The way you sleep, the hours you sleep per night, and the quality of your sleep all affect your health and your ability to ward off stress. Even our SMaRT techniques work better if you are able to concentrate, fight off fatigue, and feel self-confident. The good news is, the small changes recommended here will…
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Deadlines. Frustrations. Obstacles. Do you start your workweek feeling overwhelmed, anxious, irritable or low on energy? These are just a few physical and emotional signs of out-of-control workplace stress. There are times when it is all too much and you might wish to be rid of stress forever. While there is no magic fix for…
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Stress, like life, happens. A stress-free life is certainly a worthy goal, but not a very realistic one. The trick is to avoid stress whenever possible. That can be as simple as planning for contingencies in your morning commute, so if there’s a traffic snarl you either know a back way to work, or you’ve…
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Hygienists think they communicate every day, and yet when asked what is the most challenging thing about dentistry, many of them say, “Team communication!” Communication is a complex and delicate process. To say one communicates with others and then still complains about the level of miscommunication says something about the kind of communication occurring and…
Read MoreYou’re sitting next to the patient, waiting for his response. You’ve done it right. Showed your patient all the x-rays with the bone loss. Described the hygienist’s findings of 5 to 6 mm pockets, bleeding, the pus. Providing a pamphlet of periodontal disease and the oral-systemic consequences was the final touch in gaining the buy-in…
Read MoreOf the more than 2,500 dentists surveyed in 2003, 80% said their work was stressful, according to the ADA Center for Professional Success’ 2003 Dentist Well-Being Survey Report. In the 2015 version of the survey, 78% of the more than 2,100 dentists replied that their work was stressful. The percentage of dentists reporting severe stress…
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Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year when parties, family gatherings, shopping, baking, eating and indulging are all part of the magic of the holiday season. Unfortunately, all that fun is often replaced with the stress that we put on ourselves thinking that we have to get everyone the perfect gift, attend every…
Read MoreYou’ve worked hard all year, and you deserve time off during the holiday season. Most dentists find themselves working longer hours and more days in the lead-up to holidays to accommodate their patients’ desire to get a year’s worth of work completed before their insurance benefits lapse. You take the onslaught of patients now for…
Read MoreThere are foundations in everything we do. Foundations in construction, parenting, communication, business. The same is true for stress management. When we gloss over or completely bypass the foundation phase of a process, eventually things come crashing down like a house of cards. To ensure you have the basics in stress management, let’s review three…
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The holiday season is upon us and so too comes our visions of sipping hot chocolate in front of a blazing fireplace while listening to the yuletide crooning of Bing Crosby dreaming of a white Christmas. But just as quickly as those visions appear they vanish; overridden by the enormous stressors we impose on ourselves,…
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