Breaking the Reactive Cycle: Stop the Chaos and Regain Your Sanity

Picture this: You pull in to the office think to yourself, Today is going to be a good day. Then—BAM! You look at the schedule and realize the big case scheduled for delivery this afternoon isn't back from the lab.  You pick up the phone to call the lab just to see that you have 12 messages - the first from Mr. Scott - he's ticked off because he received a statement over the weekend for treatment completed in 2022. Another message is Mrs. Williams cancelling her crown preps this morning because 'something came up at work'.  Before you know it, you’re hurdling through the day in full panic mode, your to-do list doubling every five minutes like it’s trying to win an Olympic medal.

Signs You’re in the Reactive Cycle (Hint: If You’re Reading This, You Probably Are)

• You’ve already used the phrase “I can’t even” at least half a dozen times today.
• You move people up in the schedule–this helps short term, but still doesn’t address the case acceptance issue.
• You don’t sleep well the night before a big case wondering if they are going to show up – or if they do show up, you hope they are going to pay.
• Diagnosis represents only today’s problems, resulting in mostly single-unit dentistry.
• Patients don't seem to have any money, and you find great comfort in the fact that your lab guy tells you he's slowed down, too.
• You let patients dictate the schedule. You have so many openings, you're willing to let them come in whenever they can.
• You provide a lot of unscheduled, same-day treatment on ‘emergencies’, making other patients wait, sacrificing solid financial arrangements, and reinforcing crisis-minded behavior in your patients.
• Your schedule is ‘too busy’ to get a planning appointment in within a week or so.
• You are too busy to have weekly vision sessions or huddles.
• You spend a lot of time making calls to fill last minute cancellations/reschedules.
• You find yourself putting out fires many times a day.
• Your day feels like one long game of whack-a-mole, where the moles are tasks, and the hammer is your rapidly deteriorating sanity.

 Congratulations! You've entered the reactive cycle, where every moment feels like you're starring in a circus act—juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle on a tightrope made of spaghetti!

But seriously, the reactive cycle is stressful and exhausting. The good news? It can be broken! So, let’s take a deep breath (not that shallow “I’m fine” breath, but the “I just escaped quicksand” kind) and talk about how to break free.

Signs You’re Finally Being Proactive (And Not Just Lucky This Time):

Being proactive is like choosing to pack an umbrella before the weather app predicts a downpour—not just realizing you’re soaked and yelling, “Why me?!”   Sure, it requires a little extra planning, but it’s the difference between gracefully dancing through your day and feeling like you're in an endless game of dodgeball where you’re the target.

• Rather than panicking when you have a big open block in the schedule, you utilize the time to build your skills, communicate with your team and regain focus so that you ultimately have less 'holes' in the schedule.  
• You look a week ahead in your morning huddle – what are the opportunities to help patients and achieve your vision over the next few days?
• When a patient has an ‘emergency’, you show empathy and assure them you’ll help them come up with a solution, but you also ask questions about the rest of their teeth – ‘what if we could prevent this from happening again, saving you time and money – would that be helpful?’
• You convert limited exams to planning appointments.
• You have a solid template for your schedule that represents a profitable day, and you stick to it. 
• You sleep well at night knowing that all patients for tomorrow are prepaid, arranged through outside funding, or at minimum have made a substantial ‘down payment/deposit’ toward their treatment.
• You don’t have a lot of emergencies among your existing patient base as a result of your future-focus communication that has resulted in more comprehensive, preventive treatment.
• You treat your team meeting time as sacred and don’t mess with it – no matter what, because you understand the value of sharpening the saw and taking time to communicate as a team.

Breaking the Cycle (Without Crying in the Office Bathroom)

Breaking out of the reactive cycle doesn’t mean the dental office turns into a perfect montage of calm smiles and inspirational music - this is dentistry, after all.  But it does mean fewer moments where your brain screams “Retreat!” while you’re trying to catch up with the chaos. 

So, take a deep breath, put down the flaming torches, and remember: you’ve got this. One proactive moment at a time.

TURN IT INTO ACTION...

1. What reactive characteristics do you most identify with?
2. What do you need to stop doing?
3. If you find that you’re more ‘reactive’, what’s your plan to break the cycle?