Erin McBride Johnson MD

06/02/2025

Summer Fun!

Whether you are all in on that phrase or just hearing it makes you feel exhausted, it is likely that if you are a woman in medicine, you aren’t having as much fun as you deserve, in summer or any time of year.

Why not and why does it matter?

It matters because having fun makes life more enjoyable and has outsized impacts on both mental and physical health as well as enhancing your creative problem solving abilities and strengthening relationships with those whom you have fun with.

Why might you be deficient in fun?

You’re too busy making sure everyone else is cared for and having a good time, not to mention your job responsibilities. If you haven’t prioritized fun and joy for yourself, you’ll never find the time!

I love how Catherine Price defines fun in her book “The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again”. She names 3 essential components for fun: playfulness, connection, and flow.

The book is great if you are looking for a prescription to inject more fun into your life and I encourage you to check it out.

If you want a quick injection of fun and a jumpstart to making this the summer that you get to have as much fun as everyone else, join me this weekend for a Women in Medicine Power of Play retreat June 8.

We will explore play, fun, and creativity through movement, partnering with horses, reflecting on what fun has meant to us over the years, and connecting with other women in medicine.

05/31/2025

The Power of Play: A One-Day Retreat for Women in Medicine
June 8, 2025
9am-5pm
County Line Equine Rescue
East Palatka, FL

Why Play Matters as an Adult, Especially for Women in Medicine!
Play isn’t just for children—it’s a powerful tool for adult well-being. Engaging in playful activities helps reduce stress, stimulates creativity, and promotes emotional healing. It fosters resilience, improves problem-solving, and allows us to tap into our inner joy. In the demanding field of medicine, play offers an opportunity to reset, recharge, and approach challenges with a fresh perspective.

Step away from the demands of your daily routine and immerse yourself in The Power of Play, a rejuvenating one-day retreat designed specifically for women in medicine. This empowering retreat offers a unique opportunity to rediscover the importance of play, connection, and self-care in a supportive and serene environment.
As adults, we often overlook the vital role that play can have in our well-being. Play fosters creativity, reduces stress, and enhances our ability to connect with others, all of which are essential to maintaining balance in high-pressure careers. This retreat is dedicated to helping you reconnect with the joy and freedom of play while also deepening relationships with fellow women in the medical field.
Link in bio to join us!

03/03/2025

Are you feeling anxious, tense, overwhelmed, and/or exhausted?

Get Outside!

No really, even if it’s cold, go spend a few minutes soaking in the late winter sun.

If you’re urban, maybe walk or drive to a park to get the boost from nature.

Close your eyes, take some deep breaths and notice how it feels on your skin.

Open your eyes and look around for budding trees and flowers or other signs that spring is coming.

Can you hear birds singing or squirrels playing (or if you’re really lucky the soft nicker of horses eating their hay)?

This is the time of year when many of us are bursting with cabin fever, ready for warmer days and the energy of spring.

Even a few moments outdoors can be a reminder to your body and mind that the dark and cold don’t last forever, and if you make it a daily practice, just might give you the little boost of energy you need.

If you are lucky enough to be in my part of the world, I hope you are enjoying the stunning weather here (even if you’re working nights like me and only catching brief moments of sunshine before falling into bed).

I also want to invite any local women physicians to my one day retreat Sunday March 9. The theme is Recharge and Reconnect and we will have some lovely nature time plus the opportunity to partner with rescue horses to discover their soothing power.

Let me know how it feels to get outside this week and DM with any questions!

02/24/2025

Horses saved me from burnout.

In 2018, I signed up for an adult horse camp in hopes of fulfilling my little girl dreams of learning to ride.

During that long weekend, I learned the joy of simply being with horses. Riding was exhilarating, yes, but just grooming “my” horse, a sassy mare named Calamity Jane, was soothing in a way I didn’t yet understand.

Over the next year, I took riding lessons and joined a riding club, then my husband surprised me with Sahara for Christmas in 2019.

I don’t think anyone who has had the opportunity to have their own horse will be surprised by what happened next.

We bought a farm.

This probably would have happened even if the COVID 19 pandemic hadn’t upended our lives, but it sure sped things along as spending time with Sahara was the only time I didn’t feel suffocated by the high tension and increased uncertainty of work in the ED and life in general.

Of course, we made even more of a jump because we didn’t just move Sahara to our little farm.

We started a horse rescue as well!

Though I had no idea what we were getting into and there have been ups and downs along the way, committing to my little slice of nature and to these horses has been the best thing I have ever done.

This place and these creatures have helped me to heal and given me the confidence to make bold moves like leaving a lucrative ownership gig that wasn’t working for me and starting my own business, helping others in a way that does work for me.

Don’t ask me why, with all that horses have brought me, it has taken so long for me to partner with them in my work as a coach.

Some things just take time to come to fruition.

