We're having a short break over Easter but I wanted to share one of our earlier episodes with you again. This was recorded and released long before the COVID pandemic but I think it's never been more relevant than now. In this episode (originally released on 12th November 2019), Rachel is joined by Agnes Otzelberger, a trainer, research and activist with a special interest in what happens when we tire of ‘doing good’. We chat about what can happen to carers, healthcare staff and humanitarian wor...
Apr 06, 2021•48 min
Do you feel lonely and isolated at work? Do you feel as if you have no one with whom to share your issues? Are you looking for your tribe—your community of like-minded individuals? We sometimes separate our professional lives from our personal lives and are totally different people at home. It can be challenging to share your concerns with colleagues but there’s value in sharing vulnerability. Building friendships and having peer support at work is also beneficial to our performance and overall ...
Mar 30, 2021•39 min•Ep. 73
Have you ever wondered why you feel so exhausted even if you’ve just been at home all day? If your someone who works from home a lot more than ever before, feeling tired is completely understandable. Before the pandemic, ‘work’ and ‘home’ didn’t often go together. But now, working well from home is expected of us. However, it’s difficult to fulfill that expectation without wearing ourselves out. That’s why it’s important to create healthy boundaries between our work and home life. By doing this,...
Mar 23, 2021•45 min•Ep. 72
This week, Dr Claire Kaye joins us to discuss how we can find the career we love. We share tips and talk about networking, diversifying and overcoming career challenges. Episode Highlights [04:16] Claire's Career Journey on How to Find a Career You Love As a GP trainee, Claire knew that she didn't want to be doing clinics nine times a week. Claire went on to other areas of education. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Claire's thoughts on taking opportunities and putting yourself out...
Mar 16, 2021•43 min•Ep. 71
This week, Scott Chambers joins us to talk about psychological safety in teams. Episode Highlights [11:29] What Does Low Psychological Safety Look Like? Difficulty collaborating is because of low psychological safety. People in low safety environments can exhibit unresponsiveness. We always want to be heard, but we don’t always listen. [14:52] How to Improve Team Dynamics We need to create a space that acknowledges the instinct to be defensive. Then, help people go beyond this initial reaction. ...
Mar 09, 2021•48 min•Ep. 70
Do you feel like you’re constantly chasing your tail in everything you do? Have you ever felt like you’d be more productive and successful if you just had more time? With so much on our plates, it seems like the only option is to sacrifice quality time with our loved ones and for ourselves. But if you’re stressed and overwhelmed, fret not! There are ways to find the time, feel calmer, and present not only at work but also at home. This week, Liz O'Riordan joins us to share productivity life hack...
Mar 02, 2021•43 min•Ep. 69
This week, Richard Jamieson joins us to discuss how using breathing techniques can help you de-stress and keep calm. Episode Highlights [05:14] The Accessibility Of Breathwork Practising meditation and mindfulness helps cope with stress. They’re accessible to everyone. [08:09] What Does Breathing Do To The Body? When we take control of our breath, we can decrease our stress and agitation. [14:59] Breathing Techniques The first step is to bring awareness to the breath. Wondering what to look for ...
Feb 23, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Dr Sarah Goulding joins me to discuss how you can bring your best self to work without leaving bits of you behind. Episode Highlights [05:54] Sarah’s Story Sarah is a careers coach, a GP, an appraiser and a trainer. She had always wanted to have a portfolio, but she slowly started to burn out as she gathered roles over time. When Sarah resigned from her partnership, she rediscovered her passion for medical education and supporting other doctors. [13:02] Why It’s So Hard to Recognise Burnout In m...
Feb 16, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Dr Amrita Sen Mukherjee discusses how we need to get back to basics to make sure we're supporting ourselves and others in these uncertain times. Episode Highlights [05:01] What We Have To Be Positive About In 2021 The vaccination program rollout is something to be excited about. Amrita is also hopeful about Joe Biden’s presidency. She concentrates by minimizing peripheral noise. [07:30] Importance of Embracing Negative Emotions Emotions are not binary. Negative emotions sometimes have lessons to...
Feb 09, 2021•46 min•Ep. 66
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, a...
Feb 02, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 65
This week, Dr Jess Harvey joins me to share her experience with burnout. We also discuss how you can take care of yourself and top tips for burnt out professionals. Episode Highlights [04:02] Jess’s Story Jess gets injured or something goes wrong with her body when she’s stressed. By the end of her medical school, she developed an eating disorder. Because of her condition, Jess couldn’t run anymore. Running is her coping mechanism. Being unable to run got to her, so she started eating again. Dur...
