As a dental professional, does the idea of meditation at work sound a little crazy? The idea of taking a moment to meditate at work may seem completely at odds with what you do, but it’s actually one of the best ways to combat the daily stresses of the dental profession.
Why Meditation Makes Sense for Dental Professionals
Thinking about your working environment should help you understand just why meditation makes sense for you, and for all dental professionals.
You know how difficult the days in the office can get. You work in a small space with just a few other people — sometimes you may even grate on each other’s nerves. Then you’ve got patients coming in all day telling you they really don’t want to be there, and who remain skeptical of anything you recommend. Plus, you’re in a fast-paced environment where you’re required to focus on multiple critically important tasks all at once. It can feel overwhelming.
If you don’t deal with that overwhelm, by meditation or another calming activity, it’s easy to take those stresses home with you at the end of the day — and that’s the last thing you want to do. It’s not worth it to become short-tempered with your spouse because you can’t let go of a passive-aggressive comment the hygienist made before lunch. And who wants to go home feeling drained because of a difficult patient?
Working in a dental office is stressful, and channeling that stress through meditation (or other means) can redirect your thoughts and allow you to focus on the rewarding aspects of your profession, like caring for your patients and helping them become healthier and more confident.
Although there are lots of different ways to let go work stress, we feel that the best way for dental professionals like you to stay healthy and serene is by is forming a daily meditation practice.
What Exactly is Meditation?
The practice of meditation has so permeated modern culture that even business professionals — including dentists — sing its praises. 
But what exactly is meditation?
Meditation is a process of slowing your mind down and letting go of swirling thoughts that can consume us. Personally, I like to think of meditation as pressing the “reset” button. It allows me to take a breath, take a moment, and let go of negative thoughts and limiting beliefs.
Wonderfully, meditation is a practice. That means that, unlike your profession, you don’t have to be perfect at it. Simply closing your eyes and slowing down your breath for 5-10 breaths is a meditation.
There are no rules. You can meditate for a minute or an hour.
There are many types of meditation, and they can all be beneficial. Here are a few types of meditation practices that I recommend to my clients in the dental profession:
- Breathing meditation is focused on slowing down and paying attention to your breath. When we get stressed, our breath becomes shorter, and by stretching out the length of our breaths through meditation, we’re able to gradually relax.
- Zen meditation, similarly, has us focusing on the pace of our breathing while sitting in a specific way, staring at a blank canvas, and working to clear the mind.
- Guided meditation is my personal favorite, especially for those who are just starting out with meditation. This involves listening to a recording that will take you down a path to relax your mind, again while focusing on breathing. Most of us struggle with clearing our mind – our mind jumps from thought to thought and it’s challenging to slow it down. A guided meditation can help focus on something that’s relaxing and healing.
The Benefits of Meditation for Dentists and Dental Professionals
If you Google “benefits of meditation” you’ll get thousands of hits extolling the health and well-being that comes from a meditation practice. People find that it reduces stress and anxiety, lowers blood pressure, increases focus, provides a sense of calm and happiness, and gives you more energy.
You’ve probably noticed meditation popping up in many areas of society – schools are even trying it as an alternative to detention with outstanding results. Have heard of it showing up in the dental profession as well? If so, don’t be too surprised.
We find that our clients in the dental profession are using meditation more and more to create harmonious relationships with patients and dental team members.
Meditation in a Dental Practice
One of the best ways to mitigate the stress of working in a dental practice is to start your day with a meditation before you get to work. This will give you a fresh start to the day, and a clear mind to focus on your work, and let go of other distractions.
Within the office, if you’ve had a stressful morning, you can practice a short meditation over your lunch break. If you have a quiet area outside the office like a park bench, that’s a great time to take a few minutes to clear your mind. Even sitting in your car can be an effective place to slow your breathing and let go of your thoughts.
Most people with a break in the middle of the workday will immediately jump on their smartphone and check in on a variety of things. This is the opposite of meditation – it speeds up our mind and thoughts, which can often increase anxiety and compound stress. Instead, try taking those few minutes and let go of your thoughts, slow your mind down. Whatever time it takes to meditate, you’ll get that time back exponentially in the increased focus and calm you’ll carry through the rest of your day.
Another simple great way to meditate in your dental practice is to slow your steps – and slow your breathing – as you walk down the hallway. If your patient is running late, close your eyes and slow your breath for a few minutes – instead of stewing about how it will throw off the rest of your day.
You can also integrate meditation at the end of your day. After you’re finished working, taking a short few minutes to meditate can help you let go of anything from the day that you may still be ruminating on – things that can harm your personal relationships and rob you of enjoying your free time. If you can regularly let go of those things, you’ll enjoy your non-working hours so much more.
Why We Recommend Meditation for Dental Professionals
At ClearEdge, we believe that meditation is one of the best ways to live a healthy and productive life, and we’ve seen the benefits the practice has for dentists, orthodontists, and team members.
That’s why we created our Shine course, which includes a series of guided meditations designed specifically for dentists and dental professionals.
Have you heard of dentists integrating meditation into their daily lives? Do you make meditation a fundamental part of your day?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.