Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

By Terry C. Brown, PT, DPT

Summer is in full swing, and with longer daylight hours, sometimes it feels like I just fill the days with more work. There is always more to do with a private practice— billing and payment issues as well as negotiations and personnel issues. So who has time for “lazy hazy days”?

If you are like me, you know the stress of managing a private practice, oftentimes 24/7. Owning a practice is a full-time endeavor and consumes many hours outside of our regular clinic hours, frequently spilling over into the weekends.

So who has time for a vacation getaway? If you do not think you do, you may need to rethink your priorities. There are many reasons why we should take a break away from our practices and get away from work. The time away may actually benefit your practice in the long run.

Studies have shown that people who take regular vacations have¹

• better physical health, with reduced risk of coronary heart disease;
• increased productivity, both in the weeks leading up to a getaway as well as following a vacation;
• closer family relationships;
• newer perspectives on issues affecting their lives;
• more relaxed brains/less burnout/less stress;
• increased motivation to achieve goals; and
• increased longevity and a greater sense of well-being.

These seem to me to be benefits that would improve not only my practice management but also improve my employees’ job satisfaction.

More than 34 percent of workers do not take their allotted vacation time, despite documented personal, health, and work benefits. Taking no time at all makes for a stressed owner and therefore stressed employees. You do not have to get away for two weeks; even 24 hours away results in the above benefits.²

So take some time off. Consider coming to sunny Orlando, Florida, this November for the Private Practice Section’s annual conference. Here you can combine a great learning experience with world-class networking opportunities and bring the family for some downtime together.

Here is hoping you manage to squeeze in some time away from your practice. Who knows, you may come back with several new ideas to implement! Now, excuse me while I go plan my Italian vacation!

References

1. US News, “The Benefits of Taking Time Off.” Published August 2011. Accessed July 2014.

2. Forbes, “Take a Vacation: It’s Good for Productivity and The Economy.” Published February 28, 2014. Accessed July 2015.