You can avoid and escape overwhelm. Here are the three simple steps:
1. Get to calm. High levels of stress are toxic for your brain. Your performance will improve once your level of stress is in the “green zone.” Here are some tricks to promote your overall brain health, and maintain a healthy level of stress.
- Square-breathing. Feeling stressed? Breathe! Inhale deeply for a count of 2, hold it for a count of two, exhale for a count of two and rest for a count of two.
- Stay hydrated. Even mild dehydration impairs cognitive performance. By the time you are thirsty, you are about 20% behind on your fluids.
- Eat regularly to maintain a constant source of glucose for your brain.
- Sleep.
- Move. Our brains evolved to help us become more effective hunters. In other worlds, our brains are designed to help us move more effective.
- Stay connected. As a species, we are wired to connect. Never worry alone!
2. Manage your thoughts. The quality of your thinking is determined by the quality of your brain’s neurochemistry. Further, each of your thoughts creates a chemical reaction. Your brain can lie to you! Optimize your performance by choosing your thoughts..
- Avoid fear-based thinking traps. Perfectionism, people-pleasing, mind-reading and predicting the future erode performance.
- Observe your thinking. Imagine yourself in the corner of the room watching your thoughts. Embrace a spirit of curiosity and challenge your thoughts.
- Ask key questions. What do you observe? How do you explain your observations? What do you believe to be true? What evidence do you have to support your beliefs?
- Make choices based on objective measurable evidence. What does your client think? How do you know?
3. Trust a proven process. Building a physician-friendly practice is a big job. There is a proven way of doing it. Instead of generating activity, invest in systems. Your trust in the system will decrease the risk of overwhelm.. Further, when you are feeling stuck, you have a system for identifying the source of the stuckness.
These three steps will allow you to believe in yourself, believe in the process and get to the finish line.
What do you think?