Well isn’t this just the craziest year?
In WA especially we’ve had the fortune of remaining relatively unaffected by COVID, especially compared with the rest of the country and the world.
One term that I’ve heard a lot lately and can personally identify with is “post traumatic growth.” There’s no doubt that the clinic, our staff, and our patients suffered greatly in the uncertainty leading into COVID restrictions. However, we were also forced into a general pause. We’ve held a mirror up to our lives and been challenged on what’s important and what’s not, what we need and what we thought we wanted. And from this, there is a unique opportunity for growth.
Overwhelmingly I have listened to my patients who have taken positive steps to maintain more balance in their lives, to look after themselves and their loved ones and perhaps even more importantly put down some of the guilt, fear and perceived responsibilities that were actually holding them back. I can honestly say that I have tried to do the same. And as scary as it has been, the benefits are already flowing in. The trick we’re facing now is how to hold on to this insight while everything gets busy again in this "new normal".
I’ve noticed a degree of fatigue too, not just with the constant media coverage but also the fact that we would normally have taken some time off around Easter, and again mid-year. This of course couldn’t happen and so a lot of people haven’t had a holiday or even a break from work for over six months. Of course, many parents of school age kids are just exhausted.
So I’m glad to hear so many of our patient community discovering their state again. Getting away within our borders, helping and experiencing our greater community and also getting some well needed time off and nurturing. We often forget the simplest way to be healthy is to slow down.
On that note, we will be closing the clinic for one week in the second week of these school holidays to get the floorboards sanded and re-varnished. It’ll also be a chance for our team to refresh and come back with vigor. We have recently had the clinic painted internally and I’m looking forward to a fresh feel here as we take on the next decade.
I am excited to announce that Katie will add a Monday shift starting from November as she transitions back from her maternity leave. Charlie will also be coming home soon, depending on how the West Coast Fever do in the finals of the Super Netball.
When you next stop by, you’ll be able to experience our new piece of moving art that we have installed in the waiting room. It’s a Sisyphus sand-art table that will constantly reshape patterns in the sand and hopefully bring a degree of calm and wonder to your experience before the fun of going into the treatment room.
With all the changes recently, our waiting times for booking an appointment have blown out further than we feel is acceptable, and we are working really hard to reduce this. With more therapist hours becoming available I feel that this will improve greatly, but in the meantime I'm grateful for your patience and encourage you to book your physio and massage needs proactively before small issues turn into a crisis.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with support, to everyone who believes in what we are doing here and for being a part of our community.
We will grow through this together.
Roshan