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Tips for reducing work-related stress

Dentistry can be a stressful career. Burnout happens but fortunately, there’s also a cure.

One of the the best ways to prevent the daily grind from getting you down is to shift your focus to the bigger picture. It’s easy to get lost in a jam-packed schedule, temporary setbacks in your practice, issues with staff or any of the myriad of stressors.

Instead of worrying about how today or this week is going, take a step back and measure how you’re doing long-term. Seeing that you’re actually on-track for some of your long-term goals can make the daily routine more agreeable.

Reorganize your to-do list

Reset your brain at the start of your work day by highlighting three or four tasks, or patients, you’re looking forward to. This can improve your attitude towards the upcoming day and to the other tasks on your list.

Stop procrastinating over tasks

Have a personnel issue you’re dreading dealing with? Stressed about how and where to increase your marketing spend? Need to have an uncomfortable conversation with an associate? Take care of it sooner rather than later. Every day you let it is fester is another day you carry the tension on your shoulders.

Revisit your staffing

Managing more employees can be stressful but sometimes adding people to your team is just the ticket for decreasing your workload. When done correctly, a larger payroll can often lead to greater profitability.

Get outside help

If the business side of running your practice does not seem to be clicking, you may benefit from hiring a dental and/or business consultant. A talented consultant can analyze your practice and put you on the right path to:

  • Attract new patients
  • Free up time for additional daily appointments through new systems and efficiencies
  • Identify and increase your number of high profit procedures