MENTAL HEALTH
Matters
Handling Holiday Stress in a Dental Office by Theodore Rockwell , DMD , PDA President-Elect
The holiday season can be a stressful time for everyone .
There is shopping , which while enjoyable , brings the stress of spending money . There is cooking and decorating , both of which are delightful and fun , but take time and energy . We , and all of our staff , spend quite a few hours working . So along with holiday preparation , our work limits time even more . Holiday tasks have to be juggled after work and on weekends , and that ’ s without mentioning all the holiday events we attend .
Still , the holidays truly are the most lovely and exciting time of the year .
At my office , we try to create a very positive environment for both the staff and patients . We decorate the office for the fall and winter seasons . We dress up in fun costumes for Halloween and have an in-office extended lunch for Thanksgiving . Once a week I buy lunch that we share together , and in December we have a holiday dinner that begins later in the afternoon into early evening , so that staff isn ’ t too late getting back to their families . Some years we have the holiday dinner in the large break area at the office , some years we go to a restaurant , and some years we begin the celebration at a staff member ’ s house , then go to a restaurant . This year , staff requested an afternoon / evening dinner at a nice restaurant in Lakewood , New York , which is 10-20 miles from the staff members ’ homes .
When staff members deal with a stressful situation , they are encouraged to talk it out . Luckily , our staff relate well and are comfortable enough to talk with each other . Stressful situations often revolve around children for virtually all of our staff members at this point in their lives , and they are supportive of each other in that regard . If staff members encounter a stressful situation that involves a conflict between one another they are encouraged to discuss it with the person they have an issue with . If it cannot be resolved then they can come to me and I carefully intervene and negotiate as necessary … which is a stressful situation for me .
We all deal with stress in different ways . I personally enjoy exercise , riding my bicycle on a beautiful day or going out running at our local university track . I time myself for 20 minutes , and then run at a slower pace . If the weather is bad , I go to the Warren YMCA and run on the treadmill .
I encourage my staff to take breaks and go out for a walk at lunchtime . We have a trail right across the highway from our office . It can be tricky crossing , but if you drive a little way to the beginning of the trail and you can get started , either walking , running , or riding your bicycle . We find that this way you can come back refreshed and ready to finish the day .
Additionally , some staff members have younger children , and they invariably will need to attend various school holiday functions . We are very flexible and work to enable the staff members to attend such events for their children . Because the children have a wide range of ages and grades , we can often accommodate by taking turns while other staff cover . This sometimes requires having a lighter schedule a day here and there , but it is worth it to keep staff happy , and under less stress .
We all try very much to work together as a team to support each other during the holidays in every way we can .
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 25