Latest / Clearly Hormonal / Ep 36: Presence Over Perfection: A Midlife Anti-Burnout Strategy

Transcript

Ep 36: Presence Over Perfection: A Midlife Anti-Burnout Strategy · Clearly Hormonal

• 0:00
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Welcome to Reset Recharge, the podcast where women's health takes center stage.
• 0:05
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I'm your host, Dr.
• 0:06
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Komal Patil-Sisodia, a triple board certified endocrinologist and women's health expert.
• 0:11
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: This show is all about empowering you with the knowledge to understand your metabolic health, navigate hormonal changes, and feel confident in the conversations you're having with your healthcare provider.
• 0:22
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Whether you're managing symptoms, exploring treatment options, or just want to feel more in tune with your body, you're in the right place.
• 0:29
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: As a physician, my goal is to educate on this podcast.
• 0:33
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: The content shared here is for informational purposes only and should not replace personalized medical advice.
• 0:39
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: If something we discuss resonates with you, please talk to your healthcare provider at your next visit.
• 0:44
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Now let's dive in and help you reset, recharge, and take control of your health.
• 0:50
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Hi everyone.
• 0:51
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Welcome back to Reset Recharge.
• 0:53
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I'm your host, Dr.
• 0:54
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Komal Patil-Sisodia, and I'm so happy to be posting an episode this week.
• 1:00
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: To be completely honest, I was on vacation and didn't get things geared up and ready to go.
• 1:05
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So this episode is a little late because I forgot to post it last week.
• 1:09
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: When I realized I had slipped up on Monday, I actually realized that it all happened for a good reason.
• 1:16
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I was actively being present with my family while I was on vacation and I realized that I wanted to talk about how important it was to be present and pause.
• 1:26
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I'll start with a story that might sound familiar to some of you.
• 1:30
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Earlier this year.
• 1:31
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I actually took a vacation with my family.
• 1:33
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I was tired and burned out because of a lot of stuff that was going on at work, and I found that I was not able to detach from work because I was so stressed out and so burned out.
• 1:43
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I was thinking about work all the time, and in order to stop thinking about work, I wasn't sleeping while I was just reading on my Kindle, I think I was buffering with my Kindle books just to see if I could detach my mind from work.
• 1:58
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And in doing that.
• 2:00
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I was physically present on this trip, but mentally I was just not there, and that was not fair to my husband or my son or to me.
• 2:08
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And the result of trying to rest but not really doing it in the healthiest way while I was still running on fumes, ended up being a disaster.
• 2:18
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I got hurt in the middle of the trip because I had not been moving my body as much because I wasn't well rested.
• 2:26
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: My husband's son and I were out walking during this trip and it started to rain.
• 2:31
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I didn't realize there was a metal grate on the road my foot caught the metal grate in the rain and I fell on my back.
• 2:38
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It was a big wake up call, i'm very lucky that I did not actually break anything.
• 2:43
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I realized that I just had not been paying attention to my surroundings and had not been present at all on this trip.
• 2:51
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Luckily I wasn't hurt badly.
• 2:53
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I was sore for a few days.
• 2:55
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Nothing that a little ibuprofen and Tylenol didn't fix.
• 2:58
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: But I realized that I needed to snap out of whatever funk I was in.
• 3:03
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I don't know that I did the greatest job on that trip, but I went into this vacation last week thinking I can't do what I did back in the spring.
• 3:11
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I need to be more present for myself and for my family.
• 3:16
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: This story's important because it shows the pattern that traps so many midlife women.
• 3:21
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: We are conditioned to strive for perfection, and we have this relentless drive that keeps us from being truly present for our own wellbeing.
• 3:31
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So not only are we not engaging with our families.
• 3:34
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And our friends, but we're not paying attention to what's happening in our own bodies.
• 3:38
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And that is a recipe for disaster.
• 3:42
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: There is this burnout, inactivity trap that happens.
• 3:46
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Confirmed by studies that look at what happens to women when we are mentally exhausted.
• 3:56
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And what's interesting is that we fall into this burnout inactivity trap, and there is science that confirms it can be dangerous to prioritize perfection over being present.
