Discovering Joy and Overcoming Perfectionism in your Life with Dr. Tiffany Moon [Episode 988]

This Week’s Episode Special Guest: Tiffany Moon 

In this episode Kimberly interviews Tiffany Moon, a board-certified anesthesiologist and reality TV star. Tiffany speaks about her journey of self-discovery and the lessons learned from her experiences on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Calls. Tiffany discusses the impact of reality TV on her work-life balance, the difference between joy and happiness, and the cultural influences that shaped her perfectionism. She speaks to the importance of authenticity in social media and the role of intention in finding joy in life. Through her personal stories and insights, Tiffany inspires listeners to embrace their true selves and cultivate joy from within. She discusses the importance of self-care, joy, and laughter in maintaining vitality and well-being. The dialogue also touches on the vulnerability of writing a memoir and the insights gained from the process.

 

About Tiffany Moon 

TIFFANY MOON, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, mother of twins, and author of the upcoming book, Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection (May 6, 2025, Legacy Lit). She is also the founder and CEO of Aromasthesia Candles, Three Moons Wine, and LeadHer Summit.

Dr. Moon has published over fifty peer-reviewed publications, is one of D Magazine’s “Best Doctors,” serves as an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology, and is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at the University of Texas’s Southwestern Medical Center Tiffany was the first medical doctor and Chinese American cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives and her story has been featured in Forbes, Variety, Harper’s Bazaar, USA Today, and more. She lives with her family in Dallas, TX.

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Guest Resources 

Book: JOY PRESCRIPTIONS: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection 

Website:   Main website: https://www.tiffanymoonmd.com/

                  Book website: https://joyprescriptions.com/

Social Media 

TikTok: @tiffanymoonmd 

Instagram: @tiffanymoonmd 

 

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Tiffany Moon and Her Journey
03:06 The Impact of Reality TV on Work-Life Balance
06:10 Understanding Joy vs. Happiness
08:50 Cultural Influences on Perfectionism
12:07 The Evolution of Self-Expression
14:52 Navigating Social Media and Authenticity
17:57 The Role of Intention in Life and Social Media
20:51 Embracing the Duality of Professionalism and Personality
24:11 Navigating Social Media and Public Perception
26:46 The Creative Process Behind the Book
29:41 Balancing Femininity and Professionalism
31:05 Self-Care Practices for Well-Being
35:05 The Connection Between Joy and Vitality
36:48 The Power of Laughter and Gratitude
40:41 The Vulnerability of Writing a Memoir

 

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• How to eat to reduce anxiety with Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo [Episode #867]

 

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Transcript: 

Kimberly Snyder (00:00.644)
Hi everyone and welcome back for a very special conversation with our guest today, Tiffany Moon, who has a fascinating bio. She is a board certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, keynote speaker. She has a new book out, which I love called Joy Prescriptions, How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection. Tiffany is also, you might recognize her as the first doctorand first generation Asian American to join Bravo’s Real Housewives show. So welcome to the show, Tiffany, and thank you so much for being here with us today.

Tiffany Moon (00:40.024)
Thank you so much for having me.

Kimberly Snyder (00:42.744)
You know, I’m getting goosebumps. When your book first came across my desk, I thought, huh, this is really interesting. I think we all have ideas about reality shows and then just the combination was so fascinating that you’re so driven and you’ve created so much in your professional space. And then when I started to get into your book, what really struck me as we chatted about a little bit before the show was just how heartfelt you are.

and you’re showing so much, you’re able to take off masks, which isn’t something that we normally associate with, you know, perhaps people that are in the limelight or people that are reality shows. So it’s just the whole, you know, everything that you bring to the table is a combination that is very unique.

Tiffany Moon (01:31.33)
Thank you. Yeah, sometimes people ask me why I wrote the book. And I think the answer is that I have so much to tell. And it’s very difficult on like a 60 second reel or TikTok to get vulnerable and deep with people. And so the book offers a much more in depth look into my life. And I think people who think they know me might even experience me a little different.

Kimberly Snyder (01:58.7)
Yes. Well, it was interesting in the book where you talk about how many people ask you, you know, one of the things people might ask right away is, hey, are you happy you did that show because there’s just so many eyeballs sort of scrutinizing and of course the way they edit things. And I thought it was really interesting how you talk about it helped you actually reframe your work life balance. So many of us are.

working moms, we’re raising kids, we’re trying to keep up with school, we have career ambitions, we wanna be healthy, there’s so many things. So it sounded like there was one really positive outcome of the show was that in your real life, you started to realize you needed to be more part-time.

Tiffany Moon (02:40.428)
Yeah, I was really grateful for that. The producers really get deep with you and they figure out sort of what makes you tick and what problems you’re having in your life. And then they really try to have you surface those issues. And for me, it was, you know, the elusive work-life balance. And the show kind of gave me the final push that I needed to ask to go part-time.

Kimberly Snyder (03:06.04)
Wow. And you also mentioned how you sort of felt like you were in this arena with other women who, you know, knew each other. It could seem a little bit maybe hostile at first.

Tiffany Moon (03:17.663)
hostile work environment.

Kimberly Snyder (03:22.106)
I mean, it’s just, mean, were there moments, you know, as we go into the book as well, you’re talking about joy, were there moments you were like, why am I doing this to myself? Like, why did I, you know, sign up for this? I don’t like this. I don’t, you know, what’s going on here?

