Preventing Burnout for Dietitians in Private Practice with Paige Smathers

Jennifer is joined by Paige Smathers, RDN, CD to explore the important topic of burnout for dietitians in private practice, and to share insightful and relevant strategies to prevent it. Together they explore the definition of burnout, and shine a light on the causes of it from not only the complexities of the dietitian industry and our clients, but also from the anxiety and uncertainty that the online world can cause private practice owners. They reflect on the need to have honest conversations with ourselves and acknowledge how this work can be exhausting with the pressures to manage all aspects of the job.   Paige shares how she recognizes the early signs of depletion that leads to burnout, how she came to accept that discomfort, uncertainty and discouragement are part of this work and being in private practice, and how she developed mindfulness skills to deal with that, rather than just trying to feel better.   Jennifer and Paige discuss how learning to tolerate the distress of this work can actually help dietitians grow in other aspects of life, and be role models for our clients. "Mindfulness for me is not about feeling good; it's about getting more skilled and able to feel the discomfort that I'm feeling, because discomfort and uncertainty is part of this work." ~Paige Smathers   Some of the topics discussed include: Paige's journey from seeing inpatient hospital clients, to her discovery of Intuitive Eating and starting a practice. How her private practice and podcast have developed since 2015, and the importance of staying true to her message and mission. Self-care strategies and how to maintain realistic boundaries in private practice by working smarter, not harder. How diversifying and building in-person connections in your local community can re-energize you and your practice. The differences between in-person versus online burnout, and ways to stay grounded and true to your values when social media causes anxiety and uncertainty. Proactive mindfulness techniques and managing your schedule to maintain energy levels.   We need to take care of ourselves so we can effectively work with our clients and thrive in our practice. You'll get some helpful burnout prevention tips from this episode that you might not have considered!   Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!