The Practicon Viewpoint by Ann Page Griffin

HANDLE STRESSORS STRAIGHT UP

PROCRASTINATION DOESN'T HELP

As I was scanning one of the numerous articles, essays, pamphlets, and books on my monthly reading menu, the words, "The Pain We’ve Known" caught my eye, and my imagination. In this short essay, author John Greco related a story from his childhood that illustrates how many of us handle, or fail to handle, stressful factors in our lives. Greco writes:

As a child, I hated going to the dentist. But it wasn't just the normal discomfort that I feared. You see, our dentist didn't use any numbing agent to reduce the pain when he had to drill a hole in my tooth for a filling.

He had been our family dentist for years, so his way of doing things was all that I knew. I had heard people complain about going to the dentist, and I figured this was why: trips to the dentist brought skull-rattling pain. I would just close my eyes and do my best not to cry or jump out of my seat. I didn't realize things could be different.

Then one day, I was lamenting an upcoming dental appointment to a friend, and she told me her least favorite part was having her cheek numb for the rest of the day. "Numb?" I asked, my eyes wide with curiosity. And then she told me about Novocaine, which was breaking news to me.

The following afternoon, as I reclined in the dentist's chair, I uttered, "I'd like some Novocain, if that's okay."

"Sure it is. But why?" he asked. "You've always had such a remarkable tolerance for pain that I didn't think you needed it."

Too many of us live as if the pain we've known is all there will ever be.

Now focus on your practice, on your office. Is there a stressful situation that you've refused to address? If so, consider solving the problem and thereby eliminating your distress in 2019. In fact, the sooner, the better. Seek professional advice or counseling if it is a personnel issue or a technological problem outside your area of expertise. An outside expert with experience and a fresh perspective can often solve issues that have vexed us for years.

Please don't delay. Procrastination never solved a problem or eliminated a source of distress. Commit to handling the stressor, whatever it takes. Make it happen. Then enjoy the peace of mind that follows.

And be sure to check out our Free Resources for Your Practice for additional insights, information, and practice management tips.