www.dotcomhunter.com Avoid Burnout as a Dental Assistant Having a career as a Dental Assistant can be very rewarding. It can also be stressful and overwhelming at times. Working with people can get the best of us from time to time. Being a Dental Assistant requ ires ongoing dedication and energy. If you find yourself becoming ph ysically and emotionally drained due to your work responsibilities a s a Dental Assistant, you may be on your way to experiencing a burno ut. Often, stress and burnout are confused. Stress is also the result of the work environment. However, it is the result of periodic issues an d complications in the work place. It might be having a bad day now a nd then. Burnout is a constant, ongoing feeling of not being adequate in your job on a daily basis. You may not longer take pride or inter est in your position as a Dental Assistant. Burnout results in feelings of hopelessness and resentment. If left un treated, it can escalate to depression. Dental Assistants who experien ce burnout often feel unappreciated, overworked, feel they have too mu ch to accomplish in limited time, and begin to resent their level of r esponsibility. Placing unrealistic expectations on yourself is also a factor in burnout. Burnout generally runs in stages. You go from feeling excited about y our job as a Dental Assistant to forcing yourself to go to work each morning. Most people aren’t even sure what is wrong at this point. Ho wever, you will begin to experience exhaustion that leads to irritabi lity. Burnout often has symptoms including headaches, changes in appe tite, and high blood pressure. During phases of burnout, your relatio nships both outside of work and at work are going to suffer. If you feel you may be suffering from burnout, talk with your supervi sor. You can find support in your co-workers. You might consider atte nding a few counseling sessions to help you develop an action plan. To avoid and eliminate burnout in the Dental Assistant field, you mus t meet your physical and emotional needs. Too often we spread ourselv es too thin. We focus on the needs of out patients, our employer, and our family. While this is great, it is important to remember your ow n needs. Eventually not taking care of them will result in your inabi lity to care for the needs of anyone else. Meet your physical needs by having regular checkups, getting enough sleep, and eating right. Exercise is a very important part of feelin g good physically. To keep yourself feeling good mentally, use your coping skills. Know what triggers your negative feelings and keep th em in check. Keep realistic goals and demands on your body and your time. Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t accomplish everything you A gift from www.dotcomhunter.comwww.dotcomhunter.com set out to do that day. Instead, focus on what you did accomplish. Learn to manage your time. It is OK to say know if you already feel over extended. Focusing on your social needs is also important. Nurture your relatio nships with your spouse, children, and close friends. Stay involved i n Church and community organizations that are of interest to you. If you are unhappy with your job as a Dental Assistant, talk to your emp loyer about help to remedy the situation. Improving your communicatio n skills with others will also improve your over all health. Dental Assistants generally enjoy their career choice and put forth t heir best effort everyday. However, burnout is very common in the den tal field. Knowing what causes burnout, they signs and symptoms, and effective ways to manage it will make you be able to focus on your jo b again. Improving your physical, mental, and social health will soon having you going to work with enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge in the dental field soon. If your feelings don’t change, you will wan t to discuss the situation further. It may be depression that needs t o be treated instead of burnout. Realistically, some Dental Assistant s realize at this time they need a career change. PPPPP Word Count 656 A gift from www.dotcomhunter.com