Priorities

One of the most difficult aspects of being a physical therapist is not the assessment, it is not taking measurements, it is not coming up with exercises to provide the patient. The most difficult aspect of being a physical therapist is asking a patient to make their rehabilitation a priority. We all have responsibilities, we have attention spans, and we have limited resources to allocate to every aspect of our lives. Requesting that a patient find a way to reallocate those resources is a challenge.

A typical day will flood you with urgent matters, things that appear at first glance to require immediate attention. We quickly shift our attention to those matters at the expense of what is important. Emails, notifications, spam calls all do a great job of diverting us from what is important, initially they appear urgent.

The important things make us better. The important things enrich our lives and allow us to dedicate our time to what matters to us the most. Distractions (many urgent things) prevent us from doing what we know we should be doing, the priorities.

The most difficult part of being a physical therapist is asking a patient to recognize the importance of taking their health into their own hands. It requires making themselves a priority in a world that insists everything else comes first.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist