“Sometimes just jumping onto a Zoom call with other practitioners in the middle of the day or meeting for breakfast or a lunch is another way to practice self-care because you’re connecting. And we know how important connection is to our well-being,” said Dr. Karen Wilson, Pediatric Neuropsychologist and Entrepreneur.
We hear a lot about the importance of professional networks to accelerate career goals like a new job, client, promotion or board seat. Although cultivating close professional connections, takes time, they can provide so much more. You can build a different type of friendship where it’s safe to express your wildest ambitions. With camaraderie built on shared language, training and aspirations. And you can have nitty gritty conversations about your industry that close friends and family politely yawn through.
Professional Connections Can be “Spiritual” or Traditional Friends
Author Eve Rodsky coined the term “spiritual friends” and does a dives into the concept in her book, Unicorn Space. She describes people who ‘see’ your gifts, potential, and cheer your growth in a new direction. It doesn’t have to be work related either. You could decide to knit a sweater or run the marathon, and spiritual friends offer emotional support from training through the finish line.
However, your professional connections can become spiritual friends. Especially when you’re trying to accomplish something new in your work or business and need to think about yourself differently.
Who Help You Make Space for Wellbeing
Whether you teach kids, save lives or trade stocks, feeling seen for your efforts is a beautiful thing. Karen is a pediatric neuropsychologist and we originally discussed how to care for yourself while caring for kids who are neurodiverse. Like most clinicians, her work requires a lot of empathy and precision and in healthcare, caregiver burnout and parental burnout can amplify each other.
She explained how her professional network helps her reduce stress, “When I have a round table with practitioners it’s very different than when I’m doing a workshop for parents about ADHD or dyslexia. It’s a different focus but as practitioners we also need to pay attention to our own needs and self-care.”
Provide and Ask for Accountability
Countless studies show that if you want to create or break a habit, build in accountability. Yes, it can be very structured and something you pay for like having a coach or taking a class. It can also be informal. Like a mentor relationship or peer group where you regularly check in with each other on wellbeing or progress towards goals.
Ask someone if they can check in with you on goal A or plan B and offer to do the same for others. It’s incredible how much more motivated people can be when they have to report progress to someone else.
Ask for Ridiculously Useful Resources
Ask close members of your professional network, which books, conferences, articles, and social accounts they find the most helpful. You can save so much time focusing on resources already vetted by people you trust. Karen is intentional about relationships with other mental healthcare practitioners. Both to boost her own wellbeing and growth. “We’re working together and experience that connection while we’re doing it and that feels good. We’re also learning from each other because practitioners may focus on different things. Someone may have expertise in ADHD and thomeone else may specialize in anxiety and we learn from each other. Which actually helps us to serve our clients better.”
Build a powerful referral community
How often do people ask you for great referrals? The ability to share professional opportunities with others and experience the joy of receiving that grace, is a gift. Karen’s professional circle not only helps with social connection, wellness and safe space to express frustration they make introductions. She said, “If I’ve got a kid with ADHD who also has anxiety as a patient then I can refer the family to this other practitioner who specializes in that.”
Bond Over Shared Values
It can be a love fest, where you celebrate all that is glorious in your world right now. However, it’s okay among peers to admit the stressors when there are dynamics in your industry or the economy consuming your mindshare. We have pressing needs within our homes everyday. Having work stress can take overload to a more intense level so, social support from others who get “it” eases the strain and reduces isolation.
Karen “Sometimes (getting together) with practitioners is about connecting with others who also feel compelled to help. We’re helpers. We want to help families and children and connecting with that broader community, even collaborating on ways that we can work together to help, also fills our cup.” Beautiful!
Remember, not all professional network growth has to happen in crowded industry breakfasts or happy hours at conferences. You can harness the fun of social connection to boost your wellbeing in a professional community. It can also help you with career goals.
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👑 Moms, join our 30-day wellness challenge that begins May 12th. It’s fast, fun and free. Register today!
Many thanks to the talented Dr. Karen Wilson!
Learn more about her work on her website, and check out her insightful podcast, Different Thinking, Different Learning. And follow her great adventure on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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About Dr. Karen Wilson:
Dr. Wilson is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and the Director of West LA Neuropsychology, PC. She specializes in the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents, and has extensive experience evaluating children, adolescents and young adults who present with learning, processing, or social-emotional challenges. As a clinician, her goal is to use her in-depth understanding of brain-behavior relationships to help identify the causes of difficulties individuals are experiencing, and she utilizes comprehensive and evidence-based approaches to determine one’s unique neurocognitive profile, which includes the identification of strengths and weaknesses, in order to help her develop a treatment plan tailored to each child, adolescent or young adult.
She is also the founder of ChildNEXUS, an all-inclusive education and mental healthcare service industry marketplace. ChildNEXUS connects parents whose children struggle with learning or social-emotional challenges with professionals who provide psychological, medical, legal, and educational support services. In addition to supporting families, we provide the professionals in our community with workshops, virtual roundtables, meetups, and collaboration opportunities.
