On some level, most therapists thrive on change. We spend our days actively seeking out even the tiniest markers of progress, looking forward to meeting new patients and solving fresh problems, and itching to get our hands on a new treatment technique. In the majority of cases, change is good, and whets our appetite for more.
But when too much is changing all around us, it can become stressful and knocks us off balance. It’s like trying to hold onto a handful of sand — when all the grains are shifting, it’s impossible to maintain your grip.
Change is especially rough when it involves losing contact with someone you value. Certain patients — and coworkers — get under our skin, and when it’s time for them to spread their wings and fly away it can be quite painful for the ones left behind. Of course, we rejoice in their successful recovery, good fortune, and improved prospects … but it can be hard to carry on in your normal routine when you’ve temporarily lost your footing.
Whenever I’m feeling vulnerable to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, I try to comfort myself with the thought that shifting sands can assume new and interesting shapes, and that change is a part of life that generally uncovers a fresh round of opportunities previously unseen.
How do you deal with change?
Anne Ahlman, MPT
I try to take a step back and look at what is truly changing and determine if it is just my perception of the change that is the problem. It usually is.
Posted by: Jeff | July 07, 2009 at 01:29 PM