Tiffany Moon (03:38.22)
Yeah, I mean, as a person who wrote an entire book about joy and tells others on a daily basis to cultivate joy, let me be the first to admit that Real Housewives of Dallas did not bring me much joy. It brought me many tears. It brought me many insights.

It brought a lot of drama, but not much joy. But that’s okay. Not everything in life has to be joyful. That’s the other thing. We’re not heatedness. Not everything has to be joyful. Sometimes you have to experience sorrow to experience joy.

Kimberly Snyder (04:01.528)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (04:12.856)
Right, there’s the contrast of seeing the, this, you know, to me, Tiffany, I’d love to hear how you think of joy. For me, it’s, part of it is having more peace, right? And just feeling like my mind isn’t racing. I’m not, you know, worrying and like backtracking, ruminating about the past, worried about the future. There’s a lot of joy in being present and just feeling like myself. Can you talk a little bit about how you see joy?

Tiffany Moon (04:40.63)
Yeah, I recently was talking to my friend Judith and she said something that really hit with me, which is that happiness is an idea and joy is the experience. Because sometimes people would ask me like, Dr. Moon, what’s the difference between happiness and joy? And for me, I think joy transcends happy. I think happy is like a state of being. know, like I’m happy if my team wins, I’m happy if my husband buys me roses.

Kimberly Snyder (04:51.93)
Mmm.

Kimberly Snyder (05:09.08)
Right, if. If.

Tiffany Moon (05:10.134)
Yeah, yeah, but it also kind of happy has this sort of like finish line thing to it. Like I’ll be happy when, right? And the when may or may not come. I feel like joy comes from the inside. Whereas happy often comes from the outside. And if you’re a joyful person, even though you’re having a bad day or you’re not in a joyful,

Kimberly Snyder (05:15.928)
Yes. Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (05:27.17)
Yes, yes.

Tiffany Moon (05:34.518)
scenario, you can still have joy on the inside, but it has to it’s like an inside job for sure.

Kimberly Snyder (05:42.894)
Well, I love again, as a doctor, you’re framing this book in terms of prescriptions, which have nothing to do with it, you the actual medical practice that you have, but actually talking about, I love this one, good on paper, being open to love in unexpected places. I went right to this chapter as well, being your authentic self, right? Finding your voice. And then you also, there’s also part of the book, the aspect of the book where you talk about being Asian American.

I’m also, or my mother’s from the Philippines, so there’s this, culturally this striving, I call myself a recovering perfectionist as well, Tiffany, where so much of my worth in grades and how well I did. When did you start to dismantle some of these really ingrained beliefs and patterns? Because you’re a mother of twin girls, right? And how old are your girls? Wow.

So just seeing how you were raised culturally, and of course every parent is doing their best so we’re not blaming or saying anything about our caregivers, but just from that pattern with perfectionism really strong into how you shifted and then into your daughters.

Tiffany Moon (06:59.114)
Yeah, I would like to think that I’m a more evolved parent. I try to praise my kids for their effort rather than the outcome. I try to catch them being good versus catch them being bad. So if they’re playing nice with one another and I see them sharing or lending a helping hand, I’m always like, my gosh, I saw that you did this. Like, I’m really proud of you for doing that or that was really kind.

Versus, you I don’t know about you, but for me, I feel like I only had negative reinforcement as a childhood. It was like, be on a math test, like spanking, you grounded. I was sent to bed with no supper. you know, and there was never this like, oh, good job, or you’re kind, you’re creative, you’re curious. Like all those traits were not.

Kimberly Snyder (07:35.578)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (07:43.044)
you

Tiffany Moon (07:52.288)
rewarded and therefore not enforced because as a child you’re gonna do whatever gets you the reward and the positive reinforcement. You know if you’re praised for being quiet and obedient then you’re probably going to continue to be quiet and obedient which is what I did for most of my life until I decided that I didn’t want to be quiet and obedient anymore.

Kimberly Snyder (08:05.432)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (08:09.186)
Exactly.

Kimberly Snyder (08:17.058)
And did that take place after you became a mother?

Tiffany Moon (08:21.802)
It probably took place after I became a real housewife. You had known me 10 years ago. I was not really this person. I was very soft-spoken. I never voiced my concerns. The waiter would send a dish out at a restaurant that was wrong. Like not what I ordered or didn’t have the sauce on the side like I had asked. And I would just eat it even though that’s obviously not what I wanted.

And my husband would be like, just send it back. Tell him you asked for the sauce on the side and you don’t like it soggy like that. And I’m like, no, it’s fine. It’s really not that big of a deal. Cause it just didn’t. And I’m like, he’s going to bring it back and spit in my food or something. But, I remember like, you know, going to get a massage for my birthday or something. And the masseuse was like, is the pressure okay? And I’m like, it’s fine.

Meanwhile, I’m like, I’m paying $100 for this guy to like apply lotion to me. He’s like not working hard at all. And I just, I was so, so afraid to like, I don’t know, have an opinion or say that I didn’t like something for fear that somebody wouldn’t like me. And it sounds so ridiculous now I realize, you like I’m paying for this massage. Like I should have the pressure how I want it. But I was just, I didn’t know who I was. I wasn’t sure of myself. I based.

