How to avoid burnout as a health & wellness practitioner
Let's talk about hustling. I've been hustling hard this year. Putting myself out there. Launching new products and services. Trying to grow my practice. And all the hustling is kind of making me hate what I do.
Maybe hate is a little strong.
But it's certainly been taking over my life and taking a little bit of the joy out of my practice.
I realised last month that it was March and I was feeling burned out already. That I needed to pull back and spend a little time filling my bucket back up. Taking care of my emotional health. Having a little more fun.
That can look like making time for a morning hike with a friend. Being outside in nature, just talking and sharing. And it can also look like beers and hotdogs at a Sunday night hockey game, shouting and cheering and laughing your ass off.
Working for yourself - running your own practice a has some huge benefits. That's undeniable. You have more control over what you work on, you get to set your own hours, and you get a unique sense of satisfaction from knowing that you're building something that is all yours.
But being financially successful as a health and wellness practitioner is hard. And it involves a lot of hustling. And that can get really tiring. If you're not careful then you can risk spending all the time you're not in your treatment room just hustling to get people back in there. But selling yourself and your practice shouldn't take over your life. And with the right mindset it doesn't have to.
Here are six simple tips to avoid hustling yourself into burnout:
Tip #1 - Carve out time for promoting your practice
Having set times to work on your marketing and promotion during your working day will keep you organised and avoid your business eating into your personal time.
Tip #2 - Create a plan and follow it
Winging it is both tiring and ineffective. Taking a little time to come up with a simple marketing and content plan ensures consistency, productivity, and keeps you focussed and on track.
"Greatness only comes before hustle in the dictionary" – Ross Simmonds
Tip #3 - Get help
If your budget allows it then outsource some marketing or administrative support. If it doesn't then lean on your clinic to provide more sales and marketing support for you. What are they doing to advertise your empty slots? Are they sharing your content to their own social channels and website? Are they cross promoting your services to their customer base? When was the last time they followed up with your lapsed patients?
Tip #4 - Get a sense of direction
Have you considered working with a coach or mentor? Talking through your plans with someone else is a great way to take your big ideas and break them into smart and achievable goals. A good coach will help you focus, prioritise, and stay on track. And more importantly will pull you up when you need to pause and pivot.
Tip #5 - Build a support network
Networking and connecting with other health and wellness practitioners is an invaluable way to share, support and collaborate. The chances are they've been through the same highs and lows that you have and can provide advice, help and a sense of solidarity when you're starting to feel burned out. That kind of connection is golddust.
Tip #6 - Invest in the things that bring you joy
Don't lose track of the reasons why you chose to be a self-employed practitioner, and find time for the things that bring you joy. Remember what you are working so hard for and prioritise it by practicing great self-care, and finding time to enjoy hobbies, fun activities and adventures. Because you can't pour from an empty cup.
And always, always make time for the friends, family and loved ones who fill your bucket up. Because if you're constantly giving to your business and your patients you'll risk burning yourself out. Remember; you simply can't pour from an empty cup. What's the thing that gets you through periods of intense hustling? Leave me a comment below.
