As an independent community pharmacist, you hold multiple roles including owner or manager, pharmacist, friend and more. All of these demands mean that your work responsibilities likely spill over into the rest of your life, creating an imbalance.
An imbalanced life with too much work can lead to stress-induced health issues, including depression and heart problems, burnout, and difficulty accomplishing all of your tasks. On the other hand, too little time devoted to work can sink your business.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with responsibilities, but in order to take care of yourself—and your business—you need to maintain a healthy pharmacy-life balance. Here are some essential skills to help restore balance to your life.
Leave work at work
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) found that the average community pharmacy is open 55 hours a week, and you’re likely there for almost all of them. All of this time at work means that when you do leave your pharmacy, you need to leave work there, too.
Avoid taking projects home with you by being realistic about what you can accomplish during a workday and delegating duties you won’t have time for. When you try to work while you’re eating dinner or spending a night with your family, both activities get cheated out of what they deserve—your full attention.
Draw boundaries
Create separation between your work and home life by creating clear boundaries for yourself and your staff. For example, make a rule to be home every night by a certain time, or maybe commit to taking half an hour break every day for a work-free lunch. Hold yourself to your rules and ask your staff to respect them as well.
If a staff member does contact you when you’re out of the office, carefully determine if it’s an actual emergency or if it can wait until your regular business hours. Encourage your staff to problem-solve issues themselves, and ask them to evaluate the problem before they call you when you’re off work.
Delegate and automate
Balance your schedule by looking at a list of your duties and responsibilities and asking yourself, “Can my staff take over any of these tasks?” Maybe you can free up some of your time by having one of your employees assume responsibility for updating your pharmacy’s website and Facebook page, for example. Use your time to focus on higher-level, management tasks that only you can do.
Look for opportunities to leverage technology to increase efficacy. For example, robotic automation can fill prescriptions for you and free your time to work on tasks you can’t delegate. Or, services are available that can ensure your pharmacy is making the best buying decisions possible, saving you time and money.
Spend your free time mindfully
After a long day at work, it can be tempting to plop down on the couch and zone-out while watching T.V., but this type of activity won’t rejuvenate you.
Instead, use your evenings and time off to exercise, work on a hobby or spend quality time with family and friends. These leisure activities add value to your time off, and will ultimately engage you, making it easier to relax, and forget about your work responsibilities.
Prioritize your wellness
You probably spend all day talking to patients about healthy eating, sleeping and exercising habits, and it’s important that you take your own advice.
Add balance to your life just by taking small steps to incorporate wellness into your daily work schedule. Plan time to eat a healthy lunch, or take an exercise break to walk around the block. You’ll be healthier and these small breaks will help balance out your busy day.
Start balancing your work life and free time today by employing some of these tips into your schedule.
Related articles:
How to Build a Positive Work Environment
How to Communicate with Your Pharmacy’s Partners
5 Keys to Holding Effective Team Meetings