Kimberly Snyder (09:26.49)
Mmm.

Tiffany Moon (09:43.703)
all my worth on external achievements and how much people liked me. And so therefore I didn’t have the balls to have an opinion that went against the status quo, because that would put in jeopardy somebody liking me. And that’s how I derived my worth. And it’s crazy. It’s crazy to tell you sitting here that going on Real Housewives is what finally let me

Kimberly Snyder (09:58.595)
Right.

Kimberly Snyder (10:11.962)
What a blessing.

Tiffany Moon (10:12.97)
It is a blessing. know, the show was not exactly what I thought it would be. It’s not what I signed up for, but in many ways it ended up being such a blessing for me.

Kimberly Snyder (10:25.624)
That’s amazing, Tiffany. It’s funny how, you know, depending on your beliefs, say God, spirit, universe brings you ways, brings all of us ways to grow and evolve. And it’s not always gonna be the ways that we think, but just being open to all the lessons and learning because I imagine it was really challenging on set. And as you describe in the book, you know, first coming into that experience and having a lot of drama, but at the end, you can sort of zoom out and say, wow, I really did get a lot of.

out of that experience.

Tiffany Moon (10:56.972)
Yeah, it’s crazy. This one little show like really changed my life in a lot of ways.

Kimberly Snyder (11:05.21)
So how did it change as you started to come into your voice and expression, which is a chapter in the book as well, how did it change your relationship with your husband?

Tiffany Moon (11:14.242)
You know, I don’t really think it changed my relationship with my husband. When I was debating to do the show, I called several people because I was not really familiar with the role Housewives. Certainly I knew what it was, but like I had not actually watched any of the franchises on a regular basis. And so I watched, so I called my friends that like knew the show, knew the characters, were Bravo Die Hard fans. And I was like, should I do Housewives?

Kimberly Snyder (11:31.737)
Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (11:43.002)
you

Tiffany Moon (11:43.028)
I interviewed and they offered me a spot, like, should I do it? And one of them was like, don’t do it, girl. They were like, Role Housewives is like the kiss of death for a marriage. And I was like, my God. They’re like, yeah, everybody who goes on that show like gets divorced. And I was like, my God. And I was like, so I really thought my marriage was in jeopardy if I did the show.

But spoiler alert, I’m still married, happily married. It’s been, God, 2008. No, 2000, we met in 2008. We got married in 2012, so 13 years. So I guess it’s not always true. But the show didn’t really change our marriage, just that, except for the fact while I was filming, I was not a very good wife, because I was basically working two full-time jobs. Because at the time we were filming,

I was still a full-time academic anesthesiologist. So I was either filming or in the hospital. If I wasn’t in the hospital, I was filming or sleeping. So I admittedly was not a very good wife or mother during filming. But again, it was 12 weeks. My husband and I talked about it. He was very supportive. He said, you film, I will take care of the house and the kids primarily while you’re doing this.

Kimberly Snyder (12:37.796)
Wow.

Tiffany Moon (13:02.419)
And it all worked out in many ways. Maybe it even brought us closer together

Kimberly Snyder (13:07.128)
What a beautiful partnership to have that type of communication and one person’s schedule ramps up and someone else is able to step in. So it sounds like you had a really solid relationship prior to the show. And maybe one of the reasons when people get under the spotlight, relationships can crumble is because perhaps the foundation wasn’t there or they start to go in different directions and it doesn’t always have to be that way, obviously.

Tiffany Moon (13:34.348)
Yeah, I think what you’re saying is right. think, you know, reality TV really puts everything under a microscope. And so if the foundation already had cracks and then you go on reality TV, it’s really going to crumble. But for those people that have strong marriages, I don’t think they have anything to worry about.

Kimberly Snyder (13:51.45)
You know, again, it’s really interesting that your book is about, part of this is perfectionism because I can’t think of any other way to scrutinize yourself. I used to work with a lot of celebrities and still do to an extent on these big, you know, television movies. You’re like, you could see every pore in your skin. You can evaluate how you look, your angles, your voice, how you come across in interviews. So,

How did that experience, which is sort of exacerbating every single aspect of yourself, soften you into a place of deeper self-acceptance, which might seem ironic?

Tiffany Moon (14:31.094)
Yeah, I think I had the benefit of being naive when I was filming for the show. I didn’t really understand reality TV and the producers and how they try to pit the cast members against each other. Like I was pretty naive, but like in a good way, almost in that like ignorance is bliss kind of way.

Kimberly Snyder (14:46.017)
We will.

Tiffany Moon (14:52.398)
So I really wasn’t worried about my angles or how I appeared or what my storyline would be I really was just myself on Housewives like how you see me on my season of Dallas is basically how I am maybe they pushed me a little farther than I would have gone in my regular life to have antics and pranks and things like that because after all we are filming but by and large like the personality that you see on TV is my true personality

Kimberly Snyder (15:12.73)
yeah.

Tiffany Moon (15:20.078)
So I didn’t try to like game the system in any kind of way because quite frankly, it’s exhausting to try to be someone else. Now, if you’re a professional actor or actress, obviously you’re playing the role of somebody else. You become and embody that person while on set. I don’t have any acting skills. I’m an anesthesiologist by trade. I put people to sleep for a living. So I was like, I’m just gonna go all in, be myself.

