Dr. Kimberly Manning—Pandemic Best
An Interview with Dr. Kimberly Manning, Associate Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine
In this episode of HelloHealth Today, Dr. Carmen Mohan sits down with her guest and mentor, Dr. Kimberly Manning, to discuss what it means to be operating at your “pandemic best.” By offering ourselves and those around us some grace, we can thrive during even these unprecedented times. A proud alumna of two historically Black colleges, Tuskegee University and Meharry Medical College, Dr. Manning applies her lived experiences as a Black woman, mother, daughter, wife, and community member to all she does professionally. Her academic achievements include numerous institutional, regional, and national teaching awards.
Dr. Manning reflects on what she’s learned during this current historically challenging time and why it’s simply not fair to hold anyone to anything other than his or her “pandemic best” right now. By looking for places to find gratitude, we can do more than merely survive, but rather find ways to emerge as our best selves. Too often we remain centered in the lived experiences of our personal communities, but finding a way to reach out and identify with others allows us to affirm our own communities and find ways to connect. But it all stems from listening and being present in whatever our best selves look like right now.
Dr. Manning shares her own personal struggles to balance the increased stress of being a medical professional during a medical crisis while also being the best mother she could be. Her story of how she received grace at just the right moment reminds us of how we need to encourage ourselves not to hold one another to pre-pandemic standards. Sometimes “pandemic best” is all we have to offer. Practicing HelloHealth’s recommended ways to get restorative rest has become a central part to Dr. Manning’s nighttime ritual, and she explains how it has improved her abilities to be her best. Intentional relationships are also key. By practicing intentionality in relationships, we find increased reasons for gratitude and success. Practice the solid “no” to make room for the unfiltered “yes.”
Action Steps:
Befriend yourself. Speak words of self-affirmation over yourself without any negative comments or thoughts.
Always center on gratitude. Don’t wait until the end of an experience to be grateful. Find your gratitude points early and focus on them.
Be intentional in your relationships. Create an inventory of your relationships and prioritize the ones most important to you.
To hear more from Dr. Kimberly Manning, listen to her podcast, The Human Doctor
For more information on HelloHealth’s services, visit hellohealthtoday.com.
Follow Dr. Mohan on Instagram: @mohancarmen
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