In a study published in one of the chiropractic journals, they were reviewing the average number of hours chiropractors in North America worked as well as how many weeks per year they worked! I was not terribly surprised by the number of hours the average D.C. worked (37) but was a bit surprised by the average number of weeks they worked in a year which was 51.2! YIKES!!
I am very big on everyone consciously creating their life in their ideal so I don’t want you to think I am trying to push my ideals down others throats when I say ……. THAT IS FRICKIN CRAZY!!!! Of the thousands of chiropractors I have consulted with I have yet to have one tell me that they wished they could be in the office more! They tell me that they wish they had fewer money and time pressures so that they could get out of the office more often and take more holidays! I contend there are 3 very good reasons you can’t afford to not take holidays;
1. Clinical Reasons
2. Business Reasons
3. Personal Reasons
1/ CLINICAL REASONS We talk a great deal in chiropractic about doing what is best for our practice members! In fact I would say that is something that is universally accepted by every chiropractor regardless of their philosophical persuasion or technique. I also contend that being at our best physically, mentally and emotionally is the least we can do to be prepared for our practice members when they visit our clinic! I would be willing to argue with anyone that someone who is not taking the time to “recharge their batteries” is not functioning at their peak and therefore not giving their practice members the biggest and best that is within them! I would debate that this increases the likelihood of making an error in judgment that could have a negative impact on a practice member. Since this would be in contradiction to the first rule of health care that states, FIRST DO NO HARM, I would contend that you can’t afford to not take regular holidays! To carry that conversation one step further I would also contend that you are not completely “present time conscious” if you are burned out and frustrated and therefore your “healing consciousness” would not be at the level I would want to see to be a practice member on your table!
2/ BUSINESS REASONS One of the oldest laws in business is the law of supply and demand. Generally stated it says that the lower the supply of something the greater the demand will be for it and the higher the price will be for it. Many, many chiropractors don’t understand this simple business principle and get lost in trying to be available to everyone at any time of the day and night in the name of service! I would debate anyone that the QUALITY of service you are offering practice members at a non-ideal time frame for you is not as high as it would be if it was at a mutually convenient time. It also lets people know that the service is available whenever THEY want and therefore they don’t tend to value the service near as much as if it was in reasonable but limited supply! This is also one of the reasons why many chiropractors don’t get paid as fairly for their services as they feel they should! Taking holidays decreases the supply of YOUR SERVICE thereby increasing the demand for your service and also positively affecting the fair exchange value you will get for your service!
3/ PERSONAL REASONS People learn far more from us by what they SEE us do (modeled behavior) than they ever do by what we TELL them! If you believe as I do that the 3 main causes of subluxation are physical, mental and chemical stressors then what kind of an example are you setting for you practice members and your family if you are allowing these stressors to accumulate in your life because you are not taking holidays? It is pretty difficult for you to talk to a practice member about the dangers of cigarette smoking if you are puffing away on a cigarette! Likewise it is pretty tough to be teaching practice members about the advantages of stress reduction and relaxation in their lives if you don’t practice what you preach! Taking this thought further I also contend that the Innate Intelligence within you wants you to live your life from the “inside-out!” One way you can do that is to live your life and spend your time in accordance with your core values! To the degree that you do this your life is less effortful and more in a state of “flow!” To the degree you are not doing this is to the degree that you are feeling the “drag” of life and feeling like life is hard! This is a built in “righting reflex” mechanism designed to get you back on track and ensure you go back to living your life according to your ideal! Since life is holographic this positive impact ripples out into the rest of your life and you will experience more peace, joy and fulfillment in the other areas of your life as a result! Who could ask for anything more? AND TO THINK ………… ALL OF THIS BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO START TAKING REGULAR HOLIDAYS!