Finding My Essence of Strength

In September 2010 I made the decision to leave my job as an obstetrician-gynecologist to pursue my own personal wellness.  At the time I did not have a clear picture of what wellness was for me but I was confident the current situation was not it.  Six years in private practice, after four years each in medical school and residency training, had left me emotionally and physically drained.  It was a classic case of burnout.  After some down time for rest and rejuvenation, I realized I wanted to return to work in a capacity where I was still able to help other people.  The groups that always touched my heart the most were those struggling with excess weight and my fellow burnt out physicians.  Unsure how I could help the latter, I knew I could address the former by working as a personal trainer. 

Exercise had been a significant source of enjoyment and stress relief for me throughout my life.  I loved helping clients experience the same as they also reached their fitness goals.  However, as I became more successful as a personal trainer, I found myself reverting back to the old feelings of constant exhaustion.  It made no sense to me because theoretically I had a much less stressful job now.  The fact was I managed to bring the same maladaptive life skills to personal training that I had as a full-time ob/gyn.  Despite spending my entire adult life figuring out how to rid my world of illness, I had never learned how to maintain my own wellness.  Once I acknowledged I am best able to help others when I do what I need for myself, I made a special effort to focus on all aspects of life that contribute to my well-being.  Putting systems in place to ensure I keep my true purpose in mind and consistently make decisions in line with that purpose helped me find the peace I had been seeking since I stopped practicing medicine. 

At the same time I was acquiring satisfaction in my life, I was conversing with several of my physician friends who were expressing extreme dissatisfaction with their situations.  That is when it became clear to me how I can be of service to not only doctors, but all people in healing professions.   As a group, healers are particularly prone to putting the needs and desires of others ahead of themselves to the detriment of their own well-being.  Physicians are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to healers who are unwell.  The qualities of those who dedicate a significant amount of time and effort to keeping others healthy or returning them back to good health make them susceptible to self-neglect.  They often develop behavioral patterns to get through the rigors of their daily responsibilities which leave only enough reserve to care for others and not themselves.  As one who has seen the issue from both sides, I feel it is my mission as a wellness coach to help healers recognize their ability to improve their situations and to start making the life changes necessary to be well.