BY DANIELLA DOON-JOSEPH, CBT
The sight of burnt orange falling leaves, the smell of pumpkin spice latte, the feel of the crisp autumn chill across your cheeks. It’s the final quarter of the year, when Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hannukah and Christmas come racing in one after the other. It’s a lot to juggle personally, professionally and socially … and it can be exhausting!
It’s unsurprising that this time of year can bring feelings of anxiety, exhaustion and a general sense of heaviness. And it can feel almost paradoxical given this time of year is often described as “joyful, festive and cheerful”. Clients will ask you to squeeze them in for a last-minute appointment, you’ll be juggling your to-do list in your mind alongside planning for the next quarter, and life will throw unexpected curveballs when you least expect it.
Burnout as a therapist is real – and quite often as therapists we tend to think “one more appointment won’t hurt” or “when things get quiet, I’ll take some time off”. And because we know the signs of burnout, we can take it for granted that we’ll catch it in time. With so much to do during limited hours in day, it may be that you end up burning the candle at both ends and committing to more than you would normally agree to.
With this in mind, I’d like to invite you to take a moment to pause and take a quiet moment to think about these questions:
• How am I feeling in this very moment?
• What emotions am I noticing?
• How does my body feel?
• How would I describe my motivation level?
Regardless of your answers, I want you to know that you are not alone in how you may be feeling.
We’re socialized to give an answer of a singular feeling when others ask us how we are, with most of us responding “okay”. Sound familiar? Truth is there’s a mélange of feelings we experience in any given moment in a day. For example, when you’re preparing to treat your next client you might notice feelings of calm, anxiety, excitement or dread about them. Or perhaps when you think about these final 3 months of this year, you think “Where has the year gone?” or “I can’t wait for this year to be over”. This year you would have experienced moments of laughing until your belly hurt with tears streaming down your face, moments when you kicked ass as a therapist, moments when you felt the weight of grief and moments when you connected to what truly matters to you. Holding all your roles, personal (partner, parent, friend) and professional, alongside the uncertain nature of life is both exhilarating and exhausting.
At the start of the new year, some people make resolutions, some make plans, and some decide to see how things unfold. Regardless of your stance, it’s not too late to make small steps towards doing more of what matters to you so let’s think about the start of the year and where things are now.
Take a moment to consider how things were at the start of the year for you. Ask yourself: Did I make any promises to myself? What goals did I set for myself? How did I want to grow and develop as a massage therapist? How did I want to show up as person?
Now, pause and reflect on how things are for you now: Did I manage to keep those promises? Did I reach those goals I set for myself? Have I been able to grow and develop as a therapist towards the way I want to? Have I been able to show up how I want to be as a person?
Whether you made tiny steps, needed to press pause or took giant leaps towards your goals and towards the direction you wanted to grow, you’ve showed up every single day – even on your hardest days, and that’s something.
So, as you prepare to enter the busiest quarter, here are 5 things to remember:
Be kind to your mind
If your mind is anything like mine, you may notice your mind saying things like “I must fit this client in” or “I should work extra hours as it’s the busiest time of year” which ends up adding extra on your already lengthy to-do list and creating more pressure on your work-life balance. One thing you can try when you notice the ‘shoulds and musts’ banging at the door that is your mind, is to pause, take a couple of breaths and consider “What would be helpful for me?”; swapping the “I should/must” to “I would like to be able to” and weighing up your choices.
Consider your schedule
Take some time to look ahead in your diary and think about when would work best for you if you wanted to offer short notice appointments. If your practice has gift certificates that clients will be redeeming, maybe think about sending out a gentle reminder with a final date.
Connect to what matters
In the hustle and bustle of the final quarter, write down at least 3 activities that you enjoy and plan them into your schedule. Whether it’s making time to go to the cinema to watch a movie, having dinner with a friend or reading 10 pages of a book each evening – add it to your diary (with a reminder, if you’re anything like me).
You are important
Making time for yourself is just as important as making time for others. At the start of a flight, the flight crew always remind us to “it is important for you to put on your oxygen mask before helping others” and the same applies to your work as a therapist. To do your job, nourishing yourself, getting rest and filling your own cup is vital. You are important.
Remember to breathe
With back-to-back appointments, life admin, and planning your practice, remember to take time to take a couple of steady, even breaths. Notice the sensation of your lungs expand as you inhale and notice the sensation as you exhale.
In this busy holiday season, remember you can focus on what truly matters to you. As the new year approaches, you have the opportunity to both grow in your client practice and create a more balanced life for yourself. Be as kind to yourself as you are to others.
Sending each of you good vibes as you navigate this season!
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