Burnout is a very real issue that occurs in any profession, including dental hygiene. Between fast-paced schedules, high patient demands, physical strain, and repetitiveness, it’s easy to lose that passion you once had for the career you worked so hard to achieve.
That draining feeling as you dread the next day of work or walking through that door? As a hygienist, I’ve been there. Even though I have only practiced as a hygienist for slightly over two years, burnout can sneak up on you. I’ve discovered practical ways to stay grounded, protect my peace, and actually enjoy my career again.
Here are five burnout prevention strategies that made a difference in my career and might help you, too.
Recognize the Signs of Burnout
The first step is knowing what burnout actually looks like. For me, it wasn’t just one day I suddenly became burnt out. Instead, it crept in gradually. No matter how smooth my schedule was, I started to feel more tired than usual at the end of the day. I became physically exhausted, but after some reflection, I had become disconnected. I was becoming less talkative, dreaded going into work, and found myself questioning if I had chosen the right career.
If this sounds familiar, these are some early warning signs of burnout. Recognizing them early can help save you from feeling like you chose the wrong career. It may not be the career itself, but rather the overload and the need to make changes.
Set Professional Boundaries
If you care as much as I do about patients, you will understand this next statement. Remember, it’s easy to fall into the cycle of being a “yes” person. This means you will take on extra shifts, skip your lunches, and even try to squeeze in an additional patient into a fully booked schedule.
Now, don’t get me wrong, doing these from time to time isn’t the initial problem. The initial problem is when it becomes a consistent habit of saying “yes” to every question you believe will benefit others without consideration for yourself.
One of the best things I did for myself was to learn to say “no” when necessary. I believe that setting boundaries is something that should occur in every healthy work environment. Everyone deserves to prioritize themselves, and setting boundaries is the perfect way to start.
Prioritize Ergonomics
Burnout comes in many forms, and one of those forms is physical. The daily strain on your neck, shoulders, and back will wear you out faster than you think. I remember that my instructors were strict about enforcing proper posture in my dental hygiene program, often reminding us to be mindful of ergonomics once we start practicing.
However, I always thought it was some sort of scare tactic. I should have listened. I truly understand now that they were telling the truth because ergonomics can help prolong your career. Everything changed once I invested in ergo loupes, went back to the basics, and followed ergonomic posture.
Practice Self-Care
Dental hygiene can feel overly repetitive and exhausting, especially if you’ve fallen into the cycle of being a “yes” person, leading to more work days and an overbooked patient load. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, it becomes tiring to take care of others. I found major relief when I started to prioritize my self-care.
My self-care routine consists of maximizing vacation time, chiropractor visits, and days off to relax. Traveling was a great way to truly start enjoying life again. I began attending chiropractor visits not just to give relief to my body, but also as a preventive measure.
Self-care isn’t just about the body, but the mind. I believe that as a health care worker, mental health becomes overshadowed. Make sure to think about yourself and your mental health. Don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional if you need it – your mental health matters.
Keep Learning and Evolving
As dental hygienists, continuing education (CE) is required for relicensure, and I noticed that attending courses helped reignite my passion. I have found it interesting how much the dental world has evolved and continues to evolve. Recently, I attended a CE course that focused on social media and how it is changing how we can educate as dental professionals.
As with continuous learning, evolving throughout your career might help prevent burnout or reignite your passion. If you feel stuck and are questioning your career, it could be helpful to consider alternative options. It might be time to change offices or check out other job positions in dentistry. Maybe work part-time clinically and part-time as a sales representative or clinical educator for a manufacturer, or even become a dental hygiene educator.
In Closing
Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak, lazy, or in the wrong profession. It just means you’re human, and you need to hit a reset button. Taking the early signs seriously is important to make the right change at the right time. You aren’t alone, and there’s a way out of burnout.
Try to implement one of these changes whenever you feel as though the time is right. Take control of your life and career. Remember, if you want to make a difference in a patient’s life, start prioritizing yours.
Before you leave, check out the Today’s RDH self-study CE courses. All courses are peer-reviewed and non-sponsored to focus solely on high-quality education. Click here now.
