REBEL MIND: The Power of Performance Coaching in Medicine

10 snips

Jan 28, 2026

Jackie Penn, Head of Performance Coaching at Arena Labs with a background in exercise science and digital coaching. She discusses adapting elite-performance strategies for clinicians. Short tactical tools for between-shift recovery. Using wearables to track HRV and sleep. Practical routines for night-shift clinicians and simple habit tweaks to reduce burnout risk.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Lifelong Third Thing Stabilizes Performance

Jackie Penn grew up passionate about horses and still values that as her lifelong "third thing" outside work and family.
She uses this to illustrate the importance of having a non-work identity for resilience.

INSIGHT

Four Pillars Shape Whole-Person Performance

Jackie frames performance as four pillars: mindset, movement, fuel, and recovery guiding whole-person preparation.
This holistic view shapes how coaching targets sustainable resilience rather than isolated fixes.

ANECDOTE

Digital Coaching Scales Real-Time Support

Jackie joined Future to pioneer digital coaching and saw how on-demand human coaches improve access and timing of support.
She emphasizes that quick digital interactions meet real-time needs when in-person help isn't available.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

📌 Key Points

💪 Building Resilience: Rebel MIND, in partnership with Arena Labs, introduces a science-based performance coaching platform specifically tailored for healthcare professionals, focusing on stress management and burnout prevention.
🤝 Personal Insights: Jackie Penn shares her journey from exercise science to digital coaching, highlighting the importance of tailored coaching in high-pressure environments like healthcare.
🎯 Clinician-Centric Approach: Understanding unique challenges faced by ER doctors, the program provides practical tools for stress and transition management, improving both professional and personal life balance.
💻 Revolutionary Wearables: Utilizing wearables, the program offers objective feedback on recovery and health metrics, allowing personalization of strategies to enhance clinician well-being.

Click here for Direct Download of the Podcast.

📝 Introduction

Welcome back to REBEL MIND, where MIND stands for Mastering Internal Negativity during Difficulty. Here we sharpen the person behind the practitioner by focusing on things that improve our performance, optimizing team dynamics and the human behavior that embodies the hidden curriculum of medicine. In this episode, we’re excited to continue collaboration with Arena Labs, where host Dr. Marco Propersi interviews Jackie Pen, Heading of Performance Coaching at Arena Labs. Arena Labs is helping us measure healthcare performance through innovative programs designed to combat burnout and enhance personal wellness using data-driven strategies.

🔙Previously Covered on REBEL MIND:

Performance Under Pressure – What Medicine Can Learn from Elite Teams

🤔Cognitive Question

How do specific performance coaching strategies and tools assist healthcare professionals, particularly those in emergency medicine, in managing stress and preventing burnout effectively?

💭 Why This is Important

- Burnout among healthcare workers is a growing concern, especially in such high-pressure environments as emergency and intensive care units. The collaboration with Arena Labs brings forth a vital focus on using data and coaching to build resilience among medical professionals.

🏥How This Applies to the Emergency Department or ICU?

- In the chaotic and high-stakes environment of the ED/ICU, healthcare professionals are often required to make split-second decisions under pressure while managing emotional stress. This necessitates not just clinical acumen but also strong emotional resilience and stress management skills. Performance coaching provides the tools and frameworks to enhance these skills, offering strategies like the de-stress breath and transition protocols to help clinicians navigate between high-pressure situations efficiently. These tools are designed to not only improve their professional performance but also ensure they are emotionally present for their personal lives, ensuring a healthier work-life balance.

⏩ Things You Can Do on Your Next Shift

- Practice the De-stress Breath: Before moving from one critical case to another, take a moment to take two inhales through the nose followed by an extended exhale, helping to reset your nervous system by activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
- Implement a Transition Protocol: Choose a point in your journey home to mentally switch from clinician to family member, helping you to be more present outside of work.
- Optimize Your Nutrition and Rest: Even small changes during your shift, like meals that promote easy digestion or quick physical activities, can make a significant difference in your energy levels.
- Engage with Wearables: If possible, use wearables to monitor your physiological responses, helping tailor personalized strategies for your shifts

👀 Where to Learn More

Intrigued by the possibilities this partnership offers? You can explore more by visiting Arena Labs’ website here. Also, check out the comprehensive coaching program available, designed specifically for healthcare providers looking to enhance their well-being and performance.

🚨 Clinical Bottom Line

In an era where burnout is pervasive, our collaboration with Arena Labs offers a beacon of hope for healthcare workers. By leveraging cutting-edge data insights and practical coaching, this partnership aims to redefine healthcare wellness, fostering a sustainable, resilient workforce that’s equipped to navigate the pressures of modern medicine.

Join us in this journey towards enhanced well-being and workforce empowerment, ensuring that those who care for us are also cared for.

Meet the Authors

Marco Propersi

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie, NY

Jackie Pen

Head of Performance Coaching

Arena Labs

The post REBEL MIND: The Power of Performance Coaching in Medicine appeared first on REBEL EM - Emergency Medicine Blog.