Everybody gets stuck sometimes. As an expert in mental health, the realization that you yourself are not immune to moments of feeling completely overwhelmed, boxed in, anxious, and sometimes stuck can be a pesky, slippery fish to grasp onto into the vast flowing river of practice management. How you handle these moments will help you and your practice flourish, and the trials only make your practice better if you allow yourself to learn from them.
Remember, failures and successes are just road markers along the journey; you are not your practice/business. Take a gander at our Seven Keys to Self Care to combat those irritating moments (like feeling utterly overwhelmed after you’ve called on your twenty-seventh prior authorization of the day.) While insurance policies are the absolute wooooooooorst, you don’t have to stay bogged down by these types of seemingly-never-ending frustrations.
When you’re feeling stuck, whether it be in your day-to-day tasks of managing your practice or in your career as a physician-entrepreneur, leaning into your difficulties and wiggling your way through the muck and mire is the best solution. Most times, the only way out is through. This is, of course, easier said than done, but it is possible.
Be forewarned: pushing through is mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially draining. Acting otherwise (i.e. thinking you’re the exception to the rule) leads towards burnout, and investing what energy you can spare to steer clear of that path is vital. We have a few tips to get you unstuck and back to flourishing, passion, and growth:
- Do it for someone else
Remaining in the middle of practice management chaos feels less burdensome when you are actively immersed in beneficence. Don’t neglect yourself or lose sight of your own hopes and dreams; when you’re feeling stuck, that little edge of added motivation to push through is most easily done in honor of someone else. Riding the line between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is an entrepreneurial skill to manage and can lead to “analysis paralysis.” Remembering your place in this world as only one part of a much larger picture is a great way to get unstuck.
- Get outside in nature
Mounting evidence proves that unplugging from our digital-obsessed lives is paramount to regulating mental and emotional health, but the benefits don’t stop there. Spending time out in nature boosts our creativity. Instead of spending money on an online creativity course, save your money and take a walk outside in the real air and real grass and real trees… Let go and allow the clouds in the sky, the flowers in the field, the birds singing and fluttering to unlock a new level of understanding within you. A little fresh air and run-in with nature is all it takes to let your soul, spirit, mind, and heart feel more free and less stuck.
- Confront your fear of failure and change
You want to succeed. If you’ve taken the plunge to pour your heart and soul into healthcare and owning your own practice, your tendency to err on the side of caution is natural (and not necessarily a bad thing). While protecting what you’re working so hard to build and maintain, taking a moment to reflect on your fears is sometimes all it takes to overcome your stuckness. Embrace it. Name it. Feel it. These times of self-reflection and commitment to growth won’t come to fruition without a confrontation with your fear of change. Acknowledge your expectations and fear of failing, and then choose to let them go. You will find a new depth of capacity to get out of your comfort zone (which may be what’s causing you to feel stuck in the first place).
- Release yourself from unrealistic expectations
While taking a moment to confront your fear of failure and change, you may discover a few expectations that are not actually facilitating actualization of your dreams and goals. You may feel in a rut, stuck and unable to move forward in a direction that you shouldn’t be moving in at all. We would suggest combatting this potential wall by regularly revisiting your goals and expectations, and deciding if they are still what you want, and if your business/practice/work are actually leading directly in that direction or not. Letting go is not easy, but finding a new path forward is worth it in the end, especially if it leads to your truly desired outcome.
- Schedule a “break”
No one said you’re expected to work 24/7/365. Especially in the day-to-day moments of feeling stuck, breaking away absolutely helps reset your brain and mind. The trick is to literally create a named and protected space in your calendar for “break.” If that term bothers you, call it something else: “pause,” “adventure,” “mission.” Intentionally incorporating breaks into your daily rhythm prevents you from violating your mantra of “sticking to the schedule” while also being mindful that no machine (not even our brains) can run continuously. Studies show that breaks are powerful tools when used appropriately.
- Let yourself win
Not everybody is a Monica, but whether you’re extremely competitive or not, sometimes all you need is a good win to help get you out of a slump. One motivational speaker encourages you to get up each day and make your bed as your first “win” of the day. Set a new achievable goal, and allow yourself to knock it out of the park. Celebrate your win, and then let the morale boost carry you out of the place you’ve found yourself stuck in and into a new realm of possibilities to conquer!
The feeling of being stuck is a roadblock we all hit. Acknowledging the reason why we’ve gotten there while actively moving past it is key to seeing your practice (and yourself) flourish. Simply Psych is on your team! If you’re feeling stuck and need to off-load more of your practice management, we are happy to help. Reach out to us at hello@simplypsych.com.
Find us wherever you are.
Recent Comments