Things I Loved in October

A roundup of my reading, listening, and life recommendations designed to bring some joy

Welcome! I’m Dr. Jillian, a physician leader, mom, and coach who is on a mission to help other high achieving professionals and recovering perfectionists reduce stress and overwhelm, recover from burnout, and learn to live the lives they truly want to be living. Humans Leading is a way for you pause for reflection amidst the hustle of your life and an invitation for you to consider how you might change up what you’re doing in order to find more joy and ease. Subscribe here to get this newsletter straight in your inbox:

A recap of what I’ve been loving this month

Hello!

One of my core values is growth (discover yours here), and I’m continually seeking out new resources in order to do so. As a result, I often end up sharing what I find via social media or messages to friends.

So, once again, I’m sharing what I’ve been reading, listening to, and loving in daily life.

Click through the links to access what looks good to you. Take what you like and leave the rest. This message may get cut off if you’re reading it in your email, so head over to the website to check out the whole thing.

Once you’ve had a look, I would love it if you shared what you’ve been inspired by (recently or not) in the comments!

Before we dive into the links, I’ll share a little bit about what I’ve been up to recently.

Speaking at the American Academy of Pediatrics and CHEST medicine conferences. Leading a workshop at our women's development day!

I spent the end of September and beginning of October traveling to conferences, speaking, and leading a stress management workshop for the women’s development day at my organization. I loved being able to catch up with old friends, learn from others, and share what I’ve learned with the people who attended my sessions.

I’m celebrating the fact that the workshop attendees had such positive feedback:

 “Dr. Jillian was excellent. She provided relevant and helpful information in such a personable way. Great delivery and presenting skills. I have been doing a lot of self-reflecting since the presentation and using the tools she provided.”

As someone who used to shy away from public speaking, I’m proud of how I’ve grown in this area, and I feel grateful to be able to share what I’ve learned with others in a way that positively impacts their lives.

Fall in Michigan is beautiful

As much as I like traveling, and presenting I’m glad to be back home where I’ve enjoyed doing as many Fall activities as humanly possible during my time off. Fall in Michigan is a great time to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the season. Bonus points for doing it with an apple cider and donut in hand.

Now, on to the links…

Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World by Katie Arnold

This book combines two things that might not seem like they go together: Zen Buddhism and running. But the author’s story really brings them together. I’m not a runner, but I am someone who deeply related to the ways that meditation and mindfulness can positively impact your life. This is a quick read that is packed full of wisdom. My copy is full of highlighted passages.

Burn Without Burning Out by Denise Pyles

I was lucky enough to get to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to a recommendation from Dr Nia D Thomas. It’s another short read that is full of realistically achievable mindfulness tips to incorporate into every day working life. As a busy person who is always looking for ways to incorporate mindfulness and stress reduction into my day, this was very helpful. One of my favorite practices was writing down 5 quotes to reflect on during my work week. It was an easy way to bring a little bit of mindfulness into my mornings, and it made a difference in how I brought myself to work.

Why Mindfulness Doesn’t Fix Burnout by Dr. Claire Plumbly

Don’t let the name of this article fool you: mindfulness can be helpful. But it’s not the answer to burnout. As this article outlines, mindfulness can be especially helpful as a way to prevent burnout. I’ve found that to be especially true in my own life. Mindfulness and meditation have been the things that allow me to tune in to how I’m doing before I’m burned out so that I don’t get to that point again.

Taking a Leap with Imperfect Action by Holly Bailie

I love that a guest post on Humans Leading by Jenna Folarin helped Holly take action in her own life. We don’t have to wait until things are perfect in order to start making progress toward our goals. As Holly and Jenna show, the imperfect actions we take are the things that contribute to our success and confidence. If we wait until we feel confident or things are “perfect,” we’ll never take action.

The Corporate Athlete by Melissa Gurule

My friend Melissa is back to writing with a great post on the importance of celebrating other people and being intentional in our actions. She’s an expert in this area because she is an amazing cheerleader for others (including for me!). If you’re looking to get better at intentionality in your own life, this is a great place to start.

Rally Playlist on Spotify

If you’re feeling a lot of existential dread about the upcoming election in the US, you aren’t alone. I’ve heard from so many people that it’s taking a toll on them. And it gets to me, too. When I’m feeling like it’s too much, I turn to this playlist that I created last year. It has a ton of songs that help me feel uplifted and changes my mood right away. If you need an extra mood boost, please picture my 3-year-old son and I dancing to ‘Boogie Shoes’ during breakfast each morning this week. And, for more bonus joy, try it yourself.

Brad Stulberg on The One You Feed Podcast: Mastering Change When Everything is Changing

This episode on change is a gold mine. One of the points that really landed with me was Brad’s reminder that we cannot skip to making meaning when things hurt. In other words, when we are having painful life experiences, we can’t skip to the part where we are making meaning and experiencing post-traumatic growth. We actually have to feel the things and experience them.

Listen… I hate this as much as you do, but you know it’s true. You can’t force yourself into being grateful for something or finding meaning before you’ve experienced and processed what’s happened.

Sara Duigou on Brand Seasons with Sarah Robertson :

I loved this episode about rest (and not just because I was also working on my own post about it). The conversation between Sarah and Sara was exactly what I needed during a busy time. It served as a reminder for me to slow down and prioritize the type of rest that I needed: sensory.

Oliver Burkeman on the Being Well podcast: Time Management for Mortals

This is an episode from 2023 when Oliver’s first book ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ came out in paperback, and it’s just as relevant today. This conversation highlights all of the ways that we try to trick ourselves into believing that there is a “perfect” time management system out there but that we just haven’t found it yet. This belief keeps us stuck. What we really need to do is give in to the fact that we’ll never get everything done because we are finite humans.

Oliver’s book was a game changer for me as a former productivity hacks enthusiast. I think this conversation will be a game changer for you.

And finally, a list of things I’m loving in daily life. None of these are affiliate links. They’re just things I love and think you will too.

The best marshmallows of all time - The Vermont Marshmallow company

This is self-explanatory. It’s almost hot chocolate season, and your mug will be much better with these small-batch marshmallows.

A cute new sweatshirt (featured above) by Just Follow Your Art

I love this sweatshirt. It’s not too heavy, and it’s really soft. Plus, it matches my midlife vibes.

You can also find amazing stickers, stationary, and art at this adorable Michigan-based store.

Who doesn’t need more candles? Fall scents from July Sky Candle Co.

This is another great Michigan-based seller. I had the opportunity to meet the owner, Jana, at a pop-up event this summer, and I fell in love with the candles and room sprays. As I type this post, I’m burning ‘white pumpkin.’ You can purchase from her Etsy site or find her at an in-person event if you’re local.

Another great book from Oliver Burkeman: Meditations for Mortals

After all of the celebrating of Oliver Burkeman that I did above, it should come as no surprise that I’m reading his newly released book. It’s meant to be read as 30 days of bite-sized daily reading that can help you learn to “make time for what counts.” As readers of this newsletter, I know that this is something that you’re looking for, and I’m right there with you. I’ll share a full review next month, but I’m currently making my way through it and can already say that you should all go get it.

I’d love you to share your favorite recent books, posts, podcasts, and/or everyday items in the comments below. Whether it’s something that’s helped you unwind after a busy day or sparked new inspiration, I’m always excited to discover fresh recommendations from this amazing community!