If people like it, great. And if they don’t, that’s fine too. Like I went into the show and into life and into social media already with the expectation that like not everyone likes me. Like that’s just not possible. I don’t like everyone I meet. So why would everyone who meets me like me? So I already set the expectation in my mind that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. That way when, you know, the negative

comments or criticisms come in, like it’s okay because I was already expecting that.

Kimberly Snyder (16:25.166)
That’s a really powerful message and I think where a lot of people really wish they could get to because, know, social media star, reality star or not, so many people are putting themselves out there on social media. example, in their own world, they’re like, you know, really, it’s a lot. And so negative comments can hurt a lot or you mentioned, you know, trying to be something you’re not. What would you say to, you know,

women everywhere, people everywhere that are trying to be something on social media and realizing it isn’t giving them joy and how they can find more joy.

Tiffany Moon (16:59.47)
If it’s not giving you joy, baby, stop. Like life is too short. I do social media consulting and coaching work with a lot of women physicians. take non-women physicians, but those tend to be my clients, I think, just because that’s how the word of mouth is. So I help them build their brand on social media. And some of them really pick up on it. They’re like, that’s so cool. And they’re just learning so much because it’s like a whole education in social media.

Kimberly Snyder (17:06.403)
Yeah.

Tiffany Moon (17:28.034)
And then once in a while, I will have a client and she’s like, this is exhausting. I hate being in front of the camera. I hate talking. I hate editing. I hate all of this. And I’m like, great, don’t do it anymore. Like if what you got out of my course and coaching was that you absolutely hate this and it’s not bringing you joy, don’t do it. You don’t have to do social media. Plenty of people have very successful dermatology, plastic surgery practices.

Kimberly Snyder (17:41.464)
Right.

Tiffany Moon (17:57.228)
you know, nutrition clinics, weight loss clinics, without being on social media. This is just one way that you can market yourself. But if it makes you miserable and doesn’t bring you joy, like baby girl, let it go.

Kimberly Snyder (18:11.16)
And in a similar vein, you could be on there and maybe you’re miserable because you’re using it in a way where you feel like you have to be perfect or be something else. And you can shift to be more authentic where you feel like it is bringing you joy for some of your.

Tiffany Moon (18:24.482)
Yeah, I mean, my social media brings me joy. I know that sounds so crazy. But I will tell you, sometimes my assistant and I will be making a reel. And we are cracking up like I’m gonna pee my pants. Like, we just need it so funny. We’re like spitting wine, you know what I mean? It tends to be after wine, let’s be honest. But like I enjoy social media. I’ve also met like amazing friends like some of my best friends right now. I first heard of them through social media.

Kimberly Snyder (18:30.169)
You’ll love it.

Tiffany Moon (18:53.614)
And then I connected with their content. Maybe they DMed me, I DMed them. I don’t know what happened. But like, seriously, some of my closest friends right now that have spoken at my Lead Her Summit, who have given me endorsements for joy prescriptions, if you look on the back and there’s the blurbs, the people who say nice things about my book, many of those people I met through social media, like Vivian too, I met through social media.

Kimberly Snyder (19:11.354)
Right.

Tiffany Moon (19:20.802)
Who else? Betsy Grunch. Like a lot of people. And so people are always poo-pooing social media, which I get. It’s a lot of bad too. It all depends on how you’re using it, you know? But I gain lots of joy from social media.

Kimberly Snyder (19:31.18)
Right.

Kimberly Snyder (19:37.69)
Well, I think it’s intention, right? And it goes back to, you have a whole chapter on intentions because perfectionism is where we’re just hyper-focused on outcomes. And if we don’t get the hundred on the, I remember, Tiffany, if I got a 98 on the test, would, failure, you know, like I don’t want to show the test to my parents, like all the things, right?

Tiffany Moon (19:51.018)
I’d be so pissed.

Kimberly Snyder (19:57.858)
So I love this idea of using intention, inserting it into our day, into our actions, into what we’re creating, because that is one thing that can be really clear. We can’t control the outcomes. So what would you say your intention is for your social media account at this moment? Because it’s bringing you so much joy. Like, what are you wanting to put out as some of the messages in the world right now?

Tiffany Moon (20:21.954)
Generally speaking, when I’m making or posting a piece of content, I ask myself, is it inspirational? Is it educational? Or is it entertaining? Sometimes it’s just straight up entertaining. Like some of my stuff is, you know, like this Crocs video that has been viewed like 10 or 11 million views. It’s crazy. Like how to style Crocs. And then I throw them in the trash can, you know? And I’m like, well, there goes my Crocs sponsorship. I don’t think they’re ever, which is funny because I own about

Kimberly Snyder (20:28.281)
Mm.

Kimberly Snyder (20:33.719)
Yes.

Tiffany Moon (20:51.04)
eight pairs of Crocs, like no lie, I love Crocs. It just was funny. And it’s like, that’s not educational or inspirational, you know? So social media is for different things, you know? And the other thing that I wanna do on social media is show people that you can be a serious, real life doctor who’s doing very serious things.

and outside of work, still have hobbies, still have a personality, still drop the occasional F-bomb. And that doesn’t mean you’re any less of a doctor because I’m tired of society, especially men, weaponizing professionalism when they don’t like something that a woman is doing. They call her unprofessional. And I just think it’s total BS. think…

Kimberly Snyder (21:17.688)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (21:33.764)
Yeah.

