Practitioner Burnout

As a practitioner, whether that be a nurse, a fitness instructor, massage therapist, doctor, a dietician, or a counsellor, we rely on ourselves being on top of our game to deliver a quality service for our clients.

We really are our most important asset, particularly if we are self-employed. If we are unable to work, we are unable to make a living, so what are you doing to keep your biggest investment, yourself, in tip-top condition?

We take our cars for a yearly MOT, but the human body is one of the most refined, specialist pieces of 'machinery' on the planet, so how often are we getting it checked over and cared for? I smashed my way through my 20s and was incredibly lucky to have a body that bounced back from whatever I threw at it, without missing a beat at work. But our middle decades often brings the greatest period of change in our lives. As women, we have the potential of spending a number of years pregnant and recovering from pregnancy, so our bodies go through a lot of adjustments. Throughout our 30s and 40s our hormonal profile is changing and shifting which can have a profound effect on our bodies and minds. If we are wanting to work until retirement (which is now well into our 60s), we need to think of how we are going to continue safely providing care for others.

Practitioners spend a lot of time giving our clients the gold-standard in advice as to how to take care of themselves, but I have found we are often very bad at taking our own advice. It can be very hard to reach out and take the time and financial steps towards getting treatment on a regular basis. This is an obstacle if, like me, you are the only practitioner in clinic. Even the word 'treat'ment implies getting a regular massage or chiropractic appointment is a 'treat' rather than a necessity.

Preventative Care

Now dentists have got this nailed. We are all encouraged to go the dentist 6-12monthly, despite having no symptoms, because if we wait until we are in pain, it can involve losing a tooth! However, we will wait until we are pain before reaching out to a chiropractor or manual therapist rather than getting ahead of it before it happens. Preventative care is not something new, and it makes a lot of sense.

Getting a regular treatment with a practitioner who really understands the demands on you, can also do wonders for your physical and mental welfare. Sometimes we just need to be looked after and cared for, so that we can go out to work and continue caring and helping others. This is particularly relevant for those who have caring roles at home and at work where there really isn't a lot of time for self-care.

Exercise

Take a step back and really think about what you need your body to do in any given working day? Are you spending hours on your feet, are you travelling, do you have to demonstrate activities, or are you physically lifting and moving patients? Having an exercise regime specifically tailored to support your needs can be really beneficial in injury prevention, in addition to the usual benefits of exercise.

Nutrition

It goes without saying that fueling your body and mind is essential for keeping you going. Being dehydrated or under-fuelled affects your energy levels, your ability to concentrate and delivery of a quality service. Long term implications of a poor diet, frequent snacking or eating on the run, are disruption to your blood sugar levels and therefore, a greater risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Sleep

Making sure you get the right amount of quality sleep for you, is essential for your good health. Are you taking your work to bed? Taking a break from your phone a few hours before bed can be key to improving your sleep. If you are teaching late night classes, then establish a really good bedtime routine, where you focus on your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and dialing down your sympathetic (fight and flight). This needs to include cooling your body temperature enough to sleep. So if you have been teaching a high intensity cardio class, give your room a blast of fresh air, take a moderate to cold shower, wearing cooler PJs and drink a glass of water. Reading a book or journaling can help clear your head if you work with patients, allowing you to switch off and truly relax.

Healing

Above all, building into your working day space and time to recover and rest. Only by creating balance can you increase longevity in your profession. They say the average career span for a full time massage therapist is 8 years, and that most leave the profession or reduce/stop massage provision due to injury (including repetitive injury) and reduced stamina. It becomes harder to do 5 hours of full body massage a day, 5 days a week the older we get and this is especially true if you're juggling family and life as well as work. So how can you arrange your day and your week to include down-time for rest and recovery? Do you work better in the mornings or are you an evening person, and can you arrange appointment visits to respect those energy fluctuations?  Is there anything you can add to your routine to encourage and accelerate healing?

Take Home Message

Being a practitioner can come with it's own unique set of challenges, both physical and mental. Practitioner burnout is especially common when caring for others in an unbalanced way. To avoid a shortened career in a profession you love, it is essential to carve out time and space to take care of yourself, so that you can continue to take care of your clients. Above are a few ideas of how to achieve a better work/life balance, how to maximise your recovery and how to stay one step ahead of practitioner burnout. If you are in a position where you can turn to colleagues for treatment, then 'treatment swaps' are an ideal way of caring for your team. Or if you are a sole practitioner, then get in touch, I provide expert care and rehab from a place of understanding and empathy as a fellow practitioner.