Many therapists ask the clients to lean in and sit with that feeling of being uncomfortable. I treat a lot of people for anxiety, and being uncomfortable is just such a part of the anxiety discomfort. They relate that their stomach, head, or chest feel uncomfortable. Or maybe they just feel that they do not belong in a particular group and that experience is uncomfortable for them.
Today I wanted to share that building a private practice is also uncomfortable. That there are many tasks and often not enough hours in the day to get it all done. There are cash flow problems at times, and I can remember staring down at the phone, thinking, “ring damn, it ring.” Being uncomfortable is not always easy, nor is building a practice. But the actual feeling of being uncomfortable is just that a feeling. We all know that feelings come, and feelings go and if you just hang on long enough then the feeling moves on.
Being a therapist and a business owner gives us plenty of opportunities to sit in that uncomfortable position. I know that when I am doing something for the first or even the 10th time, there will be some feelings of being uncomfortable. It’s inevitable, and it builds resiliency. There is always a learning curve, and if we come to expect the uncomfortableness of a situation, it seems to take the edge off. If I am aware of the feeling before the feeling comes over me, it seems like it has less power, and I can lean in a bit more.
Stating your fee to a client for the first or 20th time will cause anxiety and discomfort. Referring out a client that is not your specialty brings up being uncomfortable about where on earth will your next client come from? Having a client’s insurance deny you payment will bring on being uncomfortable and maybe even a bit of anger thrown in for good measure.
Here are some tips that I use when I get in that uncomfortable place.
- Have a little fun; that is why YouTube has cat videos.
- Talk to a colleague, they have gone through it before or are going through it too.
- Exercise.
- Clear your head with meditation, yoga, and breathing.
- Reward yourself AFTER you have gotten though the tough part.
- Use your business plan to work out the minor details and learn when these periods may come up again.
- Know the feeling will pass.
Once you learn to sit through the uncomfortable part, you will see changes in how you approach your business and tackle the work that must be done. You become less stressed, and it seems like the uncomfortable part doesn’t visit as much. You become ready for it, and that allows you more freedom.
Check out also my video on Being Uncomfortable.
If you need more information on this or other topics, please go to my website therapistbox.com.