Tiffany Moon (21:36.422)
Unless you’re doing something outrageous or illegal or hurting somebody whatever you choose to do when you’re outside of your work is Your business and nobody else’s I just happen to be sharing it with millions of people But if I have to be the example for like look, she’s a serious doctor. She publishes papers She gives talks at national medical meetings and like she still dances on tik-tok. It appears that you can be both wow. What a novel idea

Kimberly Snyder (22:05.028)
Well, I’m getting goosebumps, Tiffany, because it’s such a beautiful, you are a beautiful embodiment of the divine feminine intelligence. Gorgeous, kind, right? And I’m not trying to flatter you, but we do need these examples to see that we, I feel like society always wants to put everyone in boxes. Like you’re going to be this and I’d put myself in, I want to be the smart one. I don’t like getting attention if people think I’m pretty. Like it was always like these things.

versus this wholeness, right? The heart energy is, know, the true self, we’re whole humans. We’re not meant to be perfect. We’re meant to express this uniqueness. So it’s, you know, you’re embodying it. You’ve written this book, but you also talk about how along the way there were challenges as a, you know, perfectionist growing up. Like you said, there wasn’t a lot of positive reinforcement. So anyone listening to this or watching this, you know, it’s a journey to get there. And

It’s the way your book is laid out. love how they’re stories and you’re writing these prescriptions. It’s something that we can continue like a North Star to work towards. Maybe we don’t wake up and always feel joyful. Maybe we still have some low self-esteem moments, but we can see that there’s somewhere to get to that, you know, is not, we don’t have to depend on external validation or other people’s ideas.

Tiffany Moon (23:25.826)
Yes, that’s beautifully put. I agree with that completely. And remembering that the joy needs to come within because it’s never going to come from out there. I know because I looked for it out there for decades and finally found it within myself.

Kimberly Snyder (23:42.894)
Now, would you say, as you’re doing this very unique path, you’re forging ahead and you have this lightness about you and just sort of like, this is what I’m doing. Would you say along the way, including right now, some of the more, if there are negative comments, they’re coming mostly from men, like you said, that are trying to sort of put you in a box because you’re a doctor and maybe shouldn’t be doing these outside things, or would you say there’s more criticism from women?

Tiffany Moon (24:11.074)
You know, I actually don’t know anymore because I hired a social media assistant and usually she gets to the comments before I do. I’ve been so busy now, because you know, I’m still in the operating room three days a week. I cut back on some of my clinical trials. So I’m not running any new clinical trials, but I am still doing the statistics and publishing of the ones that I finished. And then of course, you know, this book took me two years to write.

Kimberly Snyder (24:18.637)
boy.

Kimberly Snyder (24:33.177)
Wow.

Tiffany Moon (24:37.742)
And I have my social media things, you know, I go to school to serve lunch at my kids school and so, you know, I post and then I’m not in the comments as much as I used to be. So I think my either I’m less hated now or my social media manager is getting there and blocking people before I can see it. And I’m not really sure, but either way, I don’t see it.

Kimberly Snyder (24:41.39)
consulting.

Kimberly Snyder (25:03.034)
I love that. And I think that’s part of this. It’s protecting you in a way so you can just really be your fullest expression because it’s not elevating anything to read negativity. It’s like being on negative news all day long. You know, I’m not sure.

Tiffany Moon (25:15.01)
Yeah. Okay, but this is always my question for like the negative Nancy’s and the trolls on social media. Like you are on my feed. You know what I mean? Like, why are you coming? Like you can block me. Like if I piss you off that bad, if my voice is so annoying or I’m so ugly or I’m so self-centered, like block me. I will never show up on your feed again. When they like comment and I think, I think.

Kimberly Snyder (25:38.969)
Right.

Tiffany Moon (25:42.734)
Sometimes they want a reaction out of you. They want to see if you’ll engage and respond back and you know what I mean? Like I’m not I don’t have time for all

Kimberly Snyder (25:52.984)
Well, just the fact that someone would take a precious moment of their life and write something negative, just projecting out chaos, pain inside of them, right? It’s clearly about that other person, but it doesn’t mean that, you know, it can’t hurt sometimes as well.

Tiffany Moon (26:08.225)
yeah, for sure, for sure. Yeah, I’ve had those moments, but I think in everyone’s journey of putting themselves out there, there’s that stage where the comments hurt. And then I think you get past it and then it rolls off you. Yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (26:22.922)
Right. Well, going back to the book, tell us a little bit about, I was interested as I was reading the order in which you were writing these prescriptions, which are in part one, part two, and part three. Can you tell us a little bit about the process, the inspiration for the actual subjects and how you started to group them together as you were writing the book?

Tiffany Moon (26:46.102)
You know, the grouping came later. The naming of the chapters came later. Like, I just wrote. It was very stream of consciousness writing.

Kimberly Snyder (26:51.962)
Mmm.

Wow.

