Have you ever felt like no matter how much you do, it’s never enough? That you’re constantly trying to meet impossibly high standards at work and at home? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Leadership Rx for Women Physicians, Dr. Asha Padmanabhan dives deep into The Perfectionism Trap—what it is, how it shows up in our lives, and what we can do to break free from it.

Drawing from her own experiences as a young attending striving to be both the perfect doctor and the perfect mom, Dr. Asha shares relatable stories, actionable insights, and one simple tool you can use today to let go of perfectionism and reclaim your time, energy, and joy.

Whether you’ve over-prepared for a presentation, stayed late rewriting a note, or felt guilty for missing a family event, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. What perfectionism is—and why it’s so common among women physicians.
2. How perfectionism impacts your work, your relationships, and your mental health.
3. A practical strategy called The 80% Rule to help you start breaking free from perfectionism today.

Sign Up for My Free Webinar:
If this episode resonates with you, I invite you to join my free webinar, Tame Your Inner Critic: How to Break Free from Perfectionism and Silence Self-Doubt.

• Save your spot here: https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/mastering-the-art-of-saying-no-LRX
• In this webinar, we’ll dive deeper into the perfectionism trap and explore additional tools to help you show up fully and confidently in your life.

Let’s Connect!
If you found this episode helpful, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share this episode with someone who might need it, and don’t forget to leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps me reach more women physicians just like you.

Stay Connected:
Don’t miss out on future episodes, resources, and updates—join my email list today:
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Connect with Dr. Asha Padmanabhan:

🌐 Website: www.theleadershiprx.com
📝 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asha.padmanabhan.9
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.md/
💼 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ashapadmanabhan

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
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✨ If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, rate ⭐️, and leave a review ✍🏼. Your support helps us bring these conversations to more women physicians.

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
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To explore how Coaching can help you, DM me on LinkedIn or Facebook

Welcome to The Leadership Rx for Women Physicians! In this episode, Dr. Asha Padmanabhan tackles one of the most emotionally draining patterns that keeps women physicians stuck: the guilt-resentment cycle.

If you’ve ever said yes out of guilt, only to end up feeling resentful toward the person you helped, the situation, or even yourself, you’re not alone. This exhausting loop leaves us emotionally drained and overcommitted.

Dr. Padmanabhan breaks down the three stages of the guilt-resentment cycle and offers the first steps toward breaking free. This episode will help you recognize guilt as a signal, not a directive, and reclaim control over your boundaries.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. What the guilt-resentment cycle is and why it keeps you stuck.
2. The three stages of the cycle: guilt, resentment, and repeating the loop.
3. How guilt often masquerades as a sign to say yes, when it’s actually a cue to pause and reevaluate.
4. How breaking this cycle starts with recognizing and addressing guilt, not suppressing it.

Key Moments in the Episode:

• [0:00] Introduction: Recap of previous episodes and today’s topic.
• [2:00] A personal story about overcommitting out of guilt and the resentment that followed.
• [4:30] Stage 1: Guilt as a motivator—why we feel obligated to say yes.
• [6:00] Stage 2: Resentment builds—how overcommitting affects your mood and relationships.
• [8:30] Stage 3: Repeating the cycle—why guilt and resentment feed each other.
• [11:00] Breaking the cycle: The first step toward setting guilt-free boundaries.
• [12:00] Closing thoughts and invitation to the webinar.

Related Resources:

📅 Register for the free webinar, Master the Art of Saying No – How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt:
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/mastering-the-art-of-saying-no-LRX

Connect with Dr. Asha Padmanabhan:

🌐 Website: www.theleadershiprx.com
📝 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asha.padmanabhan.9
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.md/
💼 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ashapadmanabhan

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/newsletter

✨ If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, rate ⭐️, and leave a review ✍🏼. Your support helps us bring these conversations to more women physicians.

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/newsletter


To explore how Coaching can help you, DM me on LinkedIn or Facebook

Welcome back to The Leadership Rx for Women Physicians! In this episode, Dr. Asha Padmanabhan takes a deeper dive into the often-overlooked costs of saying yes too often. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about being busy.

Dr. Padmanabhan shares relatable stories and insights that uncover the ripple effects of overcommitting—on your emotional health, relationships, career, and overall well-being.

If you’ve ever felt drained, stretched too thin, or stuck in a cycle of over-giving, this episode is for you. Discover the five biggest costs of saying yes and how learning to say no can help you reclaim your time and energy.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. The emotional toll of constantly saying yes and how it leads to burnout.
2. How overcommitting compromises your relationships at home and at work.
3. Why saying yes to everything can actually make you less effective professionally.
4. The hidden costs of neglecting self-care and personal well-being.
5. How saying yes to low-impact tasks stalls your career growth.

Key Moments in the Episode:

• [0:00] Introduction: Recap of Episode 1 and today’s topic.
• [2:00] Dr. Padmanabhan’s story about overcommitting and feeling drained.
• [4:30] The cost of emotional burnout and why it’s about more than working hard.
• [6:00] How saying yes too often impacts personal and professional relationships.
• [8:00] The irony of decreased professional effectiveness due to overcommitting.
• [9:30] Why neglecting self-care affects your ability to show up for others.
• [11:00] Career stagnation: The hidden price of low-impact commitments.
• [13:00] Closing thoughts and invitation to the webinar.

Related Resources:

🎙️ Listen to the previous episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leadership-rx-for-women-physicians/id1531236342?i=1000682459253

📅 Register for the free webinar, Mastering the Art of Saying No – How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt:
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/mastering-the-art-of-saying-no-LRX

In this live session, Dr. Padmanabhan will share actionable strategies to help you set boundaries confidently, guilt-free.

Connect with Dr. Asha Padmanabhan:

🌐 Website: www.theleadershiprx.com
📝 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asha.padmanabhan.9
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.md/
💼 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ashapadmanabhan

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/newsletter

✨ If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, rate ⭐️, and leave a review ✍🏼. Your support helps us bring these conversations to more women physicians.

Subscribe to my email newsletter for more actionable tips, click here
https://asha-padmanabhan.mykajabi.com/newsletter


To explore how Coaching can help you, DM me on LinkedIn or Facebook