In the second part of Dr. Depen Patel's blog, he talks about the other 5 commandments of happiness that can improve both your professional and personal life.
Have you read part 1? Click here to keep you updated.
6. Embrace failure
So, your endodontics failed, the shade of the crown you are about to install is wrong, the prosthesis keeps falling out when you promised the patient it would stick like glue and all the while you are trying to internalize and not scream at the surgery… we have all been there. There are usually two reactions to these situations. The natural reaction of most people would be “Why me?”, usually followed by a game of reproaches towards the technician, the surgery or the materials, etc. The way to better things is to reverse this situation and instead of “Why me?” say “Try me!”.
Accept the sweat, accept the pain, because on the other side of the pain lies success.. You have to fail to succeed. You show up every day with the intention of doing your best for all your patients, but despite this, there will always be occasions when the outcome is not what you had hoped for. But don't let your head hang down for too long and instead reflect. Analyze and be honest. What could you have done better? Do you need to take courses to improve your skills? Before changing your lab, talk to the technician and explain what happened, asking if there is anything you can do differently next time to ensure better quality lab work.
“Accept failure, accept pain, because on the other side of pain lies success.”
An excellent tool in this regard is reflection journal, which is now being requested by the GDC for this very situation. Remember that it is human nature to want to please people, and in dentistry there is an added stress factor when there is a level of expectation from patients as they are paying for your services. When you don’t meet their expectations it is understandable to feel upset, but the worst thing you can do is feel sorry for yourself.
Look at every negative event as an opportunity for learning and personal development. Maybe the situation can be avoided in the future by improving your communication skills or being more organized, but whatever you do, make sure you take the positive out of it. Don't let it dwell on you. In just a week or a few days, you won't even care about the problem anymore, so don't give it more energy than it deserves.
7. Talk less, listen more
The foundation of good communication, so simple, yet so powerful. Patients have a story they've rehearsed countless times before they come to see you. They want to tell you everything and leave out no detail about how their cat ran away with her dentures, and then they start listing off all of their cat's ailments. We've all had them. The moment you interrupt them and start focusing on questions about teeth, you interrupt their flow and feel a sting of intrusion into their narrative.
As tempting as it may be to do this, it's best is to nod your head, show interest in the details of the story, and demonstrate this by repeating what they said to show that you are listening to them, then start gently guiding them towards the problem they came to see you for.
This simple technique will have patients on your side because they will feel like you are an excellent listener. They want a compassionate person to treat them, not a clinician.. Patients are emotional and often view dental visits as an anxious experience, commonly known as “white coat syndrome,” and anything that can be done to avoid this will make your life easier. Really simple and small things like going to the waiting room yourself to pick them up or bringing up conversations about their lives that you’ve had at previous appointments will make you seem like a more genuine person and not a clinician.
One thing I always do is introduce myself by my first name and not the title "doctor"“, which makes me seem more approachable and human, which will help build better relationships with patients.
A superior set of communication skills can also help prevent and manage adverse outcomes. Patients are actually more understanding of complications if they have been presented and communicated prior to treatment. If you have warned them and consented to them prior to a procedure and an adverse outcome occurs, they view it as part of the procedure and can usually, depending on the outcome, understand the reasoning behind it. If you have not communicated with them effectively up front, then any subsequent explanation will be seen as an excuse for poor workmanship.
“Patients want to be treated by a compassionate person, not a clinician.”
Obviously this is not your intention, you always try to do what is best for your patients and adverse outcomes are part of the profession, but these do not have to be the stress and panic inducing events you expect them to be if you are able to manage them effectively and with good communication throughout. Dental Protection runs excellent courses in this regard, which I highly recommend.
8. Look at your lifestyle
“You are what you eat.” You’ve heard this before. “Too much alcohol and lack of exercise are bad for you.” Well, duh! But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you do what you do? The keys to well-being, health, and happiness can be simplified to four areas of your life: spiritual, emotional, mental and physical well-being.
