#360: The Most Important — Yet Little-Known — Secret to Align Your Goals with Your Heart’s Purpose with Dr. Benita Varnado

Get in Touch With Your Values:

1. Take 30 minutes to 1 hour
2. Go out in nature, get away from your house
3. Jot down your top 5 values for yourself and your family

When you get so clear on what your values are, you begin to look at your life through a different lens and reevaluate what really matters.

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Episode Summary

We all want to live our purpose. My guest, Dr. Varnado (Dr. V), joins me today to talk about the one little secret to help you get there: defining your values and living them. Figure out what your values are and compare them to your life – do they align? If not, Dr. V shares her best tips for creating a healthier work/life balance that focuses on harmony. You can hear more from Dr. V on her podcast, Office Visits with Dr. V.

About Dr. Varnado

Dr. Varnado left her traditional career of almost 20 years in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2021 to address the broken healthcare system, which currently puts the most resources into treating symptoms, when it really needs to address the root cause of diseases. 

Through her years of practice, she realized that many know what it takes to be healthy, but outside of a support system, their efforts rarely yield the desired outcome because their environments often reinforce poor habits. This shift was born from starting her podcast in November 2020, Office Visits with Dr. V, where she not only educates women about their gynecologic health and how their bodies function but also about their overall health and wellness.

Dr. Varnado was born and raised in North Carolina and has been living out a childhood dream of taking care of women of all ages as an Ob/Gyn. Being a mother of two, having a marriage of 17 years, a supportive family, and a strong relationship with God are keys to her success.

Creating Harmony to Prevent Burnout

Experiencing burnout is, unfortunately, more common than not. But reaching that point doesn’t have to be the end of the world. As my guest today, Dr. Varnado says, that ah-ha moment of realization was the start of change.

There is good news! It is actually possible to find that work/life balance. Dr. V says the key is harmony. This is what happens when you create a life that matches up to your values. There is so much importance in determining what your values are and living your life in alignment with them.

Dr. V also talks about the importance of asking for help when you need it. We don’t need to do it all ourselves. Create those opportunities to help you prevent burnout.

Treating Burnout at a Systemic Level

Dr. V talks about how much burnout, and in fact, much of chronic disease, as well, relates to our lifestyle. But these circumstances are not always something that is easily solved ourselves – a lot of change has to come from a systemic level. She emphasizes some of the changes the American medical system needs to make, especially when it comes to ob/GYN services and maternity leave.

Finally, we talk about the importance of figuring out the root cause of your burnout and suffering. By finding out what’s actually causing it, you can make changes where you actually need to – not just putting a bandaid on the latest fire.

I want you to look at your values. Take some time away from your house to reflect and write down your top five values for yourself, your home life work-life, and wherever you’re spending the most time. Now compare them to how you’re actually living – do they align? Let me know in the comments below how you’re going to make some positive changes in your life to realign to your values.

Quotes

“I’ve heard that there’s not balance, there’s harmony. I really see that our life can be full. We can be Mom and work and we can have it all, as they say, but not at the same time. How I got off balance was that I wasn’t aligned with my values.” [16:27]

“Asking for help is not a problem. If you’re burned out and need some help, ask for help and just be clear on what you want and what you need.” [29:36]

“Our lifestyles contribute to about 80% of chronic disease. When practitioners can tap into that and empower patients to improve their health in that realm, it’s so much more rewarding. A pill doesn’t fix everything, it doesn’t address the root cause a lot of the time.” [35:16]

In This Episode

• What happens when you have an ‘ah-ha’ moment that you’re burned out [11:30]
• How to find a work/life balance when you have a young family [16:00]
• The importance of reviewing and honoring your values [18:30]
• How to create opportunities to prevent burnout [20:00]
• What changes the American medical system can make to improve the birth and maternity experience [23:00]
• Why you need to address the root cause of your suffering and burnout [34:00]

Resources Mentioned

Use promo code ‘podcast’’ for 10% off your order of Magnesium here

Find Dr. Varnado Online

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