More Favorite Strategies for Managing Therapist Overwhelm

Last month I introduced you to a handful of my most favorite strategies for managing therapist overwhelm. 

It is important for therapists to have a whole toolbox of strategies to draw from because when we feel overwhelmed we may need to experiment with a couple of strategies to find the one that is effective in that moment.

With that in mind, this month I am sharing another handful of my favorite strategies for managing therapist overwhelm.   These are the exact strategies I have personally used and taught to my coaching clients.   

Sharing Our Vision + Asking for Accountability

When we share our goals and vision with others it allows them to check in with us and cheer on our progress, but this can be even more impactful when we are intentional about asking for the type of support and accountability we know works best for us.   Accountability to ourselves for movement towards our goals and vision is lovely but it never hurts to couple that with supportive accountability from a partner, colleague or friend.  Coaching and coaching groups can offer accountability, too.

Intentionally Tabling Ideas

It is not uncommon for therapists to have more ideas than they have the time and energy to implement.   This happens to me, too!   If therapists are not realistic in determining what is do-able for them given their current phase of life and practice, they can find  themselves frustrated and disappointed that they were unable to accomplish more in a given day, week, month or year.  

Often we start with the brain dump I wrote about last month.   After all the ideas have been listed, we then break these ideas down into smaller lists.   What needs to be done today?  Where do we want to focus our time and energy this week?  This month?  This quarter?   What ideas are best saved for another week or year?   By answering these questions we create a tentative timeline.

Intentionally tabling ideas allows therapists to keep track of their ideas while also moving forward as they are not trying to do too many things at once.  

Intentionally tabling ideas allows therapists to be empowered in making decisions about how they are spending their time and energy.   This process also allows therapists to see where they may need to ask for more help or set boundaries.

Clearly Defining Exceptions

In last month’s post, I talked about using time blocks to make sure that we have dedicated time on our schedules each week/month for our top priorities.   This strategy works really well when we hold boundaries around those time blocks.  

I’m am absolutely a fan of some structured flexibility and if I need to move a time block around for a given week that is ok as long as I find another dedicated spot on my schedule for that task.   However, I’ve noticed that some therapists have a tendency to very easily give up those time blocks without having space elsewhere to dedicate to their priorities.   This naturally contributes to continuing to stay in an overwhelmed state as we then again find ourselves not making time for our priorities.  

In order to best hold boundaries around our time, I encourage therapists to clearly define what exceptions warrant giving up dedicated time, especially if that time block cannot be moved elsewhere on our schedule for the week. Another way to think about this is to ask yourself “What is a true crisis/emergency?”

Gratitude and Celebration

Creating space for regular reflection focused on gratitude and celebration allows us to notice and appreciate what is going on right now as well as small wins while also building momentum to keep going with our larger goals and vision.   Weekly opportunities for celebration are a part of every coaching group I run and The Vibrant Therapist Community on Facebook.

Pomodoro technique

The pomodoro technique is a time management strategy in which you intentionally break your work down into intervals for work and breaks.  This technique is great for tasks you’ll be working on for a chunk of time such as; catching up on notes or writing content.   If you do an internet search on this technique you will find a variety of articles that explain implementation of the pomodoro technique in depth.   There are also a variety of apps and tools available to help support your use of the pomodoro technique.

It is absolutely possible to reduce therapist overwhelm and these strategies can help. As you continue to experiment with these strategies, don’t hesitate to reach out if I can support you in finding the right combination of strategies for your unique practice + life circumstances.   Access my schedule to claim a complimentary Vibrant Therapist Clarity call.

Take Care,

Sarah