Many entrepreneurs may struggle to stay focused without a boss to manage their schedule. Here are some tips to stay motivated and productive when you’re working for yourself as a behavioral health clinician.
Keep your workspace separate and defined.
One of the most important steps in staying productive is to create a distinct workspace that cultivates a focused, productive mindset. Over time, your mind will associate this space with work, making it easier to shift into “work mode” there.
If you see clients in your home, reserve a room exclusively for your behavioral health practice. Avoid adding distractions, such as a television, non-professional books, or snacks. Keep it clean and uncluttered.
If your behavioral health practice is in a different building, assign different rooms or spaces for specific tasks, such as a comfortable area for client sessions, a communications area for scheduling and telehealth visits, and a separate desk for administrative tasks.
Create a new routine and stick to it.
Many successful entrepreneurs are more productive because of their daily routines. From the first few minutes of their morning to winding down at night, regular routines and rituals help keep them on-task and successful.
- Decide what is important to you, such as family time, exercising, or professional development. Make room for these priorities in your schedule.
- Create a daily morning routine to help you stay consistent.
- Commit to a weekly schedule. Consider reserving different types of tasks for specific days of the week, such as doing marketing on Mondays and telehealth calls on Thursdays.
Be a lifelong learner.
You will see changes in mental health research, industry standards, and community needs over the course of your career. To be successful, you will need to stay flexible and open to new information.
Consider different learning techniques to grow your professional knowledge. Be open to learning from in-person classroom events, networking, reading academic journals, educational apps, or mentoring. Set up Google Alerts for keywords in your field. Stay current on applicable licensing and accreditation requirements.
Delegate and outsource appropriately.
While it may make a dent in your budget at first, outsourcing tasks to a receptionist or virtual assistant lets you focus more on your clients and other tasks you enjoy most. This outsourcing even includes the software you use. If you use accounting, marketing, or EHR software, look for solutions tailored specifically for behavioral health or small practices.
Set clear expectations.
Set expectations and boundaries with your clients, employees, partners, and even yourself. This can help guide your relationships and prevent future confusion or problems that may otherwise limit efficiency.
- Set professional boundaries, such as not providing professional therapeutic services to family and friends.
- Create an informed consent form or service agreement for your clients. Check out examples from organizations like the Center for Ethical Practice.
- Set rules for communicating with clients, including social media.
- Clearly define employees’ tasks.
Operating your own behavioral health practice, gives you plenty of flexibility and freedom. Don’t be afraid to make changes to your routine and workflow as you learn what works best for you.
Make things easier on yourself, your employees, and your clients by using software aimed specifically at your needs as a mental health provider. BestNotes EHR and CRM solutions, created for the behavioral health and addiction treatment industry, can help you stay productive and profitable. Contact us today to learn more!