Self Care and the Oath We Took to First Do No Harm with Dr. Nicole Washington
Are you constantly under pressure at work and find that it affects your mindset and your life at home?
As a professional, you deal with a certain work ethic culture that makes you feel like you must do certain things to succeed. And that can lead to mental health issues that have you just trying to make it through the day, every day.
So, how do you allow yourself to stop, take a breath, and turn this stressful ship around? My guest, Dr. Nicole Washington, is an author, speaker, consultant, and certified psychiatrist who talks about various mental health topics in hopes of decreasing the stigma around the topic. As the chief medical officer of Elocin Psychiatric Services, she focuses on physicians and other high performers with mental health disorders.
In this episode of the Words of Love podcast, you’ll learn how to address your mental health to move from just surviving to thriving. You’ll hear about the benefits of self-care, being present, finding your identity, and how that impacts the people you care most about.
7:42 - How a psychiatrist saved my life
12:04 - Why high-level professionals can tend towards depression (and try to hide it)
16:49 - Another perspective on imposter syndrome and the inherent dangers of the culture of medicine
23:24 - The need to cultivate self-care for ALL caregivers
27:14 - Why we resist giving ourselves permission to take time out (and what we gain when we do)
34:29 - Changing how you choose to be in the present and how Dr. Nicole shifted who she wanted to be right now
42:54 - A Toni Morrison gem and the power of self-acceptance and finding your identity
49:39 - What Dr. Nicole’s life is transitioning to right now
About Dr. Nicole Washington
Dr. Nicole Washington is a board-certified psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer of Elocin Psychiatric Services, a practice that focuses on the mental health needs of physicians and other high performers with mental health disorders who are typically not seeking treatment due to stigma or busy schedules. Through her practice, Amazon best-selling books, From Introspection to Action: The High-Level Professional’s 28 Day Journey to Improving Mental Health and From Introspection to Action Volume 2: Carving Your Path to Peace, and a podcast, The C-Suite Confidant, she hopes to break down some of the barriers to receiving treatment that this population faces as well as engage listeners in topics relevant to the busy professional. She is a sought-after speaker on a variety of mental health topics and enjoys educating the public in hopes of decreasing the stigma surrounding mental illness.