Coaching Bravery Radio

Hygiene Burnout

Hygiene Burnout: I talk about a comment I received from a Dental Hygienist  about the mysterious words Career Counselors gloss over and hygienists know is closer than they would like to acknowledge.

#10 Abundance of Transferrable Skills Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist That No One Else Can Understand

The term transferable skills refer to any talent or ability that can be applied to multiple jobs, roles, or industries. These skills are not dependent on the specific function that you perform but are instead more deeply ingrained. These skills are refined over the course of your career. 

Deeply ingrained- Read that again! This means you have skills you can take with you and are needed in any career.

#9 Practice Perfectionism Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist That No One Else Can Understand

#9 Practice Perfectionism The sister of people pleasing. Perfectionism is not a person wanting to do their best. Perfectionism is when a person is motivated by fear and is paralyzed by the thought of failure with unachievable expectations of themselves.

#8 Stay in The profession For a Lifetime Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist No One Else Can Understand

 

Stay in the Profession for a Lifetime Even with considering the golden handcuffs, physical pain and demands of the profession many hygienists stay in the profession for their lifetime. For some reason when they slap a hygiene license in our palms, we think we need to stay in the profession until we are 72 years old and decrepit.

 

Don't worry! You can leave and everyone will be just fine! Including you!

 

It's normal to want a change! 

#7 Highly Sensitive People Who Absorb The Emotions of Others Top Ten Realities of Dental Hygienists That No One Else Can Understand

Hygienists are very intuitive. Let's face it Dental Hygienists are trained to read the room. Problem solvers on many levels.

#6 Working With a High Degree of Pain Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist That No One Else Can Understand

Every dental hygienist I have coached discusses some level of pain in their body.  Starting in the first couple years of practicing and progressing into permanent muscular skeletal disorders.

# 5 Hygiene Disapproval Messages Leading to Anxiety and Depression Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist That No One Else Can Understand

The Dental Hygienist is set up daily for criticism and disapproval. Everything from not reaching their numbers to patients not liking the healthcare service they showed up for to reduce disease and keep them healthy.

#4 Golden Handcuffs The Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist That No One Else Can Understand

First coined in 1976, golden handcuffs refers to financial allurements and benefits that encourage highly compensated employees to stay at a company - even when they’re miserable. Dental Hygienists: sacrificing their life and body.

#3 People Pleasing The Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist That No One Else Can Understand

People Pleasing is not about being kind, it is about someone trying hard to make others feel better driven by deep seated insecurity to be needed and  receive approval. Society thinks it is a good thing to please others but people pleasing has a dark side when we do it to our own detriment.

#2 Burnout The Top Ten Realities of a Dental Hygienist That No One Else Can Understand

Burnout is a syndrome of unmanaged chronic work stress. It is not a medical condition but will affect you physically and mentally.

What causes burnout? Lack of control of your environment and over your schedule.