Life Is Meant For Both Work And Play

When was the last time you really played? For you, that could have been laughing with your kids, visiting a dear friend, enjoying a hobby, going on an adventure, or simply relaxing and reading a book.

It’s July, and summer is in full swing. As kids, we enjoyed this season as the time to play, relax and fill up our tanks with energy and motivation for the next school year. So as an adult, what are you using the summer for?

Life is not about working every minute. What a shame if you never have a single moment to enjoy what matters most to you. Yet so many physicians work endless hours in their practice to keep up and complete more, often staying long after everyone else has gone home. The practice is taking all it can get from them.

When you make your practice your first priority, it will devour immense amounts of time, much more than needed. As a result, you feel drained at the end of each day and don’t have the energy to play. Play time always pays for energy leaks at work.

Life is not about working harder. It’s about working smarter, doing your professional work in a way that leaves you with enough time to enjoy your life and the people who love you the most.  Right now, take 5 minutes, and think about the schedule of your typical day. If you don’t have that moment to spare, then this is a red flag that it’s time to examine your work schedule and take positive action.

Start setting boundaries and scheduling both work and play time just like teachers have young kids do in school. Make a list of things you want to experience, people you want to spend time with, and activities you want to enjoy. If you neglect play time with the idea that it will get whatever’s left, often it will not happen.  Schedule your play time just like you would a patient appointment.

And stick to the schedule. Of course, you can be make adjustments if an emergency or something important comes up during your play time that cannot be postponed. However, pay attention to how often this happens as it could be a sign for necessary improvements.  When you begin to take your play time seriously, you can always make room for it.

Most physicians don’t have enough of a life to enjoy their lifestyle; that’s how more becomes less. Stop taking your career so seriously; after all, you can and will be replaced if you cannot sustain yourself.  Remember how important recess, lunchtime, assemblies, and fun activities rejuvenated your youthful spirit during the rigors of the school day.  Make sure you include activities in your adult life that feed you and your zest for life.

Iris Grimm