Jan 26, 2021•50 min•Ep. 64
This week, Dr Caroline Walker joins us on another episode of the COVID-19 Supporting Doctors series to share key strategies you need to learn to keep going through the crisis. Episode Highlights [00:56] Our Prospects in 2021 Everyone is excited to leave 2020 behind. COVID-19 is still present despite the promise of vaccines. We are experiencing an acute stress response due to scary, threatening or difficult situations. [04:28] Pacing Ourselves People are too tired to keep going. We need to pace o...
Jan 19, 2021•46 min•Ep. 63
Have you ever felt stuck and wish you knew what to do next? Many people with high-stress jobs find themselves with competing priorities and too much to think about and do. You may have considered getting a coach, but what if you don’t have the time and resources? When you want to find clarity and be more happy and successful, know that you can actually do it yourself through self-coaching! Dr. Karen Castille joins me in this episode to discuss her book on self-coaching. She shares powerful quest...
Jan 12, 2021•45 min•Ep. 62
You Are Not A Frog regular Nik Kendrew joins me to discuss the concept of happiness. We also talk about perfectionism and fear. At the end of the show, Nik and I give our top tips to being happier by living in the present. Episode Highlights [6:04] Learnings from The Midnight Library With everything that happened, we get reflective and think about how things could be different. Accept and appreciate what you have. Happiness is the things that give you meaning, purpose, and satisfaction. [12:52] ...
Dec 15, 2020•40 min•Ep. 61
Dr Sonali Kinra joins us in this episode to discuss why people leave their jobs and how to prevent it from happening. We talk about the importance of culture in the workplace and its role in creating an environment that makes people want to stay. Episode Highlights [05:12] Why Good People Leave The GMC report ‘Caring for Doctors, Caring for Patients’ discusses the ABC of well-being - autonomy, belonging and competence. Attrition happens at transition periods. [07:48] What Culture Is and How to C...
Dec 08, 2020•44 min•Ep. 60
Social media is known for its benefits in creating and maintaining connections. It’s also designed to provide us with information—often too conveniently—in just one click. Because of this, it's only natural that we keep on using it, without realizing we're glued to our screens longer than we ought - or want - to be. In this episode, Dr. James Thambyrajah joins us to talk about social media's subtle yet profound effect on our daily lives. We discuss the perils of being unaware of how our online d...
Dec 01, 2020•50 min•Ep. 59
Bullying doesn’t just happen in the schoolyard — it can happen anywhere, even in the workplace. Workplace bullying and harassment can adversely affect an employee's health, career and performance. Overcoming bullying should never be the victim’s burden; thus, knowing how to support victims may alleviate the situation. In this episode, Rachel chat’s with Dr Adam Harrison, a general practitioner, medical leader, and barrister, shares his experience as a victim of bullying and how he conquered his ...
Nov 24, 2020•44 min•Ep. 58
This week, Michael Ledzion joins us to discuss the cognitive benefits of exercising. We talk about how you can start making small changes in your routine that count in massive ways. Highlights [04:28] Introducing Michael His social enterprise, Sports for Schools, arranges athlete visits to schools. They inspire children to be resilient and engage in physical activity. [06:39] Making Exercise Fun for Kids Most children don’t do enough physical activity because we don’t give them space to do it. T...
Nov 17, 2020•40 min•Ep. 57
What could be harming you when it comes to spending time with very nice people? Why does this week’s guest stick a picture of a chimp to her computer monitor? And what is the question we should ask ourselves before we say yes to an invitation? This week’s episode is a retrospective on what the first lockdown and subsequent ways of living and working have taught us about the importance of connection. With working practices limiting direct contact with other people as part of the COVID crisis, fin...
Nov 10, 2020•45 min•Ep. 56
Dr Giles P Croft is back to chat with Rachel about his experiences of an unplanned (but surprisingly great) year of sobriety following a revolutionary read he was recommended. You might remember Giles from episode 46, where he talked about how as humans, we naturally default to happiness. Well, one of our other defaults can lead us to distractions when our thinking is crowded or overwhelming, and yes - you guessed it, alcohol is one of the biggest tools people in high stress jobs use to self soo...
