EPISODE: 8
Physician Moms Can
Have More Free Time
to Do the Fun Stuff in Life
InspiredMomMDs.com/8
Time Management for Physician Moms: How to Create More Free Time Allow for the Fun and Joy in Life.
Episode 8: Physician Moms Can Have More Free Time to Do the Fun Stuff in Life
I sit at my computer, post-prandial and contemplating the start of a new project I’ve been dreading. My mind darts around for an acceptable excuse to walk away. I think I need a nap. (I don’t.) I believe I’m thirsty. (I’m not.)
I am a typical physician mom highly driven by nature. No question. But drive alone isn’t without struggle. There are times I spin my wheels to get any work done.
Taking twice as long to finish work then eats into my family and personal time. Unease follows me the rest of the day.
Rinse, cycle and repeat.
How frustrating. Does this happen to you?
What can physician moms do to short circuit the cycle of frustration? Keep listening to find out!
The Balance of Family and Medicine
You have your charts to finish, your kid needs to be picked up from track practice in 45 min, and you haven’t even thought about pulling dinner together.
So, you sit down, the clock is ticking.
What happens? Do you get work done so you can tune into family obligations? Or do those charts drag on through the evening, finishing up some time after dinner.
In another example, many of my colleagues are in programs like Integrative Medicine, or acupuncture, or so many other interesting additions to their practice. For them, the issue isn’t charting, but studying and retaining knowledge!
I relate to all of you doing this as I finished my own IM fellowship and keep taking local classes in different topics. These things enhance our own self and our careers. Smart move.
But they require commitment and focus, just like those charts, without taking away from family. This is something I help fellow physician moms accomplish.
I’d like to share my personal story of tackling this mountain of work.
You’re Forced to Multi-Task in Your Practice but Don’t Have to at Home
At work there are so many things flying at you from every direction. From seeing patients, to writing prescriptions to answering questions to charting, to doing a procedure, it’s a whirlwind. And it must be that way. That’s medicine!
Your home life doesn’t have to be like the office. You can switch to a more comfortable gear.
Multi-tasking and doing it all at once may not work. People fall into two camps, those who insist they can, and those who accept they can’t.
Science mostly tells us we can’t, though there are some interesting pro-multitasking articles around combining multimedia and work.
Many articles in the fields of psychological science and neuroscience state that our brains do not perform well with multitasking. Think of writing a critical email while scheduling your dentist appointment at the same time.
The brain must switch tasks, reducing the ability to focus well on either one. Furthermore, with task switching, we pay a price of decreased performance overall. That’s truly disappointing.
I’m trying to side with science, but it goes against my instinct. Which side are you on?
When I sit at my computer, trying to make movement on a project, I use a couple tricks to keep moving.
- I give myself credit for a new idea. I write it down and put it on my schedule. I’m acknowledging a need, but it doesn’t have to happen NOW.
- I turn on my headphones to noise cancelling and play background instrumental music. Through trial and error, I found a couple tracks that help me focus.
Some people swear by using white noise to focus, and others need complete silence. It doesn’t matter if it works for you!
- My work time schedule is scheduled. This means something dramatic must happen to make me miss this appointment with myself. Sure, I allow flexibility within reason.
Focus helps Moms Find Time for What Matters
Increasing productivity releases more time for what you really want to do, right? It’s tough to focus when thoughts pop in our heads. “I should be doing this and what about that?”
I can’t prevent my mind from spouting ideas, but I can manage how to process and deal with all my own unsolicited advice.
When thoughts interrupt my work, I redirect:
I ask myself, “Is this something I would like to do or need to do?”
What I would like is to go lie down or lay back and watch a new favorite Netflix show.
What I need to do is finish the work in front of me.
My reward is accomplishment and gifting myself more free time. My penalty is lost productivity and less free time later in the day. A double whammy.
By improving my focus with small changes, I finish work and projects more efficiently. I get back more time in my day.
I win by feeling satisfied, doing an overall better job, and having time for what I want to do, which is be there for my kids.
Being present for my kids is priceless. My goodness, they’re teenagers already and I feel like time is pushing faster, that I need to capture what I can before they move out.
I also win by making sure all the little self-care items get checked off too, like planning a healthy shopping list for my next run to the store.
My Wish for All Physician Moms
My goal today is to start a conversation about how to maximize the time we have. When we focus a little more, we have more free time to do the fun stuff in life.
My passion is to see you have more time for your family and for yourself so that you can feel more balanced. You will have improved health and more resilience. This leads to stronger physician moms!
As a stronger person, you touch the network of people surrounding you in a positive way – like a shining ripple effect.
It’s Time to Take Control and Thrive!
About Cindy Van Praag, MD, NBC-HWC
Wellness Advocate for Physician Moms
Cindy talks about the current climate of practicing medicine while juggling the roles of mom, wife, daughter, and more. She brings a fresh pair of eyes and guidance for common situations physician moms face daily. In Inspired Mom MDs Podcast, Cindy delivers a fresh perspective and actionable steps to take agency and elevate your power. Listen on your favorite podcast app!