Tiffany Moon (26:56.398)
I just wrote because I didn’t want to start censoring myself at the beginning or having an outline. I actually did the opposite of what they teach you in English class, which is to like make an outline and then fill it in. I just started writing because this is a memoir because it’s my story. You know, I just started writing and I was like, I’ll come back later and massage it. I’ll make sure, you know, I actually had to take some parts out that I thought was like a little too much.

Kimberly Snyder (27:07.097)
Right.

Tiffany Moon (27:24.778)
or I thought that if somebody read it, it would hurt them and I’m not in the business of hurting other people, but I also need to feel seen for how I felt as a child. Like I felt lonely, I felt neglected and that’s a valid feeling for me to feel. But I did end up deleting some of the stuff that I wrote in the earlier chapters because…

Kimberly Snyder (27:39.652)
Yes.

Tiffany Moon (27:50.402)
Quite frankly, I don’t think it was necessary to the crux of the book as a whole. And I just, didn’t want someone to read my book and feel bad about something. But in the process of writing, I just wrote. Like I just wrote from beginning to end. And actually there was another chapter, a whole chapter got deleted. I wanted 13 chapters because 13 is my lucky number. It’s random, right? Like why did I come up with that?

Kimberly Snyder (28:01.922)
Right.

Tiffany Moon (28:21.289)
And we deleted a chapter and then I told my editor and I was like, but now there’s only 12 and 12 is not 13. And she’s like, well, you have an introduction and a conclusion and both of those are basically half chapters. So it adds up to 13. And I was like, I like your math, let’s go with that. However, we need to like justify, it’s like girl math, you know what I mean? I tried to buy a sweater the other day, it was like $27.

And then free shipping was $30. And so I bought something else so I could get free shipping. I was like, girl mass, it made sense to me.

Kimberly Snyder (28:49.89)
Yeah

Kimberly Snyder (28:54.714)
Tiffany, going through this very clinical aspect of your career in medical school and clinical trials and anesthesiology, was there ever a time where you felt disconnected from your incredibly feminine nature? Right? Because anyone, if you’re listening to this, please pop on our YouTube and check out Tiffany, who has beautiful complexion, hair, beautiful makeup, everything is very feminine and your demeanor.

And sometimes, because I’ve been reading some of this research, like sometimes we can just be really, it’s hard for women, right? Because we want to be successful, but then we can start to get a little bit hardened or push ahead and feel like we have to be more masculine. Did you ever feel disconnected from your femininity?

Tiffany Moon (29:41.196)
I mean, yeah, I feel it a little bit right now. I’m kind of in like hustle mode right now, which is okay because there’s different seasons of life. There’s winter, spring, summer, fall, like the seasons go. Right now, I’m in a growth phase of my life. I’m launching my first ever book. Like that’s a big deal. And in some days you’re going so hard, which is sort of a masculine energy, especially in the operating room, being the anesthesiologist, taking care of patients.

Kimberly Snyder (29:49.687)
Yeah.

Tiffany Moon (30:08.386)
you know, that I’m talking about myself all day. Sometimes when I get home, it’s difficult for me to take off that persona and get into my more feminine energy to be the softer version of myself that I need to be for my children and my husband, which is a more nurturing, laid back vibe. And it’s not like I’m a different person. I mean, I’m still me.

Kimberly Snyder (30:16.815)
Mm-hmm.

Tiffany Moon (30:36.826)
But I think it’s the softer side of me and it’s like letting my walls down once I’m home. But yeah, sometimes I do struggle with it a little bit. It’s like I still feel like the armor’s on and I’m like needing to go into battle and then my family’s like, you know, chill out mom. Like it’s fine. And I’m like, yeah.

Kimberly Snyder (30:42.594)
Right.

Kimberly Snyder (30:55.556)
there any self-care practices that help you feel centered and soft and really secure in yourself?

Tiffany Moon (31:05.325)
Yes, I have lots. I am an introvert, so I love a good block of alone time. I love a good guided meditation. If it’s not guided and I’m just left to my own devices, not so good. Guided, much better. I love reading. Absolutely love reading. I am now doing like biohacking things because I’m in my 40s and I’m trying to like live as long as possible. So I bought an infrared sauna.

Kimberly Snyder (31:33.483)
Yeah

Tiffany Moon (31:34.106)
and a cold plunge. So I do like 30 to 45 minutes in the infrared sauna and then like a three to five minute cold plunge is part of my like wellness and then I do a whole skincare routine which you you said if they’re watching on YouTube I have a beautiful complexion which I have to say thank you for the compliment and it is because I work diligently on my skincare. I have like a eight step

Kimberly Snyder (32:00.644)
Mmm.

Tiffany Moon (32:02.542)
skincare routine and then a mask and then this other thing and a derma roller. Like I’m doing all the things. Like I didn’t just wake up like this.

Kimberly Snyder (32:13.626)
But you know, with your ancestors and your family, were you born with pretty good skin and you’re elevating it? Yeah.

Tiffany Moon (32:20.694)
Yes, of course. Yeah, you know, they say Asian don’t raisin, right? Like hashtag Asian don’t raisin. You never heard that girlfriend. Okay, well, you know, people would say like, you know, black don’t crack. And I was like, well, then Asian don’t raisin. I didn’t make that up. I don’t own that. I wish I had. I must have heard I can’t recall exactly where the original source came from.

Kimberly Snyder (32:27.898)
It’s her!

Kimberly Snyder (32:32.92)
Yes, I’ve heard that.

