What Does Burnout Look Like?

 

Here are some key points I took from the conversation:

 

1. Colleagues from all segments of the profession have been telling Dr. Metcalfe during the pandemic about their accentuated feelings of hopelessness, their sense of dread, their exhaustion and fear of failure.

 

2. These are signs of burnout, and she is happy that colleagues (who often keep problems to themselves) are becoming more open to discussing them. She sees this as a positive step towards prevention and management of the problem.

 

3. Burnout has three components: a) emotional exhaustion, b) depersonalization/cynicism, and c) feeling of inadequacy.

 

4. If you notice red flags, you can take preventive or corrective action. Signals such as a) not wanting to go to work, b) not wanting to be around team members, and c) wanting to give up on your profession should prompt you to take action.

 

5. Steps you can take include a) develop self-awareness, b) seek to change your environment & your routines, and c) allow yourself to ask for help (this is crucial!).

 

6. At Minute 8:30, Dr. Metcalfe shares a personal experience where she sought professional help and found comfort in community.

 

7. She also counsels about not allowing those perfect clinical cases you see on social media make you feel inadequate as a dentist. They are probably too good to be ‘true’!

 

Please look out for the subsequent CDA Oasis post on this topic at www.oasisdiscussions.ca.

 

If you think this topic is important, please share and let your colleagues and friends know about it. #cdaoasis #cdaoasisdiscussions#canadiandentalassociation #dentistry#dentist #wellness #mentalhealth #burnout#depression

 

Yours Truly,