#46 - Mindful by Design: Training Attention, Flexibility & Kindness with Dr. Elli Weisbaum

Today’s guest is Dr. Elli Weisbaum

Episode 46 of the The Dr. Greg Wells Podcast podcast, hosted by Greg Wells PhD, titled "#46 - Mindful by Design: Training Attention, Flexibility & Kindness with Dr. Elli Weisbaum" was published on January 17, 2023.

January 17, 2023 · The Dr. Greg Wells Podcast

Summary

How to reduce anxiety, burnout, and rigid, reactive thinking by shifting from the brain’s default chatter to trainable, moment-to-moment awareness—and then making that awareness useful in real life (clinics, classrooms, meetings, and at home).  In today’s conversation Elli Weisbaum explores how mindfulness builds cognitive flexibility and steadies the nervous system under everyday stress. She traces her path—from attending her first retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh at age ten to researching physician wellbeing—while unpacking the neuroscience of attention and the default mode network (the mind-wander system). You’ll hear practical ways to weave mindfulness into ordinary moments (email, commuting, brushing your teeth), plus how “awareness of awareness” upgrades focus, values clarity, and relationships. Together we connect these skills to leadership, healthcare, and family life with simple, repeatable practices.  You will learn what mindfulness is (paying attention to what’s happening inside and around you, with kindness and curiosity) and why it measurably changes brain function and behavior over time. You will learn how to notice the default mode network and gently return attention—without self-criticism—building mental “reps” like strength training. You will learn engaged mindfulness tactics: micro-practices during daily tasks, start/finish rituals for work, and emotion-labeling to create space between stimulus and response. You will also learn how these tools support physician wellbeing, psychological safety, and performance in high-pressure environments.  You will discover that calm and clarity are trainable states: short, consistent reps of attention + kindness outcompete willpower. You will discover how “awareness of awareness” turns ordinary moments into recovery and focus boosters. Feeling hijacked by worry loops, email alerts, and shifting plans. Elli offers a prevention-first playbook—brief practices that restore agency and make composure your default, even on hard days.

Episode Description