{"id":490,"date":"2012-03-29T05:30:08","date_gmt":"2012-03-29T10:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allisonwatts.com\/blog\/?p=490"},"modified":"2020-12-24T10:29:01","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T16:29:01","slug":"setting-clear-boundaries-helps-prevent-burnout-dentistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allisonwatts.com\/setting-clear-boundaries-helps-prevent-burnout-dentistry\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Clear Boundaries Helps Prevent Burnout In Dentistry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/span><\/p>\n One of the challenges I’ve had in my life and career is establishing and holding clear and firm boundaries.<\/strong> I was not trained well in my childhood and teenage years when it comes to boundaries. My boundaries were fuzzy both directions—I didn’t respect others boundaries and I let them violate mine. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I am only qualified to write on this because I am constantly working on it. Even though this information is something I “get”, doing it is sometimes challenging. One reason is because some of these things are not conscious. It is helpful to me, when something doesn’t feel good\/right, to let my feelings come, allow myself to feel them and know that they matter (that may sound weird, but I have spent most of my life denying or avoiding feelings that don’t feel good!). Then to look at what the feelings are telling me, trust it and act on it when I’m clear what I need to do. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What are boundaries and what do they have to do with dentistry?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Boundaries are limits regarding what is acceptable or will be tolerated in a relationship.<\/strong> Boundaries are very individual and require the person to know what they believe in and will allow. They aren’t something we just “get”–they come from inside us and are an honest expression of who we are. When we are brought up not trusting our own guidance or not valuing ourselves, poor boundaries are a result. Boundaries can’t be made visible to others if you’re not clear yourself. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Boundaries require: <\/strong>self-love, self-awareness, honest communication (especially the hard stuff), and stepping into our power. A lack of boundaries shows up in all relationships, including the dental practice. In a dental practice, you may see boundary issues show up in the following ways: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1. Not taking care of yourself-not taking time to rest, revive, eat, and have fun (in and out of work). 2. Exhausted because of over-responsibility for others' happiness, etc. and over\/under functioning 3. Team issues-not respecting their boundaries; expecting them to be over-committed to the practice; also blurry staff\/friend lines.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 4. Only establishing boundaries in anger, waiting until you‘re really mad to say something. This stems partly from fear of abandonment and\/or codependency issues (I can say this because I’ve got them!)—being afraid to say how you really feel because you are afraid people might leave, get emotional or sabotage the practice. We are afraid saying no or setting limits will break or change the relationship in a way that we don’t want.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Personality traits and beliefs that can add to stress, boundary issues and burnout:<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ▪ <\/span>Perfectionism or “nothing is good enough” <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ▪ <\/span>Pessimistic view of the world and yourself <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ▪ <\/span>Wanting or needing to be in control; difficulty delegating to and\/or trusting others<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ▪ <\/span> Type A, high-achiever<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Some solutions to this are as follows:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Update your job description and figure out where you’re expected or where you’ve been doing things that are not your responsibility and\/or job description.<\/p>\n If we learn to know where are boundaries are and begin to establish them, we will find that it gets easier as we do it. It’s scary and uncomfortable and you may even want to share with those close to you that you are working on boundaries and it may be awkward in the beginning as you do this. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I also recommend highly the following books for help with this:<\/strong> The New Codependency<\/i> by Melody Beattie, Boundaries <\/i>by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, and Receiving Love<\/i> by Harville Hendrix and Helen La Kelly Hunt.<\/strong> I am sure there are many other books that would be helpful, but these are the ones I am aware of right off the top of my head–many of my books are packed up for moving!!! <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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