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Osteo Rebel Rule #4: Buffer time isn’t wasted time ⏳

Sep 25, 2025
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We’ve come to the final week of my September Rebel Series — where I’ve been sharing the “rules” I’ve broken in practice, and how they’ve actually made me a stronger, freer practitioner.


This week’s rebel move?

Osteo Rebel Rule #4: Buffer time isn’t wasted time.


Up until this summer, I’d always worked in 30-minute blocks. For 15 years, that’s what I offered. It’s what I knew. And I’d convinced myself that was the most “efficient” way to practice.

When I went solo, I finally stopped to reflect on what was really working for me… and what wasn’t.


And the truth? Back-to-back 30s left me feeling rushed. I’d been living by this self-imposed rule that I needed to see as many people as possible — and that any buffer time was wasted, unpaid time.

 

But here’s what I’ve learned: that “rule” was garbage.

 

Yes, I’ve streamlined my admin (Jane Payments + Jane AI Scribe = actual lifesavers). Those tools save me hours each week and thousands in admin costs. But the biggest shift in my practice has come from the thing I once avoided most: buffer time.

I raised my rates to account for it (something a lot of practitioners think you can’t do… spoiler: you absolutely can!).

Now, in between patients, I’m:

  •  grounding myself
  • resetting my treatment room
  • finishing my charts on the spot
  • and intentionally creating a healing space that feels potent.
  • And I’m charging for the energy I put into every single patient — before, during, and after their appointment.

 

No one is ever waiting on me anymore — even if the person before them got stuck in traffic. I feel present, steady, and I’m genuinely enjoying the pace of my day more than I ever have.

Sure, a few people weren’t thrilled that my rates went up (for the second time this year) — and I’ve happily referred them on. But the vast majority of my patients have noticed the shift:
 ✨ Our talks go deeper.
 ✨ Our time together feels more special.
 ✨ And I. Feel. GREAT.

Not because I’m running overtime — but because I’m not rushing, and neither are they.

And it’s not just my patients. Whether I’m grabbing groceries, in the drive-thru, or just out downtown, strangers keep telling me I have such great “energy” and that I must be in a good mood. And honestly? I couldn’t agree more.

Turns out, buffer time wasn’t wasted at all. It was the key to creating a practice that feels sustainable — for me and for them.

 
✨ Rebel Homework:
  1. Look at your schedule this week.
  2. Create just one pocket of 10–15 minutes of buffer time.
  3. Use it to breathe, reset your room, or simply not rush.
  4. Notice how it changes the energy of your day — and how your patients respond.

 

🎤 Rebel Series Wrap-Up

This month I’ve shared 4 of my biggest “rule breaks” as a practitioner:
  • Don’t let anyone decide if you’re good enough — the only truth that matters is yours.
  • Don’t wear what doesn’t feel like you — scrubs are great if you love them, but you can wear whatever makes you happy.
  • Talk about money — even debt, because silence is what really hurts us.
  • Buffer time isn’t wasted — slowing down makes us better, not worse.

 

Breaking these rules hasn’t made me less professional. It’s made me more me. And the more I’ve allowed myself to practice in a way that feels true, the stronger my results, my business, and my joy have become.

So here’s your invitation: which “rule” are you ready to break next?

 

✨ Thanks for being a rebel with me this September 💫 — I’ve loved sharing this journey with you. Here’s to breaking the rules that never served us, and creating practices (and lives) that actually feel good.

With love + rebellion,

Gen 💫

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