Waking Up to Possibility and Momentum: 5 Spring Lessons for Healthcare Introverts
Embrace
Spring’s Lessons
Though the weather outside may not always reflect it, spring is officially here. Spring is my favorite season because you can see evidence of new growth, possibility, and momentum everywhere you look.
Whether winter found you cozily retreating into yourself or frozen in place and stuck in survival mode, spring is here to offer renewed energy.
Let's make it work for you.
Celebrate Subtle Growth
Spring is all about emerging from the stillness and retraction of winter. The days get longer, and the sun feels warmer.
It's time to unfurl and expand.
If ever you wanted proof that small steps and gentle progress lead to success, spring has your back.
As the soil warms and temperatures rise, dormant seeds slowly send out the first delicate tendrils of growth. It's not big and flashy. It's smart.
Spring weather can be unpredictable. A single day of sunshine might be followed by wind and snow. Blooms that pop up prematurely can be damaged by frost.
Give yourself permission to follow your own timeline and innate sense of knowing. When you honor your natural way of being, you're more likely to grow and adapt in a way that feels good to your nervous system.
Having said that, spring urges you to get started even if, as an introvert, your growth still lies beneath the soil. Trust that it's okay to begin moving toward whatever is calling you, no matter how tentative the start.
To start the ball rolling, consider an area where you've felt stalled or desire to create something new. Take one small step toward your intention.
That might be blocking time just for you, deciding on a boundary, or identifying the requirements for a certification you've been considering.
Public declarations are not required. Small, measurable actions are.
Plan for Mud Season
I spent a couple of years living in Maine. I loved it. I also learned this time of year means lots and lots of mud.
It's not pretty. It's not neat. And, with fluctuating temperatures as nature gets her bearings, it's unpredictable.
This is an excellent metaphor for life. You can never fully know what's in store for you, but you can be confident that it won't always be sunshine and rainbows, no matter how much you plan.
For healthcare introverts, who often fall prey to the demands of perfection, learning to succeed and grow in - and despite - mud season may be one of your greatest achievements.
Spring lets you know that discomfort, false starts, and detours are all expected parts of any plan. It doesn't mean you're doing something wrong, and it certainly doesn't mean failure.
Adopting a growth mindset (pun intended) enhances your ability to get curious, adopt a playful approach, and gain valuable insights from even the messiest situations.
You may even find a way to delight in the feel of the mud as it squishes between your bare toes. You never know until you try!
Move Toward Your Energy Source
We've all seen how shoots twist, turn, and stretch toward the sun. Grounded and nourished by the soil, they know the sun pulls them toward greater heights.
Take this as encouragement to follow delight and do more of what feels good.
Stop waiting for others to notice what you need. Seek it out.
As a healthcare professional, you spend large amounts of time focusing on ways to support others. Your ability to consistently show up hinges on your willingness to give yourself what you need.
Sprouts hidden in the dark or deprived of the sun are spindly, pale, and weak. Those that bask in the sun's rays are strong and richly colored.
Honor this spring cue to let yourself move toward at least one thing per week that reconnects you with joy and delight or purpose and meaning.
I mentioned above that now is the time to unfurl and expand. You can only do that when you feel fully energized, so step into your version of sunshine.
Find Impact En Masse
Many of spring's blooms are diminutive and humble. On their own, you might miss them. Gather them in a forest meadow by the hundreds or thousands, and the effect is breathtaking.
Introverts are capable, independent, and creative. They know how to survive and take care of themselves. Solitude is essential.
Yet, there may be times when your singular voice feels too quiet or your efforts are dwarfed by seemingly outsized challenges. Today's healthcare environment may be the perfect example.
Take a note from spring and consider how to join together with others who share your values and mission when going it alone feels too heavy. Embrace support.
It can sometimes be easy to miss a single bloom. It's much more difficult to overlook a hillside of wildflowers with their faces to the sun.
Focus on Possibility
Your life experiences and opportunities are deeply influenced by something that is entirely within your control: your focus.
Spring provides examples of this everywhere you look.
You may only see the residual detritus of winter instead of noticing bright green shoots pushing through the brittle remains of fall leaves.
Your attention may be drawn only to the patterns of naked tree limbs against a blue sky rather than taking in the almost imperceptible swellings of new buds.
Or your distraction may be so complete that you miss a tree in full bloom, as I did recently. I was so busy looking down and paying attention to my dog that I missed a magnolia tree covered in delicate white flowers - until its luscious scent grabbed my attention and made me look for the source. (I've shared a photo above - it was too gorgeous not to!)
Spring reminds us we get to choose whether we focus on the mundane or the sublime, what's frustrating or freeing.
When life feels hard, ask, "What's going right for me now?"
When you shift your focus, you may be surprised at the many amazing transformations already happening - much like the moving parts of this spring season.
One of your many gifts as an introvert is noticing the details. Use that natural ability to get curious and shift your focus to the gentle nudges that suggest something great is coming your way.
Lessons From Spring: TNTC
Like a petri dish full of life, the lessons from spring are too numerous to count. I've shared a handful here. I'd love to hear from you if you've got others to share.
In the meantime, let the energy of the season infuse you with the excitement of new beginnings.
Now is an ideal time to consider how you can find novel solutions to old problems, shift into an attitude of curiosity and openness, and nurture those ideas and dreams that have been patiently lying dormant and waiting for the warm breezes of spring to arrive.
Are you having trouble creating momentum and needing help letting go of the introvert excuse?
Learn how to protect and support your energy for greater well-being with the Energy Management for Introverts in Healthcare guide.
You can access it for free here.
Ready for 1:1 support from someone who understands your introverted nature?
Learn more about working with me here.
Charity is a physician and burnout coach helping introverts in healthcare escape feelings of apathy, irritability, and resentment brought on by the increasing demands and decreasing rewards of medicine.
She uses her 20 years of experience in clinical medicine combined with coaching to help introverts discover ways to be diligent, thoughtful clinicians while prioritizing their needs and protecting their energy. She wants you to know you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting a thriving life inside and outside of medicine.