I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.
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When building a profitable practice, avoidance to taking action can be a huge barrier. Avoidance is in all different types and manners, and we must quickly identify which type is the reason behind it.
If you’re one of those who commonly avoid certain tasks or certain situations, it could be for several different reasons. But before you can work on solving or completing a task you’ve been putting off, it’s essential to narrow down what type of avoidance you are using to avoid something in your life so you can know how best to combat it.
Here are three types of avoidance
1. Emotional or cognitive avoidance.
This type of avoidance usually just happens internally and can’t be seen by anyone other than the person experiencing the avoidance. When you emotionally or cognitively avoid something, it means that you avoid thinking about it. This can be either blocking out thoughts when they come to mind or repressing memories that are incredibly stressful. Emotional avoidance is especially prominent after someone has experienced a trauma, and is very common in people living with PTSD. Sometimes this type of avoidance requires medical intervention to resolve.
2. Situational avoidance.
This type of avoidance is much easier to see among your family and friends. Situational avoidance is when you specifically avoid a certain person, place, or thing which may remind you of something that makes you unhappy. This frequently happens in friend groups when certain group members have had an altercation and don’t want to go to events where they may see the person. You may also notice this type of avoidance in a friend who constantly changes the subject when a particular topic comes up in conversation.
3. Protective avoidance.
This type of avoidance is where you may go out of your way to protect yourself from feeling a certain emotion or experiencing something again. For example, someone who was the victim of a robbery may obsessively check the locks on all the doors inside the house to ensure they are locked. This type of avoidance can be one of the most dangerous as they can quickly escalate into something more serious such an obsessive-compulsive disorder or an eating disorder.
If you find yourself avoiding certain tasks, thoughts, or people it’s time to evaluate why you’re doing so, keeping the three types of avoidance in mind. Once you have discovered just what you are doing and why, only then can you work towards fixing the issue. If you find that you can’t overcome your avoidance tendencies alone, get professional help to make this necessary change in your life.
I am Dr. Hassan, Board Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own practice so that they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/guide to pick up the free guide to help you determine the best business entity for your new practice.
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Self-care is essential in order to effectively evaluate your unhealthy behaviors. Check out or blog here for a few ways to implement self-care into your day.
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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com
