How Physicians Regain Control: The Power of One Helpful Thought

If you are a clinical physician, you know too well that a typical day usually consists of a packed schedule, sometimes it is full of patients, sometimes it is a combination of patients, administrative meetings, specialty conferences or other duties. It is a lot of work. It is easy to think that there is too much to do.

This is exactly what one of my physician coaching clients shared with me the other day. Let us call her Dr. Rose. She shared that she thought of that particular day as “too much to do”. When asked how she felt about that thought of “there is too much to do”, her answer was she felt paralyzed. What a strong and debilitating word to use! I could instantly feel the heavy burden she was carrying on her shoulders, while receiving more weights. She had trouble moving forward. That belief of “too much to do” stopped her on the tracks. Chaos. Being pulled in different directions. Not sure where to go or what to do next.

“There is too much to do” is not a helpful thought. It is certainly not empowering. It is not going to add any efficiency to our day. On the contrary, it is paralyzing, as Dr. Rose puts it.

We get to decide what to think about any situation, which means that we do not have to keep focusing on the default idea our brain came up with. We get to decide what is more helpful to think that works for us. Since our lives are made up of narratives we have about our situations, we might as well choose the narratives which are believable and helpful for us. Yes, there are many things to do – not questioning that but acknowledging it. At the same time, what do you choose to believe? Dr. Rose came up with the thought that she “can do hard things”. She is not dismissing the fact that she has a busy day. She is acknowledging it and giving herself an empowering idea to believe in. When I asked her what feelings came up when she was thinking “I can do hard things”, she shared that she felt relieved.

Feeling relieved is certainly more helpful than feeling paralyzed. Feeling relieved allows you to get ready to move on. Feeling relieved is a more neutral stance.

Is it possible to turn a more helpful thought into your default thinking? The answer is yes. Be intentional about it. Decide that it is possible to change the way that you think. It is possible to change your default thinking into something else. When you hold on to a more helpful thought, you instantly feel less burdened, even though you still have the same amount of work to do. Decide ahead of time what to think to start your day, instead of adopting the default thinking and the default emotion generated in reaction to your circumstances. Choose a thought that is helpful and believable to you. For Dr. Rose, it is “I can do hard things”. For another person, maybe “today will be manageable”. Whatever you prefer, practice thinking about it every day. Think with purpose. Think with consciousness. Practice consistently, every day, so that one day, it becomes your default sentence.

When you start your day with a more constructive thought, everything changes. The mood changes. You feel different. You approach things differently. You become more focused and efficient. You get to focus more on time management skills and become more organized. For example, set time to prepare, so that you know what to expect when you are doing outpatient duties. When you prepare, you will know what to prioritize, so that tasks do not get ignored and become a last-minute type of emergency.

As a physician, even when your schedule is full, the weight you carry on your shoulders can feel lighter simply by focusing on a more helpful thought. Instead of having a “paralyzing” belief, as Dr. Rose puts it, intentionally choose a perspective that is at least more neutral or more constructive. Practice thinking that every day when you wake up. You are free to decide what to think. You can focus and work more efficiently by simply focusing on a different thought about your day.