Few people realize how anxiety-ridden the dental profession can really be. Unless you're a dentist yourself, these stressors remain hidden from the rest of the world. When your line of work demands perfection, it's only a matter of time before you reach the point of exhaustion. However, it's necessary to find a healthy balance when so many people depend on you. Here are five ways to stay energized while working in a nerve-racking career such as dentistry.
Make Time for Yourself
Time off is important for anyone, but when you work in a mentally exhausting career under strict time constraints, time away from the office is crucial. Dentists can experience burn-out very quickly as they deal with a heavy load of patients that are anxious, fearful or in pain. Although they are trained to put these patients at ease, this amount of tension can often lead to high blood pressure. Getting away as often as feasible to recharge their batteries is helpful to the doctor, the patients and the other staff members.
Seek Proper Nutrition
Doctors in general can be notorious for not eating a balanced diet. It comes with the territory, especially if you're on call, but good nutrition is at the very foundation of your health. Take an honest look at your diet and how you eat at the office. If you can't get home for lunch, start prepping more nutritious meals to bring to the office. Think fresh fruits, yogurts, salads and even small veggie platters that you can grab and go. Another good idea is to incorporate a vitamin supplement into your routine like the kind you read about in positive le-vel thrive reviews. These supplements are easy to carry and help fill nutritional gaps when you're on the run.
Hold Regular Staff Meetings
There's no question about it, but dental offices are extremely busy places. With dentists, hygienists and office staff in one building, a flurry of activity can lead to things getting put on hold or lost in the shuffle. In order to keep everyone in sync, hold regular weekly or monthly staff meetings. This gives everyone a chance to discuss problems and brainstorm solutions that work for everyone. These meetings don't have to be dull; serving a healthy lunch for everyone makes them more enticing and they can be a fun way to open up the lines of communication.
Cut Hours Seasonally
Popular in many dentist offices is the practice of offering special summer hours. Almost no one puts up a fight about closing the office on Fridays during the summer when hours are slow and due to the confining nature of a dental office, it's healthy, too. Not only does this give staff some extra free time, it saves energy in the summer when you're closed for one day each week. Rest assured that any time lost during the summer will be made up in the busier months.
Relate With Peers
It's extremely important for dentists to have the chance to get together with others in the same profession. Dentists can be isolated if they're the only one at the office and have to play the roles of doctor, business owner and office manager. Since dentists are required to fulfill a certain amount of training per year, this is a great opportunity to meet with your peers to discuss anything related to the profession and to let off some steam. Meanwhile, it's always beneficial to have a positive relationship with other dentists in your hometown and it could lead to new friendships.
Find Solutions
Although stress will always be part of a dental office, that doesn't mean it has to dictate your life. Finding solutions such as more free time, better nutrition and improved communication in the office can do wonders for energy levels and stress. This renewed positivity will also trickle down to office staff and patients making for a much more relaxed and healthy workplace.