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Episode 30: Do We Even Have Traditions? Holiday Life as a Physician Family

Supporting Physician Spouses

Release Date: 12/23/2025

Episode 31: End-of-Year Wrap Up for Physician Spouses: Favorite Episodes, Listener Stories, and What’s Coming in 2026

Supporting Physician Spouses

If you’re married to a physician and you’ve been holding a lot this year, this one is for you. Katie and Kendra share highlights from our first year, read reviews from listeners, and tease what’s ahead in 2026, including a Fair Play series and conversations about your family’s ecosystem. As we head into a new year, we’re looking back on the first year of the Supporting Physician Spouses podcast, how it began, what resonated most, and what we’re building next. If you’ve been listening quietly, this is your invitation to step closer. Leave a review, send a DM, or email us with what...

Episode 30: Do We Even Have Traditions? Holiday Life as a Physician Family

Supporting Physician Spouses

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Episode 29: Balancing Holiday Stress and Rest for Physician Spouses

Supporting Physician Spouses

Today we’re talking about the kind of rest physician spouses actually need during the holidays—especially when the whole world seems to slow down while your home ramps up. If you’re carrying the family load while navigating your spouse’s demanding end-of-year schedule, this episode was made for you. Today we’re talking about… Rest—not the “add another task to your list” kind, but the biological, necessary kind that helps you survive and stay present during an already overwhelming season. In this episode, we talk about: The three types of rest most depleted in physician...

Episode 28: The Solo Holiday Season: What You & Your Family Really Need From You

Supporting Physician Spouses

In this episode, Katie and Kendra talk honestly about what it’s like to attend holiday events solo as a physician spouse. From classroom parties to winter concerts, this season often highlights the unique pressures physician families face. We normalize the mixed emotions, offer simple ways to reduce the pressure to “perform,” and share strategies to stay connected with your partner and present with your kids—even when you’re the only adult who can be there. ✨ Key Takeaways Your presence matters more than perfection. Kids remember how it felt, not whether two parents were in the...

Episode 27: Making the Season Lighter: A December Re-frame for Physician Spouses

Supporting Physician Spouses

In this honest solo episode, Katie shares what’s coming up for her as December begins—resistance, overwhelm, perfectionism, small-space stress, seasonal energy dips, and the pressure to “make magic” during the holidays. Instead of powering through it, she slows down and walks through the SEE–SAY–FEEL–DO framework in real time to bring intention, clarity, and compassion into the season. If you’re feeling behind, heavy, stretched thin, or unsure how to make the holidays feel good for you, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air. Listen In If You’ve Ever Felt: ...

Episode 26: Holiday Expectations for Physician Spouses: Ditch the Date, Ditch the Pressure, Keep the Magic

Supporting Physician Spouses

In this episode, Katie and Kendra talk honestly about navigating holidays in medical families—when schedules rarely match the calendar, traditions shift, and expectations don’t go as planned. Listen If You’ve Ever Felt… Sad or frustrated celebrating without your spouse Guilty for not doing “traditional” holidays Tired of explaining your family’s reality Worried your kids are missing out Unsure how to create meaning when nothing feels normal What We Cover The mindset shift that removes holiday pressure Creating flexible, meaningful traditions Splitting...

Episode 25: Are You Using Gratitude to Avoid Hard Emotions Without Realizing It?

Supporting Physician Spouses

This week, Kendra and Katie unpack a quiet but common struggle among physician spouses: the belief that gratitude and dissatisfaction can’t coexist. We explore: Why so many physician spouses downplay their hard moments The “gratitude as gaslighting” trap How privilege guilt + comparison silence our real needs A simple AND vs BUT framework to spot healthy vs harmful gratitude How to hold emotional complexity without minimizing yourself Four questions to help you take action instead of staying stuck Why acknowledging what’s hard is not selfish—but essential for thriving ...

Episode 24: The Predictability Problem Series (Part 4) - How Physician Families Build Systems That Bend, Not Break

Supporting Physician Spouses

When the call schedule explodes, the backup plan fails, and everyone’s unraveling — how do you hold it all together? In the final episode of The Predictability Problem Series, Kendra and Katie unpack what it really means to create flexible family systems that bend but don’t break when medicine runs the clock. You’ll learn: Why rigid plans actually increase stress in high-uncertainty seasons The Plan B Framework — Predict, List, Automate, Name — to restore calm when things go sideways How to build “structured flexibility” that keeps the household steady Why Plan B...

Episode 23: The Predictability Problem Series - From Parallel Lives to Connection (Part 3) How Physician Spouses Can Rebuild Connection When Medicine Feels Unpredictable

Supporting Physician Spouses

Even the calmest, most grounded person can feel off balance when their relationship starts to feel like two people living parallel lives. In Week 3 of The Predictability Problem Series, Katie explores how physician spouses can rebuild calm through connection, even when medicine keeps changing the plan. You’ll hear: A real-life story of emotional safety in action Research from Dr. Tate Shanafelt and Dr. Wayne Sotile on what predicts thriving in physician families How much “meaningful time” couples actually need—and what to do if you can’t get it Why micro rituals of connection...

Episode 22: The Predictability Problem Series - From Bracing to Anchoring (Part 2) How Physician Partners Can Reclaim Calm Amid Burnout and Uncertainty

Supporting Physician Spouses

When the text comes — “Got pulled into a case. Won’t make it for dinner.” — your whole body reacts. The plan falls apart, and suddenly, you’re bracing again. This week, Kendra walks physician spouses through the science of why unpredictability hits so hard — and a powerful, research-backed framework for reclaiming calm in the middle of it. Drawing from cognitive behavioral therapy and resilience training, she shares the ANCHOR Framework — six practical steps to shift from bracing for chaos to anchoring in calm, even when the schedule changes for the hundredth time. You’ll...

The holidays can be joyful—and complicated—when you’re married to medicine.
Today we’re talking about how we actually celebrate the holiday season—as physician spouses juggling unpredictable schedules, limited time off, and shifting expectations.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why creating “traditional” holiday traditions can feel hard in medical training and early practice
How simple, flexible traditions often matter more than elaborate plans
Letting go of comparison—especially online—and doing what works for your family

You’ll hear:

A story about how Christmas Eve pizza became a meaningful tradition during an unpredictable season
An honest realization that we do have traditions—even if they don’t look big or Instagram-worthy
Encouragement to simplify gifts, food, and expectations during a demanding season of life

This episode is an invitation to release pressure, ignore the online noise, and give yourself permission to celebrate in ways that actually support your family—right where you are.

We’re so grateful you’re here. Happy holidays.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Brûléed Orange Brioche French Toast (Williams Sonoma recipe)
The Giving Machines (charitable vending machines)
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