Now I am finally ready to share the healing power of horses through retreats and workshops. My first is an upcoming one day retreat for women physicians, hopefully to become part of a series. In the fall I will be starting equine workshops open to businesses, families, anyone who wants to partner with horses to work on personal growth, teamwork, and leadership.

The link for the first workshop is in the comments. If you are interested in future retreats or scheduling a workshop for your group, contact me directly!

01/13/2025

I don’t think its just me that is feeling like the beginning of this year has been chaotic, right? At least for me, it doesn’t look like it is going to slow down just yet either.

One of the ways I help keep myself feeling grounded and present when the world feels overwhelming is by taking time to soak in beautiful moments whenever I can.

Most often, this comes in the form of stopping to notice a beautiful sunset, starry sky, or some other awe inspiring bit of nature.

It is a little more work for me to revel in the moments of human connection such as sincere gratitude from a patient or laughing until I have tears in my eyes with nightshift, but these moments are probably even more nourishing.

The best moments, though, are the surprising ones.

Today, I was warmed to my core when our oldest and grumpiest rescue horse not only accepted attention, but “hugged” me back. It was such a sweet moment, but I got so much joy and comfort from it that I am still glowing from the interaction hours later.

I think these surprising pockets of joy are the best because I don’t have any expectations for the unexpected so there is no grasping for a certain outcome or any hopes for the moment to live up to; it just happens.

Staying open to beauty, connection, and suprising pockets of joy is a practice, but one that helps turn a very busy life from overwhelming to joyful.

Tell me what joyful surprises you have had lately and then reflect on how you can be more mindful of the beautiful moments that bring you joy.

10/30/2024

I believe in magic, which isn’t something you’ll hear many physicians or other science minded folks say. The magic I believe in is mostly comprised of the seemingly miraculous moments that occur regularly in the natural world and our lives: a stunning sunset, rainbows, the peace when my dog snuggles close, the tender fierceness of a good hug, or the transformative power of the entire crowd singing along to my favorite song at a live show.

What feels like magic to you may be different, but I’m sure you know what I mean. I know I’ve encountered magic when I feel awe - transported out of my daily worries for a moment and aware of my small self as part of something bigger.

Close your eyes for a moment and think back to a time when you recently felt awe. What was the circumstance? How did you feel? Notice how just remembering the experience leaves you feeling more relaxed and happier. That is magic!

The best part about noticing the joy, awe, peace that these magical moments can bring is realizing that they aren’t something you have to wait around for. Once you become aware of all the moments in your life that feel magical, you can strategize to make more of them!

For more, read my first newsletter!

P.S. LinkedIn is where you'll find me most of the time these days as traditional social media is just not a healthy place for me to be hanging out!

I believe in magic, which isn’t something you’ll hear many physicians or other science minded folks say. The magic I believe in is mostly comprised of the seemingly miraculous moments that occur regularly in the natural world and our lives: a stunning sunset, rainbows, the peace when my dog snug...

09/06/2024

“I finally got eight hours of sleep. It took me three days but whatever.” — Unknown

This quote is meant to be funny, but it might sound uncomfortably familiar to many of us in healthcare.

7-9 hours of quality sleep a day is required for us to function at and feel our best, but many of us are missing this foundation.
The bad news is that shift workers are at a disadvantage here because our work, by its nature, requires us to break most of the advice on how to maximize our sleep.

So, here is my quick and dirty version of how to maximize quality sleep even if you can’t do it “the right way”.

First, make it a priority. Don’t stay up late or get up early to “get more done”. You will be much more effective and get more done when you are well rested. Period. Got it?

Sleep hygiene matters whether you’re going to bed at 9pm or 9 am. Darken and cool your room, don’t spend time in bed for non bed activities, shut off screens an hour before bedtime, have a wind down routine ideally 90 min prior to bedtime, don’t eat, drink alcohol, or exercise too close to bedtime.

Don’t overdo caffeine and know your cutoff time(usually at least 5 hours prior to bedtime, but for me it is closer to 12 hours).

Nap smartly. If you are going to work a night shift or take call, schedule a 90 minute nap beforehand and after. Longer can be good, but it takes about 90 minutes to complete a sleep cycle so try not to wake yourself in the middle of a cycle. This increases grogginess.

Do not hit snooze.

A quick 20 minute nap can also be restorative if that is all you have time for.

When you can, don’t wake up to an alarm. If you sleep more than usual, you probably needed it!

Don’t overplan the days before and after night shift/call nights.

Lastly, be kind to yourself as you try to make changes to improve your sleep; establishing new habits takes time and practice.
Want some help making these changes or others for a less stressed and more joyful life? I would love to chat with you about how coaching can be just the support you need.

09/05/2024

Alarm fatigue.

We’re all familiar with it. I remember the ever present vent alarms invading my dreams during my ICU rotations back in residency.

I was reminded of this phenomenon the other night when an unusual alarm went off in the ED on shift.

