you are not enjoying? Unfortunately, many physicians think they don’t have any other skills outside clinical medicine. But this is not really true. We all have a strong work ethic, the passion for life-long learning, and the capability to do anything we put our minds to. Are you thinking of making a change? 

How Does Coaching Help?

In just a few weeks of working with one of my clients, she has already put blocks on her work schedule, delegated meetings to others, and negotiated a month off with pay. Her relationships with her husband and son are better than ever, she is taking the stairs at work, cutting down on stress snacking and spending more time on her hobbies. She has realized that she does not have to fix everything, and everyone, in her life, and as a result, is a much happier person at work and at home.

Another client wants to start her own business, but is stuck in a whirlwind of feelings of inadequacy. Perfectionism and imposter syndrome are insidious. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge, some encouragement and accountability, and, most importantly, some thought work on the beliefs we have about our own talents and capabilities to be able to make a courageous step out of our comfort zone and into a new arena. 

Gratitude is a Way Through 

I am grateful that the pandemic has allowed me to focus on getting my coaching business off the ground. I am committed to helping women physicians who are in the process of reevaluating their lives, whether it be regarding work, relationships, health/fitness, or, as often is the case, all of the above!

Please feel free to check out my website www.DrJoyCoaching.net, and follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram (@DrJoyCoaching). And if you are interested in discussing your particular situation to see if coaching is right for you, please let me know by replying to this email, or using my calendar link..

March is not going out like a lamb—you don’t need to either!

Be well!  And don't forget to breathe... 

~Bev