Having all four areas in balance is essential to helping you become a more well-rounded, healthier, and happier human being. Emotional and spiritual development in particular are the keys to making permanent changes in life. It rarely works to tell an overweight person to eat less and exercise more. Dieting and exercising may make sense mentally, but most overweight people don't eat because they are hungry. They may be eating to feed a void in their emotions and soul. When a person follows a diet and exercise program, they are only working on their mental and physical aspects.
Without emotional development and spiritual strength, an overweight person can diet for six months and lose a ton of weight, only to gain it back later. Likewise, a chain smoker who says “I’ll quit smoking tomorrow” will be futile in his attempt without emotional and spiritual support. Most addictions to bad habits are attempts to find happiness. So what can you do? Look at each area of your life and be honest with yourself to see where you can improve.
Your spiritual side is connected to your soul., so ask yourself what you could do to fuel it, what makes you truly happy? It could be traveling, dancing or volunteering, the important thing is to reflect and be honest.
The mental side is related to the mind., you need to ask yourself if it is stimulated enough, if you feel like you are stagnating, if you need to take more courses that interest you to revive your passion for dentistry?
Your emotional side is connected to your heart., so ask yourself who or what you love, it can be with family, friends or your pet, just focus on what opens your heart to receive affection!
The physical part is related to your body, so see what you could do to feel more energized and, above all, make sure it's something you enjoy doing so you're more likely to keep going.
9. Take care of your energy
Science has proven that all cells and living beings emit electromagnetic waves (or energy). The energy you emit is finite. and you only have a limited amount to spend each day, and that is very sensitive to the environment.
“Surround yourself with people who lift you up and inspire you.”
Have you ever noticed how people who constantly complain about certain aspects of their lives always seem to have bad luck following them, or do you ever get a “feeling” about someone who doesn’t suit you? This is their negative energy that you sense. We work closely with people every day, and the negative energy of people who complain, gossip, or put them down can start to drag you down.
Try to do your best. to surround yourself with people who lift you up and inspire you, you will be infected by their enthusiasm and ambition.
You are the sum of the 5 people you surround yourself with. So, if you surround yourself with ambitious and positive people, their energy will rub off on you. In practical terms, what you should try to do is find yourself a mentor, someone you admire, can aspire to, and follow.. Being around such people will naturally help you raise your standards and energy levels and only good things can result. You could take the courses you have always wanted to take and you will undoubtedly meet and connect with like-minded people and again only positive vibes can result.
10. Take time off daily and monthly
Be at peace, every day. We work in a high-pressure profession that requires a unique combination of clinical, communication, financial and, of course, manual skills, all while trying to provide excellent care, meet patient expectations and avoid litigation. There are few other professions that require such a high level of focus and multitasking! And with your brain working at a million miles an hour, it’s inevitable that your performance levels will drop if you can’t step away from dentistry and leave it alone. That’s where meditation comes in.
Meditation has advanced by leaps and bounds and is now accessible through apps like Headspace and Calm, and there are a multitude of videos on YouTube that can help you.
Meditation is good for the soul and will give the brain the rest it needs to recover and continue to function smoothly. Even if this is difficult to achieve, then any activity where your brain is quiet will be a good start, think about sitting in a park and people watching or going for a walk.
Another thing to do to keep you functioning at a high level of performance is to make sure you make plans away from the dentist on a regular basis. Plan some time away every 6-8 weeks. It's so easy to let your career take over your life, and it always makes any stressful time you may be going through a little easier to know that you've planned a break. It doesn't have to be abroad, you can have a week of reading at home or a vacation, as long as it gives you the competitive break you need to reset, recharge, and gain perspective.
It's so easy to get bogged down and lost in our field of activity, and it's easy to forget that There's a whole world waiting to be explored outside the walls of your office.
Source: enlightensmiles.com
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