Joy in Family Medicine – Stories & Reflections
Lessons, lightbulb moments, and honest reflections from life inside and outside medicine - served with a side of perspective.
Tags: recovery
Showing 11 results:
When Effort Feels Right
A couple of weeks ago, my friend, colleague, and physician advocate Dr. Sasha Shillcutt wrote something that grabbed my attention:
“Can we all stop shaming women who work hard?”
It resonated.
The pendulum has needed to swing toward rest and boundaries for a long time. We’ve finally begun to norma...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Nov 14, 2025
agency
alignment
autonomy
awareness
balance
boundaries
burnout
choice
clarity
compassion
curiosity
discipline
effort
energy
expectations
flow
fulfillment
inquiry
insight
intention
judgment
mindfulness
obligation
overload
passion
people pleasing
perfectionism
perspective
priorities
purpose
recovery
reflection
reset
rest
self-care
shame
signals
support
sustainability
tells
validation
wellbeing
work
Endurance, Recovery, and Trust: What Medicine Can Learn from an Ironman
I logged 24,000 steps a couple of weeks ago, not competing, just spectating. Cheering at an Ironman turned out to be its own endurance event!
Somewhere between the cowbells and the cheers, I found myself thinking about what it really takes to sustain that kind of effort. Not just on race day and ...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Nov 07, 2025
adaptability
adaptation
awareness
balance
discipline
effort
endurance
flow
focus
integration
microbreaks
momentum
patience
persistence
preparation
presence
process
recovery
recovery load
reflection
resilience
restraint
savoring
threshold
training
trust
Reflection: Between the Gates
On her recent Dare to Lead podcast, Brené Brown reads an excerpt from her new book, Solid Ground. In it she described ship locks, sometimes called water elevators in canals, and it’s an image that has stayed with me.
For those who haven’t seen them: when a ship moves from one body of water to ano...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Oct 10, 2025
adaptation
adjustment
alignment
attention
awareness
balance
boundaries
calm
centering
compassion
connection
energy
equilibrium
flow
focus
grace
grounding
humanity
integration
intention
leadership
mindfulness
patience
pause
perspective
preparation
presence
recovery
reflection
regulation
renewal
reset
resilience
restoration
rhythm
self-awareness
space
stillness
sustainability
transition
Right Pause, Right Time Story and Reflection
Years ago, I was leading a medical team in Southeast Asia after the tsunami. Infrastructure was gone, local health workers were either missing or tending to their own communities, and our team, hosted by a local NGO, was running long, hot, and emotionally heavy days.
One morning, something was of...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jul 31, 2025
awareness
breath
burnout
clarity
cohesion
compassion
connection
emotion
gratitude
healing
humanity
insight
intention
leadership
listening
medicine
mindfulness
observation
pause
perspective
presence
purpose
recovery
reflection
resilience
restoration
support
sustainability
teamwork
wellbeing
The Draft Reflection
At the start of the pandemic, my primary role was in a private practice setting, though I still filled in as faculty at the residency (as I do now).
In our group of six physicians and one PA, we were constantly using every resource available to stay up to date on the ever-evolving science—what it...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 12, 2025
adaptability
advocacy
balance
bandwidth
burnout
collaboration
communication
community
drafting
educaiton
energy management
information fatigue
leadership
misinformation
overload
pacing
perspective
priorities
public health
recovery
reflection
regulation
resilience
resource sharing
solidarity
support
sustainability
teamwork
trust
uncertainty
Balancing Reflection
I received two important pieces of advice once while taking an ocean paddle boarding course. I will cover the first of those today and the other in a future reflection.
The advice: As soon as you stand upright on the board, put your paddle in the water and start moving. It's like a bike - You wou...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 11, 2025
action
adaptability
balance
burnout
commitment
courage
curiosity
decision making
experimentation
flexbility
forward motion
growth
imperfection
learning
metaphor
momentum
movement
navigation
progress
purpose
readiness
reassessment
recovery
reflection
rejuvenation
resilience
risk
self-leadership
timing
uncertainty
Best Laid Plans: Story and Reflection
I enjoy it when people expand and contrast the meanings of words. It gives me a better grasp of various approaches. I came across a quote from Sahil Bloom that did just that:
"Preparation always beats planning. Planning is based on the expectation of order. Preparation is based on the expectation...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 11, 2025
adaptability
calm
control
creativity
emotional intelligence
engagement
evolution
expectations
flexibility
foresight
grace
humor
idealism
improvisation
leadership
learning
mindset
perspective
pivoting
planning
preparation
presence
problem solving
recovery
reflection
resilience
responsiveness
self-regulation
teaching
uncertainty
Car Problems: Story and Reflection
Shortly after moving to Alaska and starting my core faculty role, I caused a traffic jam. You see, I had pulled onto the busy road in front of the residency and quickly maneuvered across three lanes of traffic to the two packed turn lanes in 5 o'clock traffic.
And then --- my car died - just as t...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 11, 2025
awareness
boundaries
burnout
capacity
community
compassion
embarassment
energy management
gratitude
habits
humility
learning
life balance
limits
metaphor
mindset
pacing
pattern
priorities
recovery
refueling
regulation
resilience
routine
self-awareness
self-care
support
teamwork
vulnerabiulity
warning signs
When the Jacket Fits, Story and Reflection
Once upon a time, as core faculty with various leadership roles, I was unexpectedly summoned to meet with the program director. He said he wanted to discuss my attitude with me. "MY attitude??!!" I thought. I was busting my tail to make the program better. What could possibly be wrong with my att...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 10, 2025
attitude
awareness
blindspots
burnout
change
coaching
collaboration
communication
courage
criticism
ego
emotional intelligence
feedback
growth
humility
insight
leadership
mindset
ownership
partnership
recalibration
recovery
reflection
self-reflection
The Spectacle Reflection
Back when my youngest daughter was on the high school track team, I sat in stands cheering her team on. I was watching the guys race the 1600 meters. The front two were neck and neck on the last curve. Suddenly one collapsed.
You know those times when you are thankful for a timely article or lect...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 09, 2025
accpetance
awareness
courage
embarrassment
emotion
empathy
grace
growth
humanity
humor
perspective
presence
processing
recovery
reflection
resilience
response
support
survival
vulnerability
Accomplishing the Mission Reflection
Last June, the Titan submersive caught the attention of the world. When he described the Naval Submarine Priorities in all situations, Rear Admiral John Mauger caught my attention when he said: "Number 1 is Safety, Number 2 is maybe something along the lines of avoiding counter detection, Number ...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 09, 2025
altruism
boundaries
intervention
leadership
mission
overextension
perspective
prevention
priorities
proactvity
recovery
reflection
resilience
rest
risk
safety
self-awareness
sustainability
warning-signs
wellness
Joy in Family Medicine – Stories & Reflections
