Having worked in around 400 dental offices (give or take), my commute home looked a little different every day. While it was nice to work close to home with just a few minutes drive between home and work, I found that sometimes I needed more downtime than what my short drive offered me after a days work. What I needed was a little more transition between work a home. I needed to decompress and some time to myself. I knew when I walked in the door, my family would want to update me on something or share their good/bad news, show me their school project or get input on the paper they were writing.
I soon realized I needed to put bumper time between when I would leave work and when I walked in the door at home. Our minds, after a long day at the office, need rejuvenation. We each have to find our own way to achieve this. Sometimes what I needed was to wander the grocery store for a few minutes, or maybe take the long way home. Other times I would park down the street and sit for a few minutes and make a phone call to a friend or family member. Bringing a pair of tennis shoes to do a few laps around the park is another great way to decompress and collect your thoughts. Decompressing can also look as simple as pulling over on the side of the road and taking a few minutes to do some deep breathing exercises with your eyes closed. Maybe it's listening to a comedy podcast, or having the radio off, or on really loud. I've had some friends who have the option of coming home and locking themselves in their room for 30-40 minutes -their family knows mom is off limits, no knocking or talking through a closed door
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How do you want to rejuvenate after a long day with patients? I've given you a few ideas, but really what works is whatever brings your stress levels back down and what makes you feel relaxed and ready to move on to the next part of your day.
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