Part 2: The hidden way we sabotage clinical growth

Welcome back!

Yesterday, I talked about the hidden ways we can sabotage our growth and introduced the concept of the psychological immune system. I've found this concept to be a powerful way to frame why I avoid certain learning opportunities and shy away from the discomfort of growth.

This work can be challenging.

We're dealing with emotions and established beliefs that may be coming from the core of who we are.

With that said, it's necessary work if you're committed to deeper growth. While it's challenging work, it does get easier with practice and by following some practical strategies.

Let's dive in!

#1: Understand Your Ego Protective Traps

First off, it’s important to become aware of the inner workings of your ego. Begin to tune into which of the four traps of the ego you fall into most often.

Writing things down has been such a powerful way to bring clarity to the inner workings of my inner self. It has been instrumental in clarifying my own experience and untangling the yarn of one's emotional reactions and beliefs.

Here is a simple worksheet (download the pdf here) that can be a useful starting point to get things onto paper. You can use it to identify the feelings that are triggering your awareness that something is threatening your psychological immune system, the specific traps you may be falling for and an opportunity to brainstorm more growth-oriented actions:

#2: Embrace Discomfort & Vulnerability

An important but difficult step is embracing the inherent discomfort and vulnerability that is present when our psychological immune system is activated. The challenge is that negative or threatening events can challenge our perception of ourselves and how competent we perceive ourselves to be.

Interestingly, research shows that negative, threatening events can actually increase the energy we put into analyzing our situations more than neutral or positive experiences. This increased attention during these times can actually act as a catalyst for deeper learning and growth.

Instead of seeing these triggering situations as something to run from or avoid, I try to reframe them as opportunities for growth. This helps me to better cope with the discomfort that these situations often bring. While the discomfort may be temporary, the growth and personal development that can come from facing these challenges can have long-lasting effects.

#3: Challenge the Self-Talk

In my last newsletter, I talked about the important role our self-talk plays in our ability to perform well clinically. Along with the first strategy above, identifying the role our self-talk plays is essential.

For example, cognitive distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking or over-generalization can keep us isolated and can prevent us from taking growth-focused action. To dig deeper, check out my blog post about this.

#4: Be Your Own Coach

When I’ve encountered clinical situations where my ego is challenged and my defence mechanisms kick in, I have found it helpful to be my own coach.

This process focuses on taking a step back from the situation to create a little emotional space to allow deeper reflection and processing. Here are the steps that I've found helpful:

1. Acknowledge my discomfort 

First off, I’ve found it helpful to acknowledge my own discomfort. The discomfort and threat to the ego are real. By not minimizing the experience, I’ve found it allows me to be receptive to exploring more deeply.

2. Recognize my preferred ego-driven action

Next, I reflect on what I want to default to keep things in balance. Do I want to isolate, avoid, ignore, or distract? More often than not, it’s easy to identify what that action is - it’s the action that you feel will be the easiest and fastest to get out of a state of discomfort.

3. Review how the threat impacts your ego

Next up, I’ve found that understanding what the threat would mean to my ego. For example, by exploring a clinical case where I missed the diagnosis, what is it that I’m saying about myself? Am I telling myself that I’m incompetent? That I’m no good? How does this situation threaten my identity as a person or in my role as a physiotherapist?

4. Challenge myself with a small growth action

Now it’s helpful to identify a small action that will move me to a place of growth. It’s important to keep it small so that it feels less daunting and less threatening to the psychological immune system.

Small action requires less motivation and it doesn't have to be big. I like to think of an initial action that will get me comfortable with moving into a place of learning and growth.

Examples could include:

• Taking a look at one chart note

• Sending an email to a colleague to set up a time to connect

• Printing off a journal article

5. Celebrate the small growth action

Finally, celebrating a small action is important. Why? Because celebrating a small win helps us feel good, and feeling good helps us to take more uncomfortable action.

#5: Expand Your Sense of Self

It can be hard to be vulnerable when experiencing the dysequilibrium of a threatened ego. In my reading in the area of the psychological immune system, I came across a theory of psychology called the Theory of Positive Affirmation. It posits that defining our sense of self-worth outside of the area of threat will bolster our sense of self and protect us from threatening information and situations. This enables us to respond in healthier ways.

This can mean looking at the value of who we are outside of our clinical work. What roles do we have outside of our work (e.g. spouse, friend, parent, caregiver, mentor)?

As Sherman & Cohen highlight, we can think about key elements of our life that are outside of the threat. We can also engage in activities that reinforce values we have that are unrelated to the threatening event.

In essence, we're building a more robust, multi-dimensional understanding of ourselves so that the threatening experience can have less weight in our lives.

To Wrap Things Up

While it's easy to fall into the belief that learning and growth is a linear process, it's anything but. Our ability to understand and navigate our actions of self-defence can pay significant dividends in moving forward into the necessary and important areas we need to grow in.

To greater flow,

Andrew

PS Do you have a friend, colleague or classmate who you feel could benefit from my writing? I'd love for you to share this newsletter with them so they can join my newsletter. They can sign-up for my newsletter right on my website at 360clinician.com