You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know | Ep5
Can awareness transform your medical practice and personal life? Host Dr. Michael Hersh dives into the deceptively simple concept of “you don’t know what you don’t know” on Better Physician Life. Reflecting on his own shift from coasting on autopilot to embracing intentional awareness, he shares how physicians’ ingrained need to “have all the answers” can create invisible mental ruts.
Drawing on his own experiences, Dr. Hersh introduces practical tools, like the “thought download”—a no-filter brain dump to separate facts from stories—and “habit anchoring,” which ties mindset check-ins to daily routines like showering or bedtime.
He addresses the brain’s negativity bias, offering strategies to pause, question unhelpful thoughts, and celebrate small wins to build resilience. This episode weaves personal storytelling with actionable advice, providing physicians with tools to break free from mental tire tracks, reduce burnout, and rediscover choice in their demanding routines.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager.
Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
Top 3 Takeaways:
- Practice Thought Downloads – Write down all thoughts without judgment, then separate facts from stories to challenge unhelpful assumptions and gain clarity.
- Use Habit Anchoring – Tie mindset check-ins to routines (e.g., showering, bedtime) by asking, “What am I thankful for?” or “What went well today?” to build awareness.
- Celebrate Small Wins – Log three daily successes, even minor ones, to retrain your brain to see beyond problems and foster mental resilience.
Watch Now
If your days have felt heavy lately or like you're just moving from one thing to the next without coming up for air, you're not alone.
Sometimes, the biggest shifts begin with the smallest moments.
A pause, a breath, a simple question like, "What went well today?" Physician coaching helps you create space for more of those moments. If you're ready to feel a little more grounded and a lot more like yourself again,
