Why You Should Work Through the Summer

May Long Weekend is the traditional kickoff weekend for summer. Sunshine and patios, gardening and family reunions, grad parties, weddings….the last place you want to be is at work, right?

 Wrong.

This year, why not try something different, and stick around during the summer? I’ll give you three reasons why it’s a good idea.

Better client retention. Between coordinating schedules, my holidays and theirs, a few patients have slipped through the cracks, and got out of their self-care routine.   Six months down the road, after a particularly bad storm (and the accompanying snow shovelling) I might see them, and then have to book extra appointments to undo months of, well, life. Maintaining a consistent schedule is especially important in the first few years you are practicing, and developing a reputation in your community. 

More income.   Are you working in a multidisciplinary clinic, or at a clinic with multiple therapists? Staying available to cover other’s shifts can actually increase your paycheque over the summer. Take advantage of any contacts you have made locally as well, let your RMT friends know that you are available to cover for them or as a referral for any of their patients that might be in desperate need.

Work now, play later. Taking holidays during the summertime makes sense if you have school age children, but if you don’t, why not wait until later on in the year? Summer travel is more expensive, and crowded than the fall. Also, the hardworking therapist who covered everyone else’s holidays in the summer, is more likely to get a decent chunk of time off at Christmas, or the dead of winter when we all NEED to get away.

Now, I’m not suggesting you work 24-7, that’s just a recipe for RSI. Have your rest days, and be good to yourself (different from “treating” yourself). You may be the last one to leave the office, but thanks to our longer summer days, there will still be some sun and warmth to enjoy on a patio at the end of the day.

In health,  MTSO staff