March 23, 2023

I have a calendar suggestion for you. This is especially relevant if you're new to clinical practice.

Here's the tip: Have regular clinic hours.

This sounds very obvious. And, a lot of people aren't doing it.

When you don't have many clients, it's easy to think: "I'll see the clients whenever suits them. Monday at 7 pm? Sure. Tuesday at noon? No problem. Friday at 3 pm? Yep, works for me."

You'll have individual visits scattered randomly across your calendar. This makes it hard to have big blocks of time to attend to other pieces of your life: thinking deeply, going for a long hike, taking a full day off.

Not only is this chaotic scheduling mentally challenging, it also creates a scattered and sporadic energy within your practice.

Instead, designate a handful of half-days as your regular clinic hours. For example: block out Tuesday afternoons/evenings and Thursday mornings for clients.

Once these blocks start getting full, you can add another half day.

If someone can't make it during your scheduled hours, you can always work out an alternate time on a case-by-case basis.

You'll be surprised by how many people can make it during your regular hours, and by how much freedom and mental space this opens up in your week ❤️

Take care,

Camille 

About Camille Freeman, LDN, RH (she/her)

Hi there! I'm a clinical herbalist and licensed nutritionist specializing in fertility and menstrual health. I run the Monday Mentoring community of practice and also offer continuing education programs for highly-trained herbalists and nutritionists (Check out this year's Deep Dive!). I'm also a professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Maryland University of Integrative Health, where I teach physiology, pathophysiology, and mindful eating.

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