Burnout, Preventive Health, and the Birth of Zili Care with Dr. Maryam Zeineddin

How Preventative Health and Self-Compassion Changed My Perspective: Lessons from Dr. Maryam Zeineddin and Zili Care

As doctors, we spend a lot of time in “go mode.” We focus on the next patient, the next emergency, the next task—rarely pausing to check in on ourselves. I'll admit, even as I work to bring you all stories on balance and wellbeing every week here at The Interesting MD, I don't always practice what I preach. But my recent conversation with Dr. Maryam Zeineddin—a family doctor, founder of Zili Care, and burnout survivor—really gave me pause and a new outlook I wanted to share with you all.

Why Preventative Health Is for Everyone—Not Just for Patients

Dr. Zeineddin started Zili Care, a not-for-profit empowering women (and now, men too!) to proactively care for both mind and body. Her mission began from personal experience: hitting burnout, not once, but twice—once after severe postpartum depression, another time a decade later, after years of running on empty.

She realized, as so many of us do, that healthcare often focuses on crisis, not prevention. Doctors are trained to fix what’s broken rather than help people build resilience before things fall apart. But what if we could shift that paradigm? What if we could empower ourselves and our patients to take control early—before the wheels come off?

Breaking Down the CARE Formula

One of the most practical takeaways from my conversation with Dr. Zeineddin is Zili Care’s “CARE Formula,” a simple but powerful framework for holistic health:

• C: Calming the Mind
  It’s not about silencing every thought (honestly, who can?). Instead, spend 5-10 minutes a day intentionally calming your nervous system—whether that’s meditation, walking mindfully, or simply grounding yourself. I’ll be the first to admit I had trouble sitting still for three minutes, but as Dr. Zeineddin shared, it gets easier and it works.
  Hey, competitive streakers: Headspace and Peloton both hand out badges for consecutive days in practice. If you’re like me, a little gamification can go a long way!

• A: Activating the Body
  We physicians often use exercise as our top coping tool, but what counts as “success” might need a rethink—especially when we’re injured. It’s not about speed or distance. Dr. Zeineddin encourages focusing on what your body can do without pain, meeting yourself where you are, and choosing movement that feels good rather than punishing.

• R: Reinforcing the Body
  Here’s where sleep, limiting screen time, and nurturing your nervous system come into play. It’s about breaking the cycle of constant distraction (ahem, doomscrolling on your phone), building awareness, and taking small actions to recover—whether that’s therapy (Dr. Zeineddin swears by somatic therapy), massage, or simply recognizing where you carry stress in your body.

• E: Engaging Your Soul
  This was the big one for me. What actually fills you up outside of medicine? For Dr. Zeineddin, sometimes it’s the rare concert in London; for me, it’s family time or beach walks looking for seals. The point is intentionality. Recognizing what makes you feel whole and making those activities non-negotiable—especially when your cup is running low.

Burnout: More Than Physical Fatigue

Dr. Zeineddin’s honesty about her own struggles—managing leadership roles, motherhood, depression, and medical practice—hit home. As doctors, we’re great at compartmentalizing, minimizing, and pushing through pain (emotional and physical). But ignoring those signals leads to a body and mind that eventually rebel.

What especially resonated was her emphasis on somatic therapy. It’s not about the story you tell yourself, but rather, stopping to feel where emotions live in your body, and letting yourself process them, even the ones we’re trained to avoid like shame and guilt. Believe it or not, most emotions pass in about three minutes—if we let ourselves feel them without attaching a story that makes them linger.

Practical Rituals for Reset

One of my favorite practical tips from the episode: Take moments to “reset” between patients or at the end of the day. Dr. Zeineddin learned little habits to break up absorbed energy, whether it’s washing her hands with intention or even a quick movement ritual. It reminded me how important it is to break the cycle and not carry one tough encounter into the next.

For those like me who rebel at the idea of a massage (sorry, Maryam!), there's always another reset option—whether it’s music, connection, a good dog walk, or a simple mindful breath at the door.

Moving Away from Shame, Towards Compassion

We doctors are quick to shoulder blame and slow to celebrate ourselves—a recipe for burnout. We’d do almost anything for our patients or families, but when it comes to ourselves, generosity is in short supply.

Dr. Zeineddin’s core advice? Treat yourself as you do your best patients: with curiosity, kindness, and patience. We are not our thoughts. Our value isn’t dependent on the perfect outcome for every patient or child. Guilt and shame may visit, but they don’t get to move in.

The Bottom Line: Consistency Over Perfection

Knowledge is only 40% of the journey; the other 60% is consistency. Choose the habits and rituals you can keep without making them another box to tick or reason to berate yourself. Sometimes, that means saying ‘no’—and sometimes, it means prioritizing your soul over your résumé.

So, if there’s one takeaway from this conversation and from Zili Care’s growing movement, it’s this: Be kind to yourself. Take a minute to ask what actually fills your cup. Avoid waiting until you’re bleeding out on the emotional battlefield before you accept help or press pause.

Remember, as Dr. Zeineddin shared, loving yourself and learning to care for your whole being is the greatest act of preventative medicine there is.

Until next week,
Dr. Rob Beck
Host, The Interesting MD

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