Apparently there was an incident elsewhere in the hospital that caused the air line alarm to consistently sound, loudly, very near my workstation.

It was piercing and so annoying, but after about an hour, I had managed to push it to the background, much like those vent beeps when I was a resident.

I was amazed that something that was so irritating could be integrated and ignored so easily.

And it reminded me of how we, as physicians, have also trained ourselves to ignore our own inner alarm system.

Much like if someone isn’t regularly checking on the beeping monitors and ventilators, something can be missed until a louder alarm goes off signaling a more major problem, this can happen to us as well.

If we allow ourselves to continue ignoring our needs, we will miss signs of distress and illness until our health (mental, physical, or both) really suffers.

So, this is your invitation to start tuning into all the little bits of information your body is giving you throughout your days.

Listen, and heed its needs whenever possible (It’s almost always possible).

Your health is worth it. You are worth it.

Want guidance tapping into your inner signals? Are your own alarms at the attention grabbing crisis stage after the initial signs were ignored? Coaching can help you listen in and course correct on either end of the spectrum. Reach out if you’re interested!

09/04/2024

Today was one of THOSE days in the emergency department.

You know, rescue after rescue, patients crowding into every available space, complex patients, difficult consultants, lab “losing” samples.

It was one of those days where it is easy to get overwhelmed and irritated.

I’m not going to lie, I definitely had a few moments of both, but my mindset practices kicked in and I made the best of it, getting satisfaction from a job well done and jolts of joy from camaraderie among staff.

Still, by the time I was driving home (almost 3 hours late), I was feeling tense and the irritation was definitely still simmering.

Listening to fun music on the drive home didn’t calm it, but heading straight to the barn to give and receive love from some of our rescue horses, laughing at the dogs and chickens, and spending time with some good friends did.

The evening looked nothing like I planned. My late arrival and rain prevented us from getting to go on a trail ride and I didn’t have time to get much else done, but instead of letting that add to my tension and increase my irritability, I leaned into the good that was available to soothe and restore after a wearying day.

TLDR; don’t let a stressful day sabotage your free time too.

If you’re having more of THOSE days than not right now and looking for relief or even a way out, I’d love to chat with you about the power of coaching to help you do just that. I did it for myself and am so excited to help you find a life of joy and satisfaction too.

09/01/2024

When I was experiencing burned out, I would get so frustrated about all the holidays I had to work, not to mention weekends and other events I had to miss.

I still don’t love having to turn down invitations, but my FOMO is much less with some perspective.

Here are some of my tips to reduce the working on holiday resentment:

Stay off social media!

Find JOMO in avoiding traffic, crowds, and awkward get togethers.

If it is an important holiday to you, plan another day to celebrate.

Find gratitude that you aren’t sick/injured like the people you are caring for

Celebrate with colleagues and staff by decorating your area or having a potluck

If you are trying to eat more healthily or drink less, breathe a sigh of relief that you’re avoiding temptation

Find purpose in the fact that you do meaningful work and are making a difference on this holiday and every day.

It can be a bit of a bummer to miss out on fun and meaningful moments because you have to work, but using the above tips can help it feel a little easier.

If you are truly burned out or realize that you are not working so much that you are missing out on way more than you can handle, let’s have a chat about how coaching can help you overcome burnout and set boundaries with work so you can be present for your life.

08/30/2024

Confession: I do not enjoy journaling.

Okay so this may not seem like a major confession outside of my coaching circles, but if you have ever worked with a therapist or coach or even read a self improvement style book, you have likely been asked to reflect in a journal.

I do use reflective journaling at times, especially if I’m working through something specific, but it is not my go to.

It is a very effective tool, whether as a daily practice to brain dump thoughts or note gratitude, or as a more occasional way to play question and answer with yourself about a problem.

Writing things down actually helps to quell overthinking (you know this if you’ve ever felt better after getting all your ‘to dos’ written in a list).

That said, even if it is probably the best way to meaningfully reflect and organize your thoughts, it is NOT something you have to commit to in order to do those things!

Regular reflection and mindfulness IS necessary, but you can do it without taking pen to paper.

The important part is making space to do so in which you aren’t distracted and planning it into your schedule so you actually do it. The more details and specificity to your reflections the more effective they will be.

Some ideas:

Set your alarm for 10 minutes early and spend that time in bed reflecting on the details of something/one you’re grateful for.

While getting ready for bed, reflect on something good that happened during the day.

When you notice something that inspires awe, savor it like you’re trying to commit the entire situation to memory.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed try to step away and see if you can find some perspective on the situation or at least just take some deep breaths, drop your shoulders, and notice your feet on the ground to bring you into the present.

There are endless ways you can reflect and find moments of mindfulness during the day without having to commit to regular journaling or meditation and you may be amazed what a difference these small pockets of time can make!

What are some ways you reflect and take moments in your day for mindfulness? I’d love to hear in the comments!