Being a doctor means living a busy life but if medical work has taken you over you may wonder if it could be possible to be a doctor and have a life away from Medicine too?
If you are becoming increasingly frustrated at the way your work impinges on the rest of your life here are 5 easy ways to start to make a difference to you and to those you may be neglecting at the moment: your partner, your family, your friends and most of all yourself.
1. Recognise the importance of balance in your life:
However much you enjoy Medicine and realise that you will be busy with emergencies it is time to come to terms with how much of your life is being eaten up by this.
If for some reason, such as ill health, accident, or redundancy you had to stop working as a doctor what would you have left in your life?
If you have kept an interest and spent some time pursuing other interests, hobbies, sports, and creative activities such as music or painting then you have something more in your life and you would be able to fill the space if you no longer had Medicine to fill it.
On the other hand if your whole existence is filled with your work and then what would be left?
2. Start by making small changes:
You may not be able to introduce a whole lot of new things into your life all at once. So start with something simple: choose an activity that you have neglected for a while. Let’s say you love swimming but haven’t swum for a long time.
Make a commitment to yourself that you will swim for half an hour once a week. Decide which day and when: perhaps before work or on the way home. Then start today and swim.
3. Don’t dismiss possibilities:
When you think about changes it is too easy to think that they can’t be incorporated into your day. You have to believe you can find a way to do what you want to do. Put any ideas on a sheet of paper as they come into your head and notice what occurs to you.
4. Be clear about boundaries::
As you think about ways to make changes you will need to define your boundaries more clearly.
Explain to friends and colleagues what you will and won’t do and when you are available.
5. Be open to change:
When you are willing to change it will be easier to do so and you will find you are able to explain to others what you want.
Want some support to do these things? Try coaching! Click HERE for more information.
The boundary issue is a tricky one although if you work at it,,,,,,,,,,,,
WHAT I find interesting about these concepts is the extent to which it is possible to reach the top in Medicine and do so.
For me the question is whether or not I want to reach the top!
Perhaps more importantly for Medicine at large is the recognition that the better doctor is the one who does have a life outside Medicine.
I think individual change here is very possible although systematic change in Medicine may be less easy to achieve – although eventually………
Grateful for these hints, as ever.
Gd wishes Clive