In the last episode, I talked about how to choose a creative business using the concept of Ikigai. But today, I want to talk about what comes after that — when you’ve decided what your thing is. Maybe you’ve tested it out, you love doing it, and you’re like: “Yes, this is it.”

But… you’re still working in health. And it’s like: ahhh, what now?

That weird, wobbly, disorienting middle. When you’re doing the health thing that took you years to study for, train in, build confidence in — and hey, you’re good at it. It probably still pays the bills. It might even look impressive from the outside.

So now what?

Do you stay? Do you try to juggle both? Go part-time? Flip the table and jump fully into your creative business?

When It’s Hard to Tell

This is the part where the psychotherapist in me wants to gently say: discomfort can be a teacher. (I know — sounds a bit eye-rolly, maybe even cringe — but stay with me.)

If you can sit in that discomfort and get curious about what it’s trying to tell you, there might be clues there.

It doesn’t always mean the profession is totally wrong for you. Sometimes, it’s the setup.

It might be:

• The structure of your day

• The work environment

• Your caseload

• The kind of clients you’re seeing

• The length of your sessions

• Or simply… needing Mondays off

These little tweaks can change everything.

I really encourage you to experiment. Find out what you don’t love about your health work and see what shifts when you tweak it.

For example, things dramatically improved for me when I was in a government job and started taking Mondays off. I had hella bad Sunday dread, and just removing Monday from the equation made such a difference.

Later, when I moved into private practice, that was another big shift. I could start when I wanted. I didn’t have to do six patients a day. I had flexibility. I could even offer after-hours appointments if I wanted.

But What If It’s Not the Setup?

What if you’ve tried tweaking the setup, and it’s still not right?

Then maybe… it is the profession.

Think about it — we spend so many years studying something before we actually get to do the job. Often, the real-life experience of working in health is wildly different from the version we imagined back in uni.

You might’ve internalized this fantasy of what being a health professional would be like, only to discover that the systems aren’t built for you to do the work you really want to do.

That’s why a lot of people I work with as a copywriter — especially those transitioning into coaching — have made the switch. Because in coaching, they finally get to do the work they’d always wanted to do in their health profession… without all the red tape.

Of course, that means stepping away from something familiar. Something comfortable. Cue discomfort (again). So much discomfort.

Mixed Feelings Are Normal

It’s hard to admit, especially after you’ve worked so long and hard to get where you are.

You might feel proud of your achievements and disconnected from the profession at the same time. You might look around and see colleagues who love the job — it’s their whole identity — and you’re quietly in the corner like, “Eh, I don’t know if I want to be here.”

So let me say this:

Just because you can keep going, doesn’t mean you have to.

Maybe you’re not ready to hear that yet. But imagine this: in some alternate universe, there’s no HECS debt. No years of training. No family or colleague opinions. No sunk costs.

What would you choose to do then?

Would you stay in your health profession? Would you go full-time into your creative business? Or maybe there’s a third thing entirely?

Let Yourself Sit in the In-Between

That’s why I think it’s important to sit in the discomfort and see what emerges. Because sometimes when we think we’re choosing between A and B, if we pause long enough, C might show up. (Thanks, Jung.)

You’re allowed to feel confused.
You’re allowed to want more than what you have now.
You’re allowed to outgrow things.
You’re allowed to say, “I have no idea.”
You’re allowed to grieve the path you thought you’d be on.

There’s nothing wrong with being in the in-between.

It might sound counterintuitive, but sometimes the best thing you can do is not make any big decisions — just get curious. Explore. Make small changes. Try different things. Notice what feels off.

Maybe it’s your schedule. Maybe it’s your systems. Maybe it’s the people around you.

You’re Not Alone

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Your experience will be completely different from mine. And that’s okay.

But I think these conversations matter — to normalize that being in healthcare is hard, and it’s okay to feel done with it. You don’t have to keep pushing through if there’s something else your heart is pulling you toward.

If this resonated with you — or if you know someone who’s in that messy middle — share the episode. Or reach out.

You can always DM me on Instagram, I’m way too active over at @bellcopyco. I’d love to hear from you — whether this helped, resonated, or even if you don’t agree.

Until next time,
Caitlin