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People in the healthcare business are among the busiest professionals our society has. And this can create a lot of personal problems for them, especially if they’re parents. If you’re in this position, then there’s no doubt that you want to be able to spend more time with your family. Here are a few suggestions that will get you closer to that goal.
Look into part-time work (or days)
A lot of healthcare professionals don’t like the idea of changing career. But if it’s something that will help you achieve a better work-life balance, then it’s certainly something that’s worth investigating. You could make a move to a part-time carer, for example, which will give you a bit more flexibility.
If you don’t want to make the move, then consider requesting a cut in hours from your current work schedule. While the healthcare system is often overworked, there may be opportunities for fewer hours every now and then if you ask. Something else you could consider is a rearranging of your schedule. Instead of working fewer hours across a week, consider taking on more days but with fewer hours within those days. This can result in more evening time in total – the precise time your family are going to be home from work and school.
Start your own practice
Much of this problem that healthcare professionals have – and, of course, doctors in particular – is that they often have very little control over what happens in their career. They get a call and bam – they’ve got to be somewhere else. A patient takes a sudden turn for the worse and they’ve got to get to that patient’s side.
If you’re still passionate about healthcare but want more control over your career, then you could consider starting your own practice. This, of course, will be a time-heavy endeavor for a while. But it will give you more control over that time. A lot of professionals actually pursue this route in order to spend more time with their family. Consider looking into practice finance.
Remember what you want outside of medicine
The life of a healthcare professional is often taken up, minute for minute, by thoughts of their career. There are so many complexities and worries that emerge from this line of work that you tend to think about it all the time, finding yourself unable to truly switch off. So it’s important that you actually take the time to assess your own needs and desires. Don’t just assume that this is a selfish thing for someone working in healthcare to do. Not everyone expects you to be some sort of unbreakable superhero!
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If you need to, take some time off. Then make a list. You may think this sounds a bit trite, but never underestimate the power of getting your thoughts into order. You don’t have to think about the long-term; that’s often what makes people so stressed. Think of things you want to do from a short-term perspective. Want to take a trip somewhere with the kids? Want to paint or read more? When you start listing things, perspective and focus will come.