Posted by Amy Carbone on Mar 30, 2020 9:00:00 AM
A study by Occupational Medicine and Health Affairs reports that 45% of dentists are burned out on their job. What is burnout and what can you do to prevent becoming another unsatisfied statistic? Read on.
Dentist Burnout: What Is It?
Work burnout is more than feeling a little tired at the end of the workday. It's a state of excessive stress, where the mind and body is constantly exhausted. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and resentment and hostility about the job. Most, if not all, professions can lead to burnout. However, dentists are at an especially high risk due to the high amount of physical and mental stress experienced within a dental practice. Therefore, it's important for dentists to maintain a good work-life balance that promotes healthy personal and professional boundaries.
Are You Experiencing Burnout?
Dentists who are burned out may experience any combination of the following signs/symptoms:
- Chronic fatigue or frequently feeling tired
- Difficulty getting up and going to work for the day
- Difficulty concentrating
- A decline in social activity
- Decreased interest in hobbies
- Frequently working late or skipping lunch to get things done
- Decreased appetite or irregular eating patterns
If you or a colleague notice an increase in one or more of the above, you may be dealing with burnout.
How Dentists Create a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Creating a healthy work-life balance is critical to your success as a dentist. Here are five tips you can use to try to reduce burnout in the dental workplace.
1. Give Yourself Time to "Switch Off"
If you're constantly in work mode, your mental and physical energy reserves will be quickly depleted. It's important to make sure you have regular time off the clock to mentally disengage from work. Pursue hobbies that you enjoy, such as sports, music, or art. Or, set aside time to travel a couple of times a year, even if it's not very far from where you live.
However you choose to use your free time, try to keep work completely separate. Don't work or talk about work (even checking emails). And if you can help it, don't think about work. This allows you to separate yourself from your professional role and see yourself outside your lab coat. Without time away from your dental practice to engage in other activities, your brain never gets a chance to recharge, leaving you exhausted.
2. Create and Stick to a Schedule
As a dentist, having (and adhering to) a schedule is likely critical. Whether you use a paper-and-pen calendar or a time management app on your smartphone, your schedule can help you keep track of your important commitments. By knowing when you're booked with patient appointments, have dedicated free time, or are attending CE classes and conferences, you can avoid overbooking yourself. Without a 30,000-foot view of your availability, you run the risk of committing yourself to too many patients in a workday, too many after-work commitments, and not enough time off to recuperate.
Give yourself an incentive to stay on a schedule that ideally isn't work-related. For example, if you're able to leave the office on time for a week, treat yourself to dinner, a gift, or something else you've had your eye on.
3. Delegate When You Can
One of the most important aspects of managing a dental practice is hiring, training, and keeping employees that help you run your office smoothly and efficiently. Beyond that, it's also likely critical that once they're trained, you're able to delegate things on your plate that can be done by someone else. This keeps you focused on things that truly only you can do, while freeing up time spent on non-critical activities that don't require your time or skillset.
Make sure to hire qualified, skilled, and trustworthy staff. Put time and effort into preparing them for the job, and when they demonstrate ability, create a plan to delegate as needed. You should ideally have more than one staff member at your dental practice who can take on some of your own tasks.
4. Continue Your Education
It's easy for dentists to experience burnout when doing the same procedures day in and day out. If the majority of your time is being spent doing basic exams and fillings, your mind isn't being challenged. To stay passionate about dentistry, it's important that you pursue opportunities to grow and expand your knowledge throughout your career.
Continuing education is an excellent way to do this and is required for many types of dental certifications. Not only does CE allow you to meet certification criteria, it also helps keep you challenged and excited about where the dental industry is headed. You should also seek opportunities to meet with dental professionals who may be able to mentor you. A mentor can help you discover new ways of enjoying working in dentistry.
5. Connect with Your Peers
Along with mentors, your peers can be a valuable tool for avoiding burnout. Make a point to meet new people when you attend continuing education events or dental conferences. Connect with them often to share knowledge and spend time with someone else who "gets it."
The dental industry can be challenging for both new and established dentists, and developing a strong network of peers on whom you can rely can help you feel more grounded in your profession. Don't let a perceived lack of time prevent you from reaching out to colleagues– you should include networking in your schedule and make a point to stick to it.
Get Help Managing People In Your Dental Practice
Owning or managing a dental practice presents many challenges, particularly when it comes to your most valuable resources — your staff. It takes time, patience, and hard work to create an effective team of dental associates, dental assistants, hygienists, and administrators.
Learn how to attract, hire, manage, and retain the right candidates with our free eBook, Managing People In Your Dental Practice. Download your copy here.
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Treloar & Heisel, LLC. and its divisions do not offer psychiatric advice. The above information is intended for general informational purposes only. Please consult a professional concerning this topic.
