Hello! I hope this is helpful!

Short-Term Actions (To implement this week)

Book Admin-Only Weeks

• Set aside 4 admin-only weeks per year, spaced every 13th week. No clinical work during these weeks, and avoid scheduling one of these weeks during Christmas. Use this time for strategic planning, staff check-ins, budgeting, and marketing.

• These are not counted as annual leave.

• If it doesn’t help, you can go back to normal programming. But if it does (hot tip- it will) you have space on the horizon forever!

• Action: Stop reading this page. Book these in NOW.

New Patient Management

• Create a waiting list for new patients and don’t take on more until you’re ready. When booking, ensure they schedule four appointments within the first month (or whatever suits your programming) with the option to cancel as needed.

• Reception Script: “Unfortunately, xxxx is currently at capacity. New patients will be accepted starting [date]. To join the waiting list, please email [email].”

• Action: Website Script: “Unfortunately, xxxx is currently at capacity. New patients will be accepted starting [date]. To join the waiting list, please email [email].”

Use your language carefully

• Avoid language like, “I’m fully booked.” Instead, try, “I’m at capacity this week, let’s find another time.”

• Avoid saying “Sorry” when you can’t fit people in. If you’re busy, you’re going to be working your butt off and still feeling like you have let down 20 people. “Unfortunately, I am at capacity this week. I can put you on the cancellation list and let you know if something comes up? “

Raise Your Rates

• You provide significant value to your patients. Research market rates and adjust your pricing accordingly. Consider offering concessions for certain patient groups, but maintain your worth.

• When charging more- upping it every year consistently makes you better at doing hard and uncomfortable things. We have done 2x 5% price rises in the last 2 years (in line w CPI) we have an annual calendar where we warn the patient base in April, enact the price rise first of June and then the staff get the price rise passed on to them from the first of July. (It takes about a month to get everyone onto the new pricing)

• Action: Implement annual, incremental price increases aligned with CPI. (You can do this now, please don’t wait until April)

Set Patient Limits

• Define your hard limits in terms of patient numbers and weekly hours.

• DO NOT EXCEED THEM.

• Hard limits can be defined in different ways for me: I can physically treat 60 a week if I have to- but then I hate it. I can treat 46 a week for 3 weeks in a row- but then I hate it. I can treat 36 per week for 52 weeks in a row and I am happy as a clam, no probs. If I feel like I haven't had enough time in the weekend to de frag ready for the next week - I treated too many last week. Block it in, and protect yourself. It is much easier.

• Do you know your limits?

Protect Your Diary

• Reserve 20%-30% of your weekly schedule for follow-ups or emergency appointments. This gives flexibility (and makes you feel less like you’re letting people down) and prevents overbooking.

Get a Hobby

• Book a midweek class.

• You are tired and overwhelmed and behind anyway, you might as well have some fun.

• I have just started a short pottery course at the North Metro TAFE and it has been something to look forward to each week that is for me! eg life drawing, trumpet playing, yoga, playing sport, something that makes you LEAVE THE CLINIC and go and have some fun.

Basic Health Blocks

Commit to:

• 30 minutes outdoors daily (aim for 200 minutes a week).

• 2 litres of water a day.

• 5 servings of vegetables daily.

• 6-8 hours of sleep.

• Meditation and exercise are also key to keeping you balanced. For ideas: https://www.summitosteopathy.com.au/mindful-meditation

Long-Term Actions

(To build over the next few months)

Regularly Assess and Adjust

• Ask yourself: What’s working? What’s not? What needs improvement? Regular self-assessment can prevent small issues from growing into big problems.

Time Management Techniques

• There’s a great technique called Win the Week.

• It’s about preplanning for next week ahead learning to prioritise the thing that helps you the most in two weeks time. This is been a game changer and means that I get to enjoy working on projects that make the place more efficient instead of doing all the catch up work. It’s helping me work proactively and not be railroaded by different things each week.

• https://lifehackmethod.com/ I think I watched a free webinar of his and it was actually really good.

Outsource What Drains You

• Hire someone for tasks that are outside your expertise or that drain your energy, such as HR, cleaning, or complex administrative tasks.

• I hate being on the phone w patients, I have no boundaries and I can spend 20 mins on the phone trying to book them in. We have no phone number and I have engaged virtual receptionists over the last 2 years. It’s been amazing. I never speak to patients these days about the fact they can’t come in on Tuesdays because of their kids athletics carnival etc. That’s just me! That’s the thing that steals my time and chews my soul.

Create and Refine Processes

• If you plan to expand your business, having solid processes and procedures is key to sustainability. Take the time to document these processes, or hire someone to help.

Identify Burnout Signs

• Do you know what your signs are of starting to burn out?

• Does your house get messier? Do you get behind on your notes and reports? Does your eating go out the window? Does your sleep become disrupted? Do you retreat from connecting with friends on the weekend because you have spoken too much all week? Have you enjoyed the activities you normally enjoy?

• If you know your signs of starting to burn out, do you have any levers you can pull to protect yourself in the coming weeks? Could you block off Friday mornings and only open then IF you feel like you have capacity?

• You are the boss and you have PERMISSION to make this clinical load work for you. Any of these learnings for you now, also means that you can be a compassionate boss, that teaches the clinicians who work for you that they need to be able to recognise this in themselves also and ask for help when they need it!

Find Fulfilment Outside of Work

• Very smart people doing the same thing on repeat really well in a room with no colleagues to bounce off with smart people chat, no windows to help their circadian rhythm when they're tired and under duress is not fun. Doing ANYTHING too much won't fulfill you in all the ways you wish it could. It can't. Doesn't matter if you're making all the money in the world and it's your ship, and you're the boss and it's all going the way you want it to, YOU NEED VARIETY in the week.

Work With a Psychologist/ Counsellor

• If you’re struggling with setting boundaries, charging what you're worth, or feeling unfulfilled, consider consulting a psychologist or counsellor to explore these ideas.

• Most membership associations have access to an EAP.

DIARY TACTICS

Protect the diary

If you normally see a "tacked on patient" most days because there's an emergency, or they would have benefited from a followup within the week, PROTECT 20% of your diary from online bookings. Then you will be fully booked next week (100%- to your hard limit), not 120% booked next week.

I have 2 staff away in a few weeks time, I have given you a snap shot of my week where you can see I have pre blocked off my diary so I can use it when I need it. (Cream appts are available, white ones are live for online bookings).

Make the diary work for you

• When are you at your best? For me? I am EXCELLENT in the first 2 hours of the day. I can run the business in the morning, and I treat in the evening because that is less brain work for me. If I treat in the morning and try and do business in the afternoon, it definitely doesn’t suit me at all and I am cooked. Make your diary work for you, this might take a good few months to eventually implement, but it's worth it.

Disclaimer

I COMPLETELY understand where you're at right now, and I know that it's awful. I promise it will get better. If someone emailed me this to do list when I was at the bottom of the pond, I would have absolutely crumbled and felt overwhelmed.

Please, please please, enact anything in the short term list in the next 2-3 weeks. You will feel better, you will have taken some control back. They are tangible, quick actions things and you can do it!

Feel free to email me when you have them done! georgia@summitosteopathy.com.au

You are doing a wonderful, valuable job and making a difference in people's lives. You are doing your best. You are human. You've built a successful business and you have a vision for the future. It's amazing. Now it's time to look after you!

Happy to chat at anytime, thank you for indulging me by reading this page, if I can help you get to the other side quicker than it took me by sharing some strategies and learnings, then it is worth it.

You’ve got this!

Georgia