Did you make that up or you heard it?

Well, come on, how have I not heard this when I’m half Asian?

Tiffany Moon (32:50.51)
but it’s certainly not me. I wish I was that clever, but no, I heard it from someone and then I stole it now I say it all the time. So yes, I was blessed with the good genes. That is for sure. And I take really good care of my skin. I do all the things and I mostly stay out of the sun or wear like SPF 50 and a huge hat. I’m basically like your Asian grandma walking down the street with my dogs.

I was social distancing before it was cool too in 2020 because I have an umbrella hat that makes me social. No seriously, people thought it was a gimmick for housewives, but like actually I wear an umbrella hat. You can ask my neighbors, they see me all the time.

Kimberly Snyder (33:26.414)
That’s hilarious.

Kimberly Snyder (33:35.812)
What you’re still kind of, are you wearing tinted moisturizer?

Tiffany Moon (33:40.11)
Oh, this is foundation, but I love tinted moisturizer. There’s one by an Asian brand called Tower 28. It’s SPF 30, which isn’t as good as 50, but it’s not linear. starts at like 50 is not almost twice as good as 30. It starts to plateau. But the SPF 30 tinted moisturizer from Tower 28 is amazing. And then it cosmetics has a CC cream that’s a SPF 50. And I have bought probably like six

Kimberly Snyder (33:55.716)
Got it.

Tiffany Moon (34:09.848)
tubes of that over and over and over again. So yeah, I’m obsessed with that IT Cosmetics CC cream.

Kimberly Snyder (34:16.986)
Well, you know, Tiffany, besides all your self care practices back to joy and feeling centered and feeling intentional and creative, that is anti-aging. So much of my last book was about heart coherence and feeling, when you’re feeling really clear and calm in yourself, all your systems start to get more entrained and more energy efficient, your digestion improves, your hormones balance. So there’s…

You know, I think what we’re seeing in your skin is your skincare, but it’s also you living a life where you’re not as attached to what other people think. Clearly there’s a lightness, you’re having fun on social media, you’re having fun with your projects. I really think that makes such a difference in our vitality and it comes out in our physical appearance as well.

Tiffany Moon (35:05.368)
I agree 1000%. You know, people are in toxic relationships. They worry a lot. They’re in jobs that they don’t feel fulfilled in and then their work is not valued and they’re not making a difference. And it shows on their face. that, you know, your cortisol levels are high. Your sympathetic nervous system is revved up. Therefore, you’re not in rest and digest mode. You’re in fight or flight mode.

Kimberly Snyder (35:17.689)
Right.

Kimberly Snyder (35:24.12)
Yeah.

Tiffany Moon (35:34.69)
So guess what all your body’s natural processes go towards fight or flight and like having, you know, your muscles be activated and they’re like, we don’t really care about like wrinkles right now because you’re probably going to die, you know, but if you can lean towards more activation of your parasympathetic system, I think your skin is more glowy. Like your hair doesn’t fall out as much. Maybe that’s too much of a leap, but I do think there’s something to be said.

for joy manifesting in physical form as a more radiant human being.

Kimberly Snyder (36:08.762)
Well, I don’t think it’s a leap at all, Tiffany. There’s so much, we know cortisol breaks down collagen. We know all these factors come into play. one thing I see with women today, if I could say one thing is don’t just focus on diet and exercise, which is so important, but how to live with more joy is incredibly important to your overall energy and vitality.

Is there something you would, you know, there’s so many topics in here. I love this, exploring creativity, using your voice for what you believe in. There’s so many messages here. What’s one we haven’t covered yet that you think is so important?

Tiffany Moon (36:48.718)
How about the power of laughter?

Kimberly Snyder (36:51.885)
Okay.

Tiffany Moon (36:52.904)
We need to laugh more. Look at it. Look at a toddler. Look at a child. Look at how frequently they laugh. I mean, my friend has a toddler like I can put my finger in my nose and he’s like, you know, I made the baby laugh. Right. Like, and then look at adults. We are so scowly. Everyone’s first of all, looking down on their phones in the elevator. No one’s even making eye contact. And we’re all just so scowly. Like sometimes I’ll try smiling at someone just to like see if they smile back.

Kimberly Snyder (37:00.194)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (37:05.369)
you

Tiffany Moon (37:21.782)
And sometimes they smile back. Sometimes they look surprised. Sometimes they’re like, what does this chick want? But laughter. Like, we don’t laugh near enough. Laughter releases oxytocin. It decreases your cortisol. It takes less muscles in the face to smile than to frown. No one wants those 11 lines in between their eyebrows. That’s not cute. And I just, I think our society…

has forgotten the power of love.

Kimberly Snyder (37:53.666)
I love that. And it’s so natural, like you said, to go back to the purity of the moment and seeing things from a lighter perspective. What do you do, Tiffany, if you start to get down on yourself a little bit? Old patterns come in, you start to buy into stories, thoughts. How do you move yourself out of that into a more joyful moment?

