Are you a dental hygienist? We know work can stressful and overwhelming.

We decided to review some of the best ways that you can relax while at work, and how you can leave work at work so that you can enjoy your time at home instead of stressing about the next day.

Sometimes all you need in the middle of a workday is a few moments to take a breath and try to relax. We’re not saying this has to be a full 15 minutes or even a full five minutes. Just taking 30 seconds to a minute will help you put things back in perspective and prevent you from feeling as overwhelmed.

 

We recommend going through some basic breathing exercises if you’re feeling extremely stressed after a patient, or before the next patient.

 

If you don’t feel like you have that kind of time between patients, we can assure you that you probably have enough time to take four deep breathes before you go get your next patient.

 

Next time you’re feeling extremely overwhelmed, take a couple of seconds to breathe, reassure yourself of your abilities and talents, and then get back at it.

 

There are times where we need to take that moment to breathe once we get home as well. Work can be extremely stressful and take over a large portion of our life if we let it.

 

There are times where the best thing you can do when you get home is to take a few minutes to relax before starting on the chores that you have to do. We all have responsibilities outside of work, and this is true no matter how big or how small.

 

However, if you just had an extremely busy day that it is important that you take a few minutes to genuinely relax and decompress when you get home before starting on all of those further responsibilities.

 

Taking these few moments will allow you to separate your work life from your home life. We always recommend dental hygienists leave their work at work. We also know that this is significantly easier said than done. 

 

So take our advice and take a few minutes to decompress whenever you get home.

 

We know how much it can throw off your entire day and schedule when patients are late.

 

Sometimes it even feels as if no one knows they’re supposed to show up 10 minutes early.

 

When this gets extremely aggravating and stressful it is important to not take it personally. Almost nobody actively wants to be late to appointments in general. There are times where life happens, and instances happen that make people show up late or not show up at all.

 

You will also run into some patients that are going to be extremely apologetic, while there will be other patients that will seem to be uncaring, and you should let neither of them bother you the best that you can.

 

Sometimes the rejuvenation you can have at home sets the tone for the rest of your workday. This is why it is so important to make sure that you are prioritizing self-care. 

 

One of the main things that we always recommend is getting a full night's rest. With working full-time as well as the responsibilities you have outside of work you may find this very difficult. However, it is important to make this a priority just like you make everything else a priority.

 

It is also important to make sure that you are eating correctly so that you have the proper fuel in your body to be able to perform at work for long periods of time. Sometimes a bad breakfast or bad meal can make us feel less than our best the rest of the day. 

 

This last option is completely up to you but it is getting positive exercise. We know that working as a dental hygienist you may already typically feel sore after a week's worth of work, and all you are looking forward to is the weekend of relaxing.

 

While relaxation is typically beneficial and something you should still participate in...

Positive exercise will also be beneficial for your health and in some cases your mental health.

 

Our bodies get extremely sore after long time spans of working. Especially with as many different positions that we have to be in as dental hygienists.

 

We always recommend participating in stretches between patients when possible. These can range anywhere from back stretches to hand stretches. Making sure your body is always loose and comfortable will allow you to perform the best that you can for your patients, as well as to ensure that you will be less likely to be as sore at the end of the workweek or workday.