In this episode, AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Leah Weiss, PhD, a lecturer and author from Stanford University. Dr. Weiss is the author of the book “How We Work – Live Your Purpose, Reclaim your Sanity and Embrace the Daily Grind.” We discuss that work-life dichotomy can be destructive to our mental health and professional success. She suggests that the path to productivity and success is not to change jobs, compartmentalize feelings, or to create false professional veneer, but rather to pay attention to how we feel. We discuss burnout and the stages of burnout that can lead to collapse if not addressed. She also discusses the gender influence on burnout and how the gender pay gap contributes to burnout, and she cites studies demonstrating the effect of the inequitable division of labor in the home affects women. Cattle veterinarians often have a purpose and identifying your purpose that is beyond yourself can be a source of resiliency while facing the daily grind if we have a strong “why.” Practicing compassion for others and ourselves can allow us to give ourselves and others grace, create a positive culture in our practice, and help us understand the feelings and reactions we experience. Dr. Weiss suggest that we all have suffering in life, represented by arrows that are inflicted on us, and removing the arrow and providing healing ointment is better than allowing a second arrow to cause further suffering. Mindfulness techniques can help us recognize our feelings
You can find Dr. Weiss book on Amazon at this link. Information about her work with the Compassion Institute can be found at this link.