Simply Psych’s Seven Keys to Self-Care for Clinicians

“Self-care.” “Wellness.” “Mindfulness.” All of these words and concepts, though probably all good-intentioned, can get confusing quickly. At Simply Psych, we believe in practical practice management tools to help you help others. We also believe that finding peace and purpose helps your private practice flourish. Our Seven Keys to Self-Care ensure you and your practice live a healthy co-existence (not co-dependence.) 

1) You are not your practice/business. In choosing a business name, you can use your own if you’d like. But we want you to keep in mind that, legally, it’s a separate stand-alone entity that can succeed or fail. Either way, it’s not you. Remembering this distinction will help you to remain grounded as the wonderful, unique person that you are, regardless of the state of your business. You are so much more than a concept or idea you create.

2) Let go. “Resign your position as general manager of the universe.” This quote by Jeffrey Gitomer is compelling and to the point. No business, (not Meta, not Amazon, not Apple) can do all and be all. Neither can you. So relax and focus. Find your niche, and go hard in the paint in that area, fully committed to excellence, but not perfection. Control will only result in burnout, and refusing to let go will stifle your grand growth.

3) Prioritize your priority. We each have something we want to get out of owning and running a practice. Write this down and stay focused. Let your “Why” be your driving force so that when the overwhelming hard times come (and they WILL come), you can feel encouraged to keep pushing and finding success. It can be a personal goal or a desire for the betterment of someone else. No matter what, define it and visit it often to stay motivated.

4) Sleep and Quiet. “Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom,” as stated by Francis Bacon, is a truth so often impossible in our modern era of constant distractions and unlimited content. Not to mention we spend a third of our lives asleep, so make it count. Getting above the din and spending time in solitude/silence helps clear the mind, and allowing time for our minds to fully rest in sleep is vital to a healthy, ready-to-conquer-the-day attitude. Stop scrolling, let the silence speak to you, and get some sleep.

5) Stay active. We advise that you burn some calories at least five days a week. Working out, doing a vigorous puzzle, going out dancing with friends. Get moving and crank up that metabolism. Nobody is surprised by the fact that an active lifestyle promotes greater overall health and wellness, including mental health. Yet we so often neglect to carve out time or push ourselves to actually be active. Make it a priority, and your mind and body will thank you.

6) Forgive yourself. You’re going to mess up. A lot. Accept that it’s part of the learning process and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Without failure, how could we learn and grow? The key part of getting back up after failing is forgiving yourself. Without letting go of shame or regret, they’ll slowly corrode your energy and enthusiasm.  As the risks you take become smaller and smaller, you’ll have no chance to fail;  thus no chance to truly grow.

7) Ask for help. You can’t do it all alone. Building a great team makes all the difference in the world. It doesn’t have to be all employees; hiring contractors can be just as powerful if you structure things correctly. Seeking the insight and perspective of others not only makes you a sharper, more rounded individual, but it also sparks greater creativity and potential as inclusivity and collaboration are critical drivers of growth and success. Humility is wisdom in action.

Simply Psych is happily here to help with your practice management questions and concerns at any point in your journey. Whether you need practical help in running the day-to-day requirements, or maybe you just need some good old consultation in prioritizing and setting goals, Simply Psych has you covered. Check us out here and let us know how we can help.