Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2016 - 46

Healing provides more answers as to the complexity of stress- to be truly effective, each stress program is highly personalized and tailored to the unique stressors of each dentist. How to Assess Your Stress There are three types of assessments to use in order to capture the important information necessary to treat your stress levels. Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale Developed by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967, this scientifically accurate stress scale is used universally throughout the medical and mental health fields as a gauge for stress in a person's life and their potential for illness and/or accident as a result. In their scale, Holmes and Rahe assigned each life event (death of a spouse, holidays, criminal charges, family disagreements, etc.) with a "weight" for stress, called a Life Change Unit (LCU). The more LCUs a person has, the higher his/her