Nov 03, 2020•46 min•Ep. 55
In this week’s episode, Rachel and Dr Surina Chibber share what they have learnt from years of flexible working to help you become more successful and less stressed (and guilt ridden) in your approach to this style of work. Surina is a portfolio GP and co-founder of My Locum Manager which specifically helps GPs manage the tasks that come with flexible working more easily. There are a lot of reasons people choose to explore flexible working, from embarking on parenthood to career diversification....
Oct 27, 2020•44 min•Ep. 54
This year, the issue of racial discrimination is forefront in our minds. It exists in every profession and every walk of life. It exists in ways we don’t always realise. It has raised many questions. It has created a sense of discomfort. And it isn’t going away. The subject of racism comes shrouded in societal shame. It’s time to shake off that shame and ask a few questions - or let You Are Not A Frog’s Dr Rachel Morris and Dr Abubakar Mohammad, GP and Wessex RCGP Executive board member ask them...
Oct 20, 2020•57 min•Ep. 53
The week’s episode is a special one as the Frog celebrates a year of podcasting! So this episode turns the table as YANAF regular, Dr Nik Kendrew, puts the spotlight on Rachel. They talk about everything from what this experience has taught Rachel, to the power of ‘F**k It’, how Nik’s inner chimp attacks in the supermarket & one guest’s squeaky bum time! Rachel wanted to share the conversations, ideas & experiences she encountered through her work with a wider audience to help more peopl...
Oct 13, 2020•43 min•Ep. 52
This week Rachel is joined once more by Dr Caroline Walker, otherwise known as The Joyful Doctor to look at what on earth has happened over the past 6 months and what we can anticipate in the coming months. It’s fair to say that we’re currently in an adjustment phase, learning how to work and live to the current rules, anticipating changes to these rules and processing this seismic shift from how our lives used to operate. We’re seeing burnout from overwork, anxiety over the uncertain future and...
Oct 06, 2020•41 min•Ep. 51
When we’re starting out in our careers, there’s a lot to remember, to consider and a lot that we’re not prepared for. For doctors, dentists, lawyers and many other high stress professional jobs, we’ve undertaken years of training and yet, we’re (mostly) unequipped to deal with how to manage the money we start making once we qualify . Joining Rachel in this week’s episode is Dr Tommy Perkins, as well as being a GP Partner, and father, Tommy is one half of Medics Money. Medics Money is an organisa...
Sep 29, 2020•43 min•Ep. 50
Do you sometimes sacrifice your health and happiness for work? Are you unsure of why you do it, or what you can do? It’s a surprisingly common trait amongst doctors and other busy professionals to believe that you’re indispensable. In truth, we know that whilst what we do is important, if we don’t look after ourselves and take time out when we’re unwell, we’ll be out of action for much longer. This week Rachel is joined by You Are Not A Frog regular, Nik Kendrew. Last time Nik joined us, we disc...
Sep 22, 2020•44 min•Ep. 49
We may be returning to something of a more normal working life, but there is still a lot of change ahead of us and we face continuing challenges both in our day to day work and leading our teams. Some of our greatest challenges exist around communication - with teams that may be split between being able to meet in person and those working remotely, communicating with your team where there may be uncertainty and the lack of creative thinking that often can occur in team meetings where you can qui...
Sep 15, 2020•48 min•Ep. 48
Just before lockdown, Rachel recorded this episode that specifically deals with helping individuals and teams manage those difficult conversations that arise during change, conflict and crisis. And it’s fair to say that as we continue, or return to work in our changed world, these conversations have become crucially important Rachel talks with Beccie D'Cunha, founder of Courage Lab, about the conversations that we avoid and the conversations we really need to have with our colleagues, teams and ...
Sep 08, 2020•40 min•Ep. 47
In our first podcast back after the summer break, Rachel talks with Dr Giles P Croft about his take on how to beat stress and burnout. Giles is a psychology graduate and former NHS surgeon who stepped aside from clinical practice for a decade to explore a number of career paths, including health informatics, cycling journalism, public speaking and high street retail with his wife. He is now back in the healing profession, tackling the root cause of chronic mental stress and its many harmful effe...
Sep 01, 2020•43 min•Ep. 46
In this episode, Rachel is joined by Sheela Hobden, Professional Certified Coach, wellbeing expert and fellow Shapes Toolkit facilitator. We talk about why rest isn’t just important for wellbeing, but important for productivity and creativity too. As doctors and other professionals, we can think that rest is just for other people, that we are superhuman and that we just need to keep going until we have just finished…. (fill in the blank). The reality is that our work is never done and if we wait...
Jul 28, 2020•43 min•Ep. 45
