Inquisitive.me

Recently, I told my patients the truth.
I’m using AI for recovery and performance.

Not because I wanted to sound wise or vulnerable or “authentic.”
I did it because honesty builds trust. And trust matters when someone is scared, frustrated, overwhelmed, or feels alone in their own body.

I’ve been doing this since the beginning.

Some people are overwhelmed by that honesty. And honestly? That’s fine.

But many others are relieved.

Because for the first time, they realize they are not the only ones spiraling in their head about pain, injuries, setbacks, fear, hopelessness, frustration, or the feeling that their body somehow betrayed them.

They are not.

You are not.

As a physiotherapist, I get injured too.

Just like doctors get sick.

And having all that knowledge doesn’t always help.

Sometimes it actually makes things worse.

I know med students who became convinced they had every disease they studied. Or thought their family members had them. Because once you learn about symptoms, suddenly you start seeing them everywhere.

Our brain is incredibly smart in some situations.

And incredibly stupid in others.

That’s why knowledge alone often isn’t enough when you’re injured.

When emotions enter the room, objectivity quietly leaves through the back door.

That’s also one reason why I started using ChatGPT more intentionally, something I already talked about in my Mind Shift Hub post.

I use it as:

• a thinking partner in practice
• a running coach
• a writing buddy
• sometimes even a mirror for my own overthinking

Because when things become personal, we stop being objective.

A patient annoys you.

An injury scares you.

A topic triggers you emotionally.

You care too much.

And suddenly your thoughts become noisy.

That’s where AI can actually help me.

Not because it “thinks for me.”

But because it helps me structure my thinking.

I throw in:

• observations
• ideas
• worries
• reflections
• goals
• patterns
• emotions
• random thoughts at 11 PM
• probably too much context (classic me, lol)

And then I use AI to create structure out of mental chaos.

Because emotional people rarely think clearly.
And yes, that includes healthcare professionals.

But there’s a catch.

You only get useful output if you provide enough meaningful input.

That’s the trade-off.

If you share nothing, you’ll get generic answers.

But sharing everything isn’t ideal either.

You can’t build an online business while being completely invisible online.

You can’t get proper medical care without sharing injuries, symptoms, habits, training history, or lifestyle factors.

You can’t get psychological help without talking about thoughts and fears you usually hide from the world.

Every meaningful benefit comes with some level of vulnerability.

The goal is not “share everything.”
The goal is finding a balance you’re comfortable with.

And no, I’m not feeding AI every detail of my life either.

Especially in healthcare, there are boundaries.

Patient information is still confidential. I can’t just upload private patient data into AI systems because it would be convenient.

So I’m careful.

Sometimes I create fictionalized patient examples based on real clinical patterns without revealing personal information. Honestly, healthcare professionals have always done versions of this.

We discuss cases with colleagues.
We learn through examples.
At university we even wrote patient protocols for exams.

The important part is protecting the person behind the case.

It’s a trade-off between getting the power and the leverage of AI without getting the risk and the pitfalls and the danger of AI.

Tiago Forte

And I think that’s the real conversation we should have.

Not:

“AI good” or “AI bad.”

But:

“What’s the smartest and most intentional way to use it?”

Because yes, AI absolutely can impair thinking if you outsource everything to it.

But so can elevators for your muscles.

A car also carries risk.

Yet most of us still use one daily because the trade-off is worth it.

The problem starts when convenience completely replaces capability.

And trust me, I see this all the time in healthcare.

People avoiding movement for years because it feels easier in the short term… until they suddenly can’t walk more than 300 meters anymore.

Convenience always has a hidden cost.

AI is no different.

Used poorly, it can make you intellectually lazy.

Used intentionally, it can:

• save time
• reduce friction
• organize complexity
• challenge your thinking
• give perspective
• create leverage

That’s why I’m not planning to stop using it.

The time and mental energy I save can be invested somewhere else with a better return.

Into patients.
Into writing.
Into recovery.
Into thinking deeper instead of just longer.

Using AI doesn’t mean I stopped thinking.

I just think differently now.

More iterative.
More reflective.
More willing to challenge my own assumptions without spiraling into nonsense.

And honestly?

That might be the healthier trade-off.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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Sometimes the goal isn’t to think less — it’s to stop thinking alone.

We often treat asking for help as weakness. But humans have always used tools, mentors, books, colleagues, conversations, and now AI to think better.

🎯 Try This:

Use AI this week not as a shortcut, but as a mirror.

Take one problem, frustration, fear, or confusing situation and explain it honestly.

Then ask AI:

• “Help me structure my thoughts. What patterns do you notice?”
• “Where might I contradict myself?”
• “What perspectives might I be missing? What assumptions am I making?”
• “Where could my emotions bias my thinking?”
• “Give me the strongest possible counterargument.”

Then notice:

How different does the situation feel once it leaves your head and becomes visible?

🧠 Final Thought:

The best use of AI might not be replacing thought. It might be revealing how you think in the first place.

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