We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Judy Wright a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Judy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?
One belief I hold that many in the medical industry might disagree with is that high-level performance doesn’t require sacrificing what you hold dear—including your health—to excel in your career. Instead, it requires a foundation of life balance. The prevailing culture in medicine often glorifies overwork and self-sacrifice, valuing relentless dedication to patients over personal health. However, I believe—and my experience supports—that true professional success is deeply intertwined with personal well-being.
This belief was cemented during my battle with breast cancer. Four years ago, while on medical leave, I realized that the relentless pace I maintained was unsustainable. I had been neglecting my health, leading to burnout and negatively impacting all areas of my life. I recognized how drained I felt but had been ignoring it. Taking accountability for my situation, my recovery became a holistic journey—physical, mental, and emotional. I learned to prioritize rest, self-care, and emotional healing, which made me a better physician and a more balanced individual.
This unconventional wisdom now forms the cornerstone of my coaching. I emphasize to other medical professionals that they can achieve high levels of success without burning out. By fostering a balance between personal well-being and professional duties, they can maintain their passion for medicine and provide better care for their patients. This perspective is sometimes met with skepticism, but as more individuals see the benefits, the tide is slowly turning.
Dr. Judy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am Dr. Judy Wright, a Performance Strategist, physician, and CEO and Founder of JW Health Consulting LLC. I am also an international speaker and author. My journey into this field has been deeply personal and transformative. More than four years ago, I found myself on medical leave, recovering from breast cancer. During this time, I realized I had been living on the edge of burnout for far too long. This realization sparked a profound shift in my life, leading me to prioritize not just physical recovery, but mental and emotional healing as well.
Reflecting on my journey and recovery, I saw a gap in how medical professionals manage stress and well-being. The high-pressure environment of the medical field often leads to burnout, and I knew my experience could help others avoid the same pitfalls. This led me to transition to becoming a Career Performance Strategist, focusing on empowering other medical professionals to prioritize their well-being and achieve sustainable success without sacrificing themselves.
At JW Health Consulting LLC, we help professionals—particularly in the healthcare field—perform at higher levels with less sacrifice by using stress management and self-care strategies as part of our signature system, the Life Balance Blueprint™. We also work with corporations to enhance their employee wellness programs, positively affecting productivity, satisfaction, and retention.
We offer a range of services designed to help individuals manage stress, improve well-being, and enhance professional performance, including:
Customized Professional Development Training: Tailored programs addressing the unique challenges faced by medical professionals.
Health and Wellness Workshops: Interactive sessions providing practical tools for managing stress and maintaining well-being.
Insightful Webinars: Online sessions delving into topics like stress management, self-care, and personal growth.
Coaching Programs: One-on-one and group coaching to help individuals create and sustain a balanced, fulfilling life.
I’m particularly proud of the impact my work has had on others. One of my most significant accomplishments is being recognized as one of Success Magazine’s 2023 Women of Influence. This recognition underscores the importance of my message and the effectiveness of my approach. My book, “Girl! Get Your Life Off The Fault Line: The Busy Professional’s Guide for Mastering Balance to Shift from Overwhelmed to Empowered,” has also been pivotal in spreading the message of balanced well-being.
What I want potential clients and followers to know is that achieving professional success does not have to come at the cost of personal well-being. My work is dedicated to helping individuals find this balance, ensuring they can thrive in both their personal and professional lives. My approach is practical and relatable, drawing on my own experiences and those I have helped on their journey.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
One significant pivot in my career occurred when I made the difficult decision to leave direct patient care. I haven’t been involved in direct patient care for more than ten years, and while I truly enjoyed working directly with patients—partnering with them to maintain and improve their health—there were significant challenges that led me to change my path.
As a Family Physician, I made it my mission to understand the different aspects of my patients’ lives to best manage their health and address any barriers they faced to optimal well-being. However, the red tape and unrealistic expectations in the healthcare system often hindered my ability to provide the care I aspired to deliver. Limited resources, unrealistic patient quotas, and constant pressure to see more patients were major obstacles. Additionally, administrative demands and frequent policy changes added to the stress, making it challenging to focus on patient care.
I often felt rushed in my consultations, pressured to see a higher volume of patients each day. This led to conflicts with administration, who frequently voiced that I wasn’t meeting the expected patient quotas. But my priority was never to rush through appointments and merely put bandaids on the real problems my patients faced. I wanted to understand their issues deeply and help them find lasting solutions. The inability to care for my patients to the best of my ability led to significant stress and dissatisfaction.
The turning point came after my husband and I had our first child. Balancing the demands of my career with the responsibilities of motherhood added another layer of complexity to my life. It was then that I made the difficult decision to leave direct patient care. I chose to work for a managed care organization, where I could still have a positive impact on patient health but on a larger scale. This role allowed me to influence healthcare policies and practices, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce the barriers that frustrated me in direct care.
This pivot wasn’t easy, but it was necessary for my well-being and my family’s well-being. Without realizing it, this was an early step on my path to helping other professionals prioritize their own well-being while continuing to climb the success ladder. This journey has been incredibly fulfilling, as I continue to advocate for better healthcare practices and support my peers in achieving both personal and professional success.
In summary, my decision to leave direct patient care was driven by a desire to continue to affect positive health outcomes for the larger community and population while making sure I didn’t lose sight of the other aspects of my life that were important. I never learned about working toward my own balance and overall well-being in medical school, and neither did my colleagues. I wish I had access to someone like me back then, as it might have eased my journey. I waded through those waters alone and with a lot of angst. But I did the work, and it ultimately led to my pivot—one that changed my mindset, how I looked at things, and changed my trajectory for the better.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
“Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff … And It’s All Small Stuff” by Dr. Richard Carlson has profoundly shaped my approach to stress management, leadership, and overall well-being.
This book provides strategies for living a more peaceful and balanced life. A key lesson from the book is that your perspective matters. How you perceive a situation determines how you experience it. If you view everything as a big, stressful deal, that is how your body will experience it—big and stressful. But if everything is a big deal, then nothing really is a big deal. In the high-pressure environment of healthcare, it’s easy to become consumed by daily stresses and lose sight of the bigger picture. This book taught me the importance of focusing on what truly matters and letting go of the rest.
On a personal level, this philosophy has helped me navigate the complexities of my own life, especially during challenging times. It reinforced the idea that many of the stresses we face are temporary and manageable if we don’t let them take over our mindset. By adopting this perspective, I maintained a sense of calm and resilience during my recovery from breast cancer, which was crucial in managing both my physical and emotional well-being. I now incorporate this into my daily life. It took years to reach this point, and I am still a work in progress, as I should be.
Professionally, the principles from “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff” have influenced my management style and approach to leadership. As the CEO and Founder of JW Health Consulting LLC, I strive to lead by example, embodying a calm and composed demeanor even in stressful situations. This approach has fostered a supportive and balanced work environment, where my team feels empowered to prioritize their well-being while striving for excellence.
In my interactions with clients, particularly in the healthcare field, I emphasize the importance of not getting bogged down by minor details. By focusing on the bigger picture and managing stress effectively, they can perform at higher levels without sacrificing their personal health, values, and goals.
This book has helped me become a more empathetic and understanding leader. By recognizing that everyone faces their own set of challenges, I approach leadership with greater compassion and patience. This not only helps in building stronger relationships with my team and clients but also creates an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wellnesswithdrjudy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judywrightmd
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judywrightmd
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@Dr.JudyWrightMD
