Running behind on consults? 🏃🏻♀️⏰
When I waltz into my night shift, I often see my colleagues typing in their notes from the consults they’ve had all day, because they ended up running behind and didn’t have time to write them on the go. This way, they often end up leaving work much later, and day in, day out, this will make you feel worn out and stressed as there’s always this feeling of being behind and running late.
I think it’s very personal how you decide to run your consults and if you type your notes during or afterwards. But there are a few things I’ve noticed people doing, which are definitely not helpful if you want to finish on time.
1 - Check what’s in the diary at the start of the day and stress out over everything that’s coming in. If you show your brain 20 slots that are all booked up with your name on it, it can be hard for your brain to realise it’s not all happening NOW, they’re coming in one at a time (unless it’s a crazy bank holiday :D), and you only have to, and can, deal with one at a time. But this might not be clear to your primitive brain, which could send you into flight and flight before you’ve even started your day.
2 - Upon checking the diary, they then look at each appointment, and start stressing out over a case that’s coming back as not better, or a case that looks complicated. Your brain will try to be helpful, and start guessing wildly why they are coming back, or what the complicated case might be about. So now you’re going into consults thinking about how much you have to do, while your brain is trying to pre-analyze the worst case scenarios of complicated cases, and doubting your abilities as one or more cases haven’t improved.
3 - Then they may start complaining to the room in general about their upcoming day (receptionists shouldn’t have booked so much in, why did I end up with this case, etc), to people who have no power over these situations. This adds to their frustration, and may make them late for their first appointment.
4 - So now you’re late for your first appointment, frustrated, stressed and your brain is jumping around trying to guess what’s happening with various cases before you’ve seen them.
5 - Multitasking. Jumping from task to task will ALWAYS slow you down, even if you think you’re being super effective. Each time, your brain has to settle into a new situation and start over. Don’t do it.
6 - Which brings me to the lack of boundaries. Often multitasking is due to someone interrupting you in your stride; asking you to call someone, write a prescription, etc. Being helpful to other staff is awesome, but you need to set clear boundaries for when and how they can approach you, because if you’re the nicest and easiest to go to, they will alway ask you, and you can end up with an extra, subtle but time-eating workload. Drop the guilt trip, and think about how you can be helpful in a way that doesn’t slow you down.
7- Last, but not least, stop thinking and talking about how busy it is, how there’s not enough time, too many clients, not enough staff, how you’re running behind, and so on. Your brain will go to work to prove your thoughts right, and find evidence for the case. If you keep focusing on it, that’s what you’ll find. If there’s something concrete you can do about it, for example ask for more staff, take it up in a meeting, write a complaint or whatever, do it! But going in circles repeating the same things over and over does NOT help you, and I swear it’s a self fulfilling prophecy (ask me how I know this).
Do you recognise yourself in any of these points? Good news, you’re normal!! It’s a normal human behaviour which served us incredibly well when we lived in caves and had to react to sabre tigers and big rocks falling down - but not so much nowadays. If you want some help managing your time at all levels, and get your brain up to modern age speed with behaviours that will serve you - as opposed to work against you, reach out for a free consult. This is my speciality and I’d love to help you! Book your free consult HERE
In your corner,
