Help yiour team set healthy New Year's Resolutions. Who said that New Year's resolutions had to be something you could only do as an individual? Every January 1st, most of us get a bit motivated to start over, set new goals, and make changes to improve our health and lifestyle. The same can be said for your dental practices. As a dental office manager, you help set the tone for your entire team. That’s not to say you’re going to be telling everyone what diets to start going on. However, there are things you can do as a practice to boost your efficiency, team wellness, and a higher quality workplace where people can enjoy fitting in.

Here are a few ideas for healthy resolutions to get you started:

Change your menu for lunch and learns

Part of continually slipping into a bad diet is being on a time crunch. It’s easy to grab fast food or high-carb, high-fat foods when you’re feeding a group. Make a plan to stay healthy and fresh by shifting your menu during team events to be one that promotes healthy employees!

Make healthy snacks available

Stock up on fresh fruit and veggies, dried nuts, sharp cheeses, and bottled water, all of which are great for teeth, minds, and bodies. The fresh produce might take some time to figure out what works well (everyone has different preferences) before going bad, but having it on hand will be providing essential vitamins and minerals that your team needs to stay healthy.

Eat-in, not out

Trying to save up for a cruise or the next vacation? A great place to start is by not eating out. When everyone brown bag’s it, you can easily save up to $50+ a week just on meals. That’s $200 a month. You might even want to make it into a friendly competition.

Floss more

Are you practicing what you preach? Let’s be real. Even some dental professionals don’t floss every day. You know it’s true! Make floss picks handy in your team restroom or get fun flavors to try, then talk about which ones are your favorite. They can’t join in on the conversation unless they’re participating too!

Put your best smiles first

Schedule two days for all of 2020, where everyone in the office can get a thorough cleaning, exam, catch up on X-rays, and whiten their teeth if they want to. It’s almost harder for your team members to keep up with their dental checkups than anyone else. Or, the procedures are rushed because it’s during a short period of downtime. When you and your staff have healthy, bright smiles, it’s like a walking advertisement for your office! Sample New Year's Resolutions: Plan healthier snacks and lunches.

Make a calendar

Make a team calendar, a big one, on the wall of your break room. Have everyone add their birthdays, important dates, or kids’ activities to it. That way, when things come up, you’ll always have something to recognize, ask about, or even do for recreational purposes outside of work. If your dental office has goals they’re working on, such as specific training for people to get or # of whitening kits to sell, feel free to add those too!

Take more time off

A rested team is one that feels more refreshed and rejuvenated. Have you ever noticed that being gone for a few days makes you want to go back to work even more? Some offices do things like built-in half days off or closing for a few extra days around the holidays. But it’s easier to plan for those things now, rather than wait until it gets closer. Because by that point it’s too late!

Ask for team input when choosing resolutions

Your team knows each other’s quirks, preferences, hobbies, and even one another’s individual goals. So, when you have a team meeting about some resolutions for the new year, ask if anyone has any ideas to chip in. Or maybe they have their OWN goals and just want accountability partners! When you put yourself out there, you’re more likely to follow through with it. Sure, it’s intimidating, even scary at times, to share what you want to do, but it makes it real! Pick your resolutions. Put them in action. Track your success. Then look back and see how successful you were, just by incorporating easy changes into your routine!