• 4:08
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: When we are chronically pushing ourselves to the brink, we actually end up creating this feedback loop known as the burnout, inactivity, trap, and research that.
• 4:17
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Research that is specifically focused on midlife women shows a clear and powerful link between mental exhaustion and physical decline.
• 4:25
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Higher burnout is associated with decrease is associated with a significant reduction in physical activity.
• 4:34
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Specifically, it will lead to fewer daily steps and less moderate to vigorous physical activity.
• 4:40
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And this is key.
• 4:41
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It is the deep exhaustion that comes with burnout and not just general stress that will stop us from moving, right?
• 4:47
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: We all have some degree of stress in our daily lives, but that's not keeping us from doing things that are keeping us well.
• 4:54
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: But it's when you're truly, deeply exhausted from being burned out, that that actually starts to have a very profound effect on your physical capabilities and function.
• 5:04
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Burnout doesn't just make us feel mentally tired.
• 5:07
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It actually makes our bodies less capable over time because we're not as motivated to move our bodies, and when we're not moving, we're losing.
• 5:16
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: There's a saying use it or lose it, move it or lose it.
• 5:19
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: We have to be moving our bodies in order to stay healthy, and this cycle shows that it's critical for both your physical and mental health.
• 5:28
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: When you are constantly busy or trying to achieve perfection, you lose awareness of your body's signals.
• 5:35
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: You stop moving and then the cycle accelerates and perpetuates.
• 5:39
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So the good news is that movement can be a powerful intervention.
• 5:43
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: There are studies that show physical activity can help reduce burnout symptoms and improve your overall health related quality of life.
• 5:51
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So what kind of movement actually gives you the biggest anti burnout boost?
• 5:55
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It's not usually the hyper intense workouts, but a combination of just being consistent and doing some sort of moderate physical activity.
• 6:04
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Let's talk about that sweet spot for protection.
• 6:07
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: The most protective benefits against burnout were shown in people who engaged in at least 25 minutes of modest to vigorous exercise per day, combined with an additional 30 to 60 minutes of light intensity activity per day.
• 6:23
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: That specific combination was associated with a 62% lower risk of burnout, moderate activity, which raises the heart rate where you can hold a conversation.
• 6:34
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Includes things like brisk walking, cycling, dancing, or swimming.
• 6:38
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Light activity, which can be woven throughout your day, is stuff like slow walking, standing up to stretch, or doing light chores.
• 6:46
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Interestingly, aerobic exercise, even just a quick 30 minute cardio session, was found to significantly improve recovery, for mood tiredness, motivation in mentally exhausted individuals was found to improve recovery.
• 7:04
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: What's also interesting is the power of aerobic exercise.
• 7:07
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: The data shows that even a 30 minute cardio session, like a brisk walk or cycling, could improve recovery for mood, tiredness, and motivation in people who are feeling mentally exhausted.
• 7:21
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Consistency trumps intensity.
• 7:23
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: You have to remember the goal is not perfection, it's just moving your body.
• 7:28
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: If you can't fit one 30 minute session in your day, you can break it up into three 10 minute walks.
• 7:35
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It still counts, and it's always better to move every day for 15 minutes than save up for one huge workout that never actually happens on the weekend.
• 7:45
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It is always better to move every day for 15 minutes than try and save up all that time and do a big workout on the weekends.
• 7:53
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: More often than not, those workouts don't happen and we end up perpetuating that cycle of physical inactivity.
• 8:01
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: If movement is your physical reset, then rest and pause are kind of like the mental and emotional recharge that needs to happen.
• 8:10
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And this is the practice of presence.
• 8:12
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: To be more present, prioritize your sleep.
• 8:15
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Sleep is the absolute cornerstone of recovery and it has so many protective effects against burnout, and it's actually pretty profound.
• 8:23
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So there is a dose response effect for sleep.
• 8:28
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Which means that each additional hour of quality nightly sleep is associated with significantly lower odds of burnout, For midlife women, the risk of burnout caused by sleep problems is even higher than in younger populations.
• 8:42
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Consistent quality sleep around seven to nine hours per night is a non-negotiable health intervention for this stage of life.
