The podcast for GPs, hospital doctors and other professionals in high-stakes, high-stress jobs who want to thrive rather than just survive. You studied for years, you’re really good at what you do but you’ve noticed that you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, overworked and under-resourced. You may be comparing yourself to a frog in boiling water - the heat has built up so slowly that you haven’t noticed the extra-long days becoming the norm. You may feel on the edge and trapped in the very job that you’ve spent years working towards. Here’s the problem, frogs only have two choices; stay and be boiled alive, or jump out of the pan. The good news is that you are not a frog. You have many more choices than you think you do. You don’t have to quit, and nor should stress and burnout be inevitable. It is possible to be master of your own destiny, to craft your work life and career so that you can thrive even in the most difficult of situations. There are simple changes you can make which will make a huge difference to your stress levels and help you enjoy life again...
https://youarenotafrog.com
episode 65: Passing the Naughty Monkey Back with Dr Amit Sharma
Dr Amit Sharma joins to discuss the effects of taking on too many of other people’s burdens and how you can prevent them from weighing you down.
Episode Highlights
[05:28] What Is A Naughty Monkey?
- Naughty monkeys are burdens that clients carry.
- These burdens sometimes stay and weigh down on professionals like doctors and lawyers.
[08:58] What Happens If You Don’t Give The Naughty Monkeys Back?
- We become drained and burdened.
- We end up developing a cycle wherein patients unburden their issues, and they weigh us down.
[10:59] What Really Burdens Us
- We are burdened by ownership and responsibilities.
- Our client’s naughty monkeys are not for us to own or take away.
- Stay professional and set a boundary.
[18:16] What Do We Do When We Fear Complaints?
- Complaints may lead to us overly taking responsibility because we want to please and be liked.
[22:23] How to Take Off the Role of the Rescuer
- If we can’t give the victim a solution for their problem, we are put into the persecutor role and receive complaints.
- Understanding the consultation and dynamics at play help us unpack and change the way we consult.
[24:36] How to Spot If You Are in a Rescuer Role
- Signs of being a rescuer include struggling with managing your workload and personal dissatisfaction with work.
[29:59] The Cost of Saying Yes to Everything
- Patients are not empowered to manage their health.
- It can cost you your colleagues, other clinicians and your patients.
[34:16] The Superhero Complex
- The hero complex is using prescriptions to solve people’s problems.
- Medication creates dependency.
[40:59] How To Hand Back Naughty Monkeys
- Understand the actual issues during the consultation.
- Make it clear that you and the patient are in a partnership.
- Seek the perspective of someone outside work or with a different personality.
- Seek other avenues of support
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Podcast Links
- Permission to Thrive CPD club for doctors
- Medics Money Podcast
- Connect with Amit: LinkedIn
- E27: On pandemic stress and anxiety
- E36: On COVID fatigue
- E63: How to Survive Even When Times are Tough
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