When you work in a dental office, it may go unnoticed, but it is surely a job that can lead to stress. Not only do you need to have professional/medical/technical skills, you will also need to be able to provide a certain level of customer service, and also maintain a level of physicality due to how much you will need to be moving throughout the day. When you combine all of this together, it can, and most likely will, lead to elevated levels of stress. Below you will find some tips to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while having a demanding job.
1 – Routine
In order to remain healthy, one key factor is keeping a regular schedule. You often hear people talk about their “body clock”, and there is a good reason for this – as you maintain a consistent level of habits and behaviors each day, your body will become more adapted to these behaviors/habits, and thus, operate more efficiently. Setting expectations is not only good for your boss/customers, it is good for your body!
2 – Diet
Often, it is taken for granted that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind; nevertheless, it is true. It is important that you focus on keeping a healthy diet because it truly will lead to making you feel better on a daily basis. The better you feel, the better mood you will have – and the better mood you are in, the less likely you are going to be affected by stressful situations. One simple step to maintain a healthy diet is to pack your lunch! If you plan ahead, you can choose healthy options for your lunch, which will make you feel better during the afternoons. Think about this – the last time you went out for lunch and had a bunch of fast food, how good did you feel the rest of the day? Were you considering taking a nap in your car? Smart food choices lead to better days.
3 – Exercise
Move it or lose it! If you are a dental assistant/dental hygienist, there is a better than good chance that throughout your workday you will be moving a lot! It is important that you be persistent outside of work in your exercise routine. The more you exercise, the easier it will be to move throughout your day and accomplish the tasks required of you. Regular exercise has been proven to release endorphins – which reduce stress levels.
4 – Balance work/life (aka have fun!)
You cannot be effective at your job unless you have a positive work-life balance. If you only focus on your work, you work will suffer. As your work suffers, you will inevitably be more stressed-out. Therefore, it is important for you to take (and make) time for things outside of work. Spend time with your family, kids, and friends, travel, live, adventure, etc. When you have a higher quality of life, you will be a more productive, happy, employee. And when you are a better employee, you will provide better service to your customers and be more efficient at your job.