Some mornings just start out bad. And a little pebble of stress can quickly steam roll into a boulder of problems if you don't
halt the momentum. Stop for a moment and remember that you're in control. You can choose to let stress bugs bite you in the
rear—or you can squash them before they swarm out of control. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It can be. Let's take a look at some
stressful situations—and ways you can overcome obstacles to turn a bad morning into a good day.
Squash last-minute confusion
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Stress is inevitable, but these challenges don't need to ruin your day. When you learn to manage the situations that cause
you the most stress, you're happier, more efficient, and you're less likely to suffer from burnout. So pull out that fly swatter
and take a swing at what's bugging you. An emergency derails your morning. Clients are waiting, and a surgery is running behind. How can you catch up?
Regroup and refocus, says Christine Merle, DVM, MBA, CVPM, a consultant with Brakke Consulting in Dallas. "You need to focus
on what you can control," she says. "For example, if an emergency comes in and appointments will be delayed, tell receptionists
what's going on. They can contact clients scheduled later in the day and let them know you're running behind."
Next step: reprioritize. Once you take a breather and reorganize your agenda, Dr. Merle says you can redistribute the workload
for greater efficiency. For example, perhaps you can start taking a patient history for a waiting client while the doctor
finishes up the surgery that took longer than expected.
The flu has taken a bite out of your staff. You're running short and everyone's stressed.
Take a step back, Dr. Merle says. She recommends using the STOP method introduced in The Inner Game of Work: Focus, Learning, Pleasure, and Mobility in the Workplace (Random House, 2001). STOP stands for Step back, Think, Organize your thoughts, and then Proceed. "You take five minutes several
times a day to stop and re-evaluate what's going on and how you're reacting," Dr. Merle says. These little breaks let you
refresh and clear your head before you move on to the next task in your day.
Once you've managed this tough day, plan ways to make the next one less stressful. For example, if you haven't already you
could cross-train team members to fill in when you're short-staffed. "When you cross-train, technicians can invoice and answer
phones and receptionists can draw up vaccines and set up fecal tests," says Michelle Guercio, CVT, CVPM, the hospital administrator
for Animal Care Center of Pasco County in New Port Richey, Fla.
"Generally, in the flow of the hospital, receptionists get slammed in one 10-minute period and then it all flows back to the
technicians' area. Then it goes back to the reception area within the next 15 to 20 minutes. If everyone's prepared to move
with the work, you can usually get through those days. And it's a great team builder, because you can't do it without each
other."
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