• 8:51
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: For me, it's hard to get to that seven hours.
• 8:53
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I usually wake up at around six and a half, but I'm doing the best that I can and there's a lot of great information about how to improve your sleep hygiene, how to determine whether your sleep issues are due to the hormonal decline in menopause versus other health issues.
• 9:11
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I highly recommend looking into that if sleep is a problem for you.
• 9:15
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: The second part of resting and pausing is just embracing true recovery.
• 9:22
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Rest isn't just about sleep, it is the quality of your non-work time.
• 9:27
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: A good friend of mine who is also my coach, Amanda Sabicer, said to me that you get to choose when your work day ends or when the work for the day ends.
• 9:38
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: For me, that was kind of an eye-opening thing because my.
• 9:41
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: To-do list just goes on forever.
• 9:43
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It wasn't until she said that to me that I had this realization that, oh my gosh, I actually need to stop working.
• 9:49
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: At some point, we get into the habit of just working until bedtime going to sleep, and then getting up the next morning and doing it all over again.
• 9:57
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: But for true recovery, you have to actually detach mentally and physically from work and the endless to-do list.
• 10:03
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And that means putting down your phone, closing your laptop, and trying to do some activities that are not work related, that are actually low effort and things that you enjoy.
• 10:15
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: The other thing that really helps is making social connections.
• 10:19
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: There's a lot of data around the importance of friendships for midlife women, but I also think that connecting with our families is equally important, and when you have poor work life balance.
• 10:34
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Where you are not able to disconnect from work and engage with your family, that is a significant precursor to burnout.
• 10:45
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It's been shown that people who have a poor work life balance are more susceptible to burnout.
• 10:49
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: That's why choosing to pause and be present is really important, focusing on the moment rather than the task list, is an evidence-based method to protect your health.
• 11:02
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So here's your actionable reset planning presence over planning.
• 11:07
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: As we head into the high pressure end of your season, use this time for your own personal reset.
• 11:15
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Tip number one is be present in your body.
• 11:17
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Choose 25 daily, 25 minute movements.
• 11:22
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So as we head into the high pressure end of the year use this time for your own personal reset.
• 11:27
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Number one, be present in your body.
• 11:30
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Moving 25 minutes a day is more important than wrapping all of your presence perfectly.
• 11:36
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And when you move, you become more aware of what's happening in your body, and you catch those burnout signals before they lead to injury or collapse.
• 11:43
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Number two, choose connection and healing.
• 11:46
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Slow down, be present, not perfect with your family and friends.
• 11:50
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Let go of the need to have everything perfect.
• 11:54
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: For the holidays.
• 11:54
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Focus on the genuine joy of being there.
• 11:58
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: The healing comes from letting go of that control and accepting what it is.
• 12:03
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: On my vacation that I took recently there were a few snafus.
• 12:07
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Our flight, to our destination was delayed several hours, and I think we traveled for 24 hours before we got to where we were going to be.
• 12:15
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: We just kind of reset our plans a little bit, took some time to rest and it actually ended up being a better thing because we learned to roll with the punches.
• 12:26
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: We weren't stressed about our plans.
• 12:27
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: That was such a gift for me.
• 12:29
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Especially because I tend to be one of those people who is go, go, go.
• 12:33
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: From my experience from earlier this year and my most recent trip, a few lessons that can be learned are giving yourself the gift of presence.
• 12:43
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It is the most powerful anti burnout strategy that you have, if I compare my vacation earlier this year to the one that I just took, it's a no brainer.
• 12:52
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I came back, still burned out from the first vacation.
• 12:55
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: This one is the one that I felt.
• 12:57
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: The most deeply rested from in a very, very long time.
• 13:02
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: So I hope you all are able to give yourselves the gift of presence.
• 13:06
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: It's really the most powerful anti burnout strategy that you have.
• 13:10
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Thank you for joining me today on Reset Recharge I will look forward to seeing you on the next one.
• 13:16
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: Thank you for joining me.
• 13:18
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: I'll see you on the next one.
• 13:20
  Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia: And until then, I wish you all a happy holiday season with your family and a wonderful entry into 2026.