How to Go Home With More Energy After Treating Patients

“I’m so drained by my practice!”

“More patients will just mean I’m even more exhausted”

“I feel so wiped out by client care…”

I can’t tell you how often I hear this from clients who are struggling in their practices. You just want to help people—so why does it feel so freaking exhausting?!

Being drained or exhausted by your practice is a symptom that your systems are not supporting you. No shame. No blame.

If you are helping patients live more sustainable, more holistically, more vitally—then obviously it’s a value of yours. Easier said than done sometimes, no?

In my own practice, I got super granular about the systems that helped me to go home well resourced for myself AND my family. I had a gazillion symptoms first—going home and not wanting to hear the sound of my family’s voice because I was listening to intently to patients all day. (It did NOT feel good to go home all bitchy and impatient after being a “savior” all day for my patients who thought I was amazing. Talk about incongruence!). Going home completely wiped out, and unable to do ANY of the simple things I recommended to my patients, like turn your screen off one hour before bed (that’s like the ONLY quiet I get—come on!!)—because I was wiped.

In 5 element theory, metal holds water. In your practice, systems represent the metal element--they are the infrastructure that hold your flow. These systems--my top three--will help you be able to go home with more energy at the end of your day.

But before I dive in: No shame, no blame. Knowing you don’t have clear systems is the first step in establishing them. Ok, we got that cleared up.

I would love to say it’s magic, but implementing systems to support sustainable energy and collaborative care with your patients is rooted in small, practical actions. Here are my top three systems for going home with better energy when you are working with patients and clients;

1. Plan your flow: Come in 30 minutes before your first patient and print out the list of patients/ clients you have for the day. Make quick notes about 1. chief complaint 2. number of appointments they have remaining, and what the scheduling plan is 3. whether they may need extra time with you or in your treatment room, so you can calibrate your flow accordingly (this way you respond vs. react throughout your day).

2. Tend to your body: Using the five elements, make sure you are doing micro-tending throughout your work day. These are rooted in the elements of Chinese Medicine.

   1. Earth: nourishment eat lunch at a scheduled time

   2. Metal: systems: commit to the ritual of systems (see above!)

   3. Water: Flow: drink water , at least 40oz before the end of your shift.

   4. Wood: Move! Do a minute of shaking qi gong a few times throughout the day.

   5. Fire: Joy! Connect with the joy of facilitating healing, with compassionate detachment to outcome.

3. Close your day with a ritual: 1. Make a list of top priories for the next day you are in clinic (1-3 things), to direct your qi clearly when you return. 2. Walk through your space in a closing ritual of gratitude--use a sage spray, or singing bowl, or something to clear your space, and express gratitude for the healing you facilitate with your patients, your patients, your business, your life.

   It really can be as simple as that. Micro-rituals, repeated over time. This is how meaningful pattern change happens. And how you go home with more energy at the end of the day.

   When you are ready to grow your practice sustainably and profitabily—AND feel better in all the areas of your life, this is what I help people do.

   I help practitioners grow by helping them:

   • Fill their schedules with just right fit patients, in a sustainable (not overwhelming!) way

   • Establish and implement effective marketing systems

   • Develop collaborative relationship with their patients and clients so that retention is a no-brainer. This happens when patients and clients understand the process and the value of your ongoing work together

   • Grow beyond their current capacity in a way that makes qi sense, time sense, and financial sense--with ease as a priority.

   • Hire, train and lead team members who support you and your patients

   • Grow and lead teams so that your clinic culture feels as good as the treatments you provide to patients

   • Figure out how to sustainably drop insurance and have a successful cash practice

   • Grow your impact and expertise beyond a brick and mortar clinic model

   • Expand into multiple locations

   • Promote yourself into clinic director, and ease out of direct patient care

   • Pivot into the next exciting phase of their career

   • Develop online programs that put to use their vast knowledge and experience

   Growing your practice can be an ultimate act of healing, of connecting with your own potency and power, and of directing the qi of your life and income.

   I found that growing my successful acupuncture practice healed generations of financial trauma, helped me flourish in my confidence and self-compassion, and helped me fulfill my purpose of helping many, many people feel better. This is what happens when your business, your mission, and your life are aligned.

   Curious about what’s possible for you? Let’s connect so we can discuss how you want to grow.