257. Windex and Wisdom: Clean Your Windows, Clear Your Mind

Healing Medicine: Mindfulness, Mindset & Physician Well-Being

In this episode of Healing Medicine, we explore the powerful metaphor of cleaning windows as a way to gain clarity in our minds and lives.

Inspired by a real-life experience of hiring professionals to clean her skylights, Dr. Jessie Mahoney and Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang reflects on mindfulness, yoga, and coaching as intentional practices to clear the metaphorical grime from our perspective and lens of awareness.

We don’t usually realize how cloudy our outlook has become until we make space for clarity.

Listen to discover how letting in more light—both literally and figuratively—can transform how you see and experience life.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Mindfulness is Window Cleaning: Just as windows gather dirt and grime, our minds collect judgments, biases, and old stories that cloud our perspectives. Mindfulness helps clear away these mental residues, allowing us to see the present more clearly.
• Clarity is Kindness: Gaining clarity through mindfulness, yoga, or coaching not only benefits us but also those around us. It opens us to lightness—both in terms of illumination and the relief of mental weight.
• Investing in Clarity is Worth It: Often, it takes an unexpected nudge to prioritize self-care. Just as investing in professional window cleaning brings unexpected brightness, investing in personal growth yield profound shifts.
• Awareness Precedes Change: Often, we don’t know how cloudy our mental windows have become. Practices that foster mindfulness, reveal how patterns like judgment, negative bias, or people-pleasing color our experiences.
• Moving from Default to Choice is Empowerment: With clearer mental windows, we gain the ability to move from habitual reactions to intentional, mindful choices that align with our values.

Reflection Questions:

• When was the last time you “cleaned your windows”—both literally and metaphorically?

• Are there thought patterns, biases, and/or assumptions clouding your perspective?

• What might become more beautiful and clear if you took the time to "clean your windows"?

Take a step toward clarity by joining Jessie for a retreat. You’ll experience practices to clear your mental and physical windows through coaching, yoga, mindfulness, and community. You’ll also get to enjoy the sparkling windows! Learn more and reserve your spot here: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats

If you would love fresh perspective and to feel free from mental grime, consider coaching with Jessie one-on-one: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching

If you enjoy the Healing Medicine Podcast, both Jessie and Ni-Cheng are available for workshops, keynote talks, and retreats for groups. Simply reach out.

*Nothing shared in the Mindful Healers Podcast is medical advice.