Fortunately , most of us handle it well , but it takes time and effort to manage it all . You are not alone in this thinking , and you are wise to recognize how to maintain the delicate balance to make every day better than the one before .
I ’ m not sure there is a great solution to any of our daily struggles , but if I ’ m being honest , I think it ’ s easy to get lost in the day to day “ busy ” of our practices and occasionally lose sight of the simple precious moments . Celebrate the success of a hard day ’ s work and truly appreciate that a patient left your office feeling better than when they entered . You had a hand in driving their health and happiness ; it ’ s ok to enjoy it !
In my opinion , we just need to slow down and appreciate the good that surrounds us . Bad things will always be there and we can recognize them , but they can ’ t control how we move forward and how we truly enjoy our lives . We need to take mental health breaks and zone out from time to time .
Whether we are alone or with our loved ones , sometimes we need to take a lazy summer day by the lake / pool and turn off all communications for a minute . Maybe we just need to snuggle up on the couch with a good book or movie . We can ’ t be in go-mode all the time , so if we take these precious moments of “ me time ” then we can continue to work hard the next day . We do good work daily and we need to forgive ourselves ( and each other ) for taking time to focus on our own well-being ; we deserve it and so do our teammates .
Let ’ s not forget how hard we worked in the competitive educational arena just to get to dental school or advanced specialty training and then graduation . Now that we have been conferred the degree of DMD or DDS we should embrace all the beauty and benefits this profession provides . It is this true zest for our chosen life path , our commitment to our patients and our community that sets us apart from
other professions . We really are every day leaders and we should try to embrace that fact and bring our best selves to all we do .
Now that we have recognized our success and struggles , what ’ s next ? For me , I feel it ’ s my turn to pay it forward , and encourage all driven people to pursue their passion . If you ever have a professional question or want to bounce an idea off of someone , I ’ m your girl ! You can email me at abod @ qmaortho . com , call me at ( 570 ) 287-2007 or reach out to the PDA and they will connect us .
You are not alone . You have me and a supportive network of friends at the PDA who are always here to help . If nothing else , I hope that is what you take away from this piece . YOU are a truly special person for entering into this profession and now that you are here , you are well supported and truly valued ! You have a robust dental support system in organized dentistry and I hope you achieve great success with your fellow professionals by your side !
Aren ’ t we lucky ?
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 25