Make wellness a priority in 2018

As you revisit your goals for 2018, don’t forget to make your personal and professional wellness top priorities. These archived Mouthing Off posts should help you get started:

Health and wellness: There’s an app for that!
Meeting your health goals can be challenging, especially when finding a balance between healthy living and dental school. Your smartphone can be the perfect health tool, but you need to choose the right app. Health, exercise and nutrition can become both fun and accessible with the right apps. Whether you are taking your first steps towards a healthy lifestyle or looking to revamp your fitness routine, these four free health apps may make a difference. Read more

Don’t overdo it
In high school, I started going to the gym every day and avoiding junk food because I wanted to be healthier. I couldn’t run 400 meters without getting winded. I spent hours in front of my computer. My favorite Saturday lunchtime tradition was getting a pizza from Pizza Hut and eating it all myself. At first, exercising more and eating less junk food did make me feel healthier. I felt more alert. I could finally run a mile without stopping. I became more confident in myself and less clumsy when I walked. But with my aspiring-dentist type-A personality, exercise and eating became parts of my life that I liked to work on obsessively. Read more

Why you should use your school’s mental health resources
When a computer becomes overrun with more information than its processor can handle, it crashes. The human brain responds similarly. Take me, for example. I recently wrapped up an ordinary day in the life of a third-year dental student. I had lectures in the morning and treated patients in the afternoon. On the ride home, something felt off. Everything I needed to get done was passing through my mind. I needed to study, finish lab work and prepare a treatment plan for tomorrow’s patient. Aside from school responsibilities, my wife needed me to get groceries. I got home, dropped my bag and knelt on the floor. All at once, those thoughts flooded my brain and I could not move. I just sat there, emotional and frozen. Read more

Four ways to avoid repetitive strain injuries
We all dream of a prosperous career and a successful dental practice. One potential hurdle to achieving your dreams could simply be your own body. Dentistry as a profession is prone to repetitive physical activity, which can lead to repetitive strain injuries. Reports have shown that dentists lose millions of dollars every year from cancelling appointments because of musculoskeletal pain. Chronic musculoskeletal pain is also one of the leading causes for dentists to retire prematurely. Read more

Exercise your mind with meditation
Being a dentist seems glamorous, fun and exciting. There is always a new challenge around the corner with every patient. However, the process of becoming a dentist is not always glamorous and fun. A significant number of hours are spent behind a laptop studying for exams and quizzes. What’s more, there are assignments, simlab requirements, patients to treat and board materials to study. The rigors of dental school can cause you to sleep less and abandon socializing, ultimately increasing mental fatigue and stress. Read more