If you own and operate a dental practice, we don't have to tell you how stressful of a job it can be at times. Owning a dental practice can be a lucrative and rewarding career opportunity, but the stress that comes with running a small business can easily become too much to handle. As the largest dental support organization, Heartland Dental helps practice owners all over the country achieve a better work-life balance through administrative and logistic support services. Here are our tips for maintaining your work-life balance – and your sanity – as a dental practice owner.
Tips for Keeping Work-Life Balance When Running a Dental Practice
If things start to feel out of hand, try not to let them get to your head too much. Follow these tips to keep a healthy work-life balance with your dental practice:
Set a Schedule: Contrary to what you may think, you should NOT be always available – to employees or to patients. Aside from an emergencies-only 24-hour number, set a strict schedule for when you take time out of the office. When you are off, disconnect. Don't answer emails or return calls. Taking time to rest will help you return to work rejuvenated.
Cut Down on Meetings: Meetings are dangerous for practice owners because they feel productive, but all too often, they're a complete waste of time. As much as possible, eliminate meetings from your schedule. Try to take care of communication through other mediums like e-mails or short conversations in the office. If you do need to go to a meeting, make sure everyone is prepared, and don't be afraid of only scheduling 15 minutes for the meeting.
Institute Software Solutions: Modern project management and office efficiency software can do wonders for helping your practice run better. Messaging programs like Slack can help cut down on time-wasting email, while software like Asana can make your whole office run better. Try instituting a few simple software solutions to make the whole office run more efficiently.
Affiliate With a Dental Support Organization
We hope these tips help make life a little easier – but if you're ready for a drastic change in your working life, there are a few things that make an impact like joining a dental support organization. As the nation's leading dental support organization, Heartland Dental has helped countless dentists and practice owners throughout the country reclaim their life by providing logistic, administrative, bookkeeping, marketing and many other support services which allow practice owners to get back to practicing dentistry and enjoying their lives. If you're ready to truly know what it feels like to have a healthy work-life balance, don't wait – affiliate with Heartland Dental today.