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Balancing Roles
First Happy Easter!!
Ok, so I'm struggling to find balance between my professional and personal roles and fear I am on the road to burn out. I am an in home therapist working with foster children and their caregivers. I spend about half of my time commuting between clients, the office and of course getting to and from home. Of course I then spend time (1 - 3 hours a week) in the home working with the client/caregiver. Then THERE'S THE PAPERWORK!!! The medicaid paperwork and the paperwork required by my company.... The paperwork is really where the pain comes in because I either I have to work late into the night to get it completed or if I don't do that, then I have to work on the weekend and often the job becomes a 7 day a week job..... and I'm salaried exempt so when you break down to what I'm making an hour for all of this work and stress it is just DEPRESSING.... I love the actual work I do with the cleints but the commuting (because it takes away from time to do the paperwork) and paperwork are just wearing me down..... so thanks for hanging in until this point.... what I guess I am asking is does anyone (particulary those in similar professions or with similar struggles) have any words of wisdom/advice on how to make it through until I can find a more suitable position. I am hoping to go into cash only private practice a.s.a.p. where the client and not the paperwork is the focus.
P.S. - I also just wanted to say that I am very greatful to have a job but my body and mind can only take so much. Oh and when I started this job a year ago there was not as much paperwork, commuting or time spent with cleint's all of theses are ever increasing demands.
Thanks for your time and TIA for any input.
Re: Balancing Roles
I don't really know that much about your profession, but have you talked to your employer about the paperwork? Is there any way to streamline it or make it more efficient? Is it just government stuff, or is it for your specific employer?
Is there a way to plan your trips between clients in a way that they line up on a map and you're not running all over the place?
DH and I both routinely catch up on work stuff on the weekends. I think spreading work out a bit more does help with work life balance.
Can you take care of some of the paper work in between clients? Perhaps schedule a lunch or tea time break for 1 hour and spend 30 or 40 minutes on the adminisrative tasks?