Tiffany Moon (38:15.054)
gratitude helps a lot because I will get down, things are not going my way, you know, this didn’t happen and a sponsor pulled out of the summit or a speaker canceled last minute, you know, life happens. And if I can flip my mindset to one of being grateful, it will help me get over the humps. And one thing that I heard on a podcast about a year or two ago was that

Kimberly Snyder (38:17.992)
and

Tiffany Moon (38:44.512)
some people would take your problems and call them blessings. And I was like, crap. I was like, that one hit me kind of hard. And I was like, I have a lot. Like I should stop complaining. Like, cause it’s easy to get into yourself and be like, wah wah, it’s not going my way, you know? And then you think about, you know, the greater world and just zoom out a little.

Kimberly Snyder (38:50.464)
Right.

Tiffany Moon (39:12.994)
You know, I think the world right now, we just all become too self-centric. You just do them out a little. And then you realize like, ugh, it’s not that big of a deal. Like I should let it go. It’s not worth the wrinkles.

Kimberly Snyder (39:23.866)
Well, it is true. We get in our heads and it starts to feel so like, like, you know, linear and these thoughts. But zooming out for me, Tiffany, is like going to your heart, just really feeling, like you said, the gratitude, the appreciation, which is part of our heart aligned meditation. We did a research study. Four weeks, we found that just doing this eight minute practice where there’s appreciation increased heart coherence almost 30%. So that’s also better digestion, hormonal balance, all these amazing things.

Tiffany Moon (39:52.63)
Yes, this activates your parasympathetic nervous system. Yes, I love that.

Kimberly Snyder (39:53.452)
Very simple, but coming in. Yes.

It’s very empowering, I think, because you realize you can choose joy. You can choose to shift your perspective instead of wallowing or getting down into the fear or the dark thoughts.

Tiffany Moon (40:13.154)
Yep, exactly. You have a choice. Choose joy.

Kimberly Snyder (40:17.218)
Well, I appreciate how many stories there are in your book as well, because it really brings this to life. There’s a, a, using my hands, there’s like a fullness to the book. Was it hard for you to really be this vulnerable? You said you were writing sort of stream of consciousness. And then were you ever like, wow, I’m gonna just edit this later. Let me just get it all out.

Tiffany Moon (40:41.186)
Yes, I was like, I’m just gonna edit it later. I just need to get it all out. And my editor said that to me too. That’s what she recommended. She was like, just write what you want and let’s edit later. She was like, don’t start editing yourself editorializing, censoring. She was like, that’s my job. You write how you feel, how you remember what happened to you, you your experiences, your thoughts, what you want the reader to take away. My job is to come through and make it coherent and

Kimberly Snyder (40:47.875)
Yes.

Tiffany Moon (41:10.478)
make sense, I would always ask my editor, I was like, does that make sense? And she’s like, yes, it makes sense. I don’t know, I was looking for like, validation, you know, I wanted her to tell me that it was good. And so I learned a lot, you know, writing a book, a memoir, especially, is very cathartic. It’s like rolling years of therapy into one exercise.

Kimberly Snyder (41:16.986)
you

Kimberly Snyder (41:30.936)
Yes.

Kimberly Snyder (41:39.736)
It’s funny because I feel that with my books too, which are not memoirs, but it’s almost like I’m teaching and reinforcing to myself what I’m writing about. And, know, the process of that book just opening my heart so much during the writing, it’s really a gift to be able to write a book.

Tiffany Moon (41:58.306)
Yeah, it’s been a very meaningful process and I’m just so excited for people to read it. You know, like I’ve been working so hard and so long and now people are gonna read it and I hope that it gives them meaningful insights and that they choose joy and live with more intention and gratitude and laughter.

Kimberly Snyder (42:19.524)
Well, congratulations, Tiffany. It really is such a wonderful book. I love what your topics are. I love how you lay it out. I love how easy it is to read and entertaining, but at the same time, there’s real substance in every single chapter. And I think, you know, people benefit so much from reading your book. Can you tell us about where to get your newly published book and to find out more about you and your work?

Tiffany Moon (42:45.664)
Yes, the book is available on JoyPrescriptions.com or anywhere books are sold. I can be found at Tiffany Moon MD. That’s my website for coaching, consulting, public speaking, and then on all the social media platforms, I’m at Tiffany Moon MD.

Kimberly Snyder (43:06.798)
Beautiful. Well, we will link to this everyone as well in our show notes at mysaluna.com as well as direct link to Tiffany’s book. Is there an audio as well, Tiffany?

Tiffany Moon (43:17.32)
Yes, there’s an audio book and I read it. if you can stand the sound of my voice, which I’ve been told is, we can talk about that later. I narrated the audio book so I can read the book to you for those of you who would rather listen than read.

Kimberly Snyder (43:28.654)
I love you.

Kimberly Snyder (43:37.55)
Great to have that option, especially if we’re driving our kids around everywhere or just driving back and forth.

Tiffany Moon (43:42.776)
I love me a good audiobook, especially if it’s read by the writer of the book. So yes, yes.

Kimberly Snyder (43:48.666)
Yes, beautiful. Well, congratulations again and thank you so much for sharing some of your beautiful wisdom and your heart with us. Deeply appreciate it. And thank you everyone again so much for tuning in. Go out, get Tiffany’s book, check out our show notes once again at mysaluna.com. We’ll have direct links as well as to articles and other podcasts I think you would enjoy. We’ll be back here soon for our next interview next Monday. Till then, take great care and sending you all so much love.

Tiffany Moon (43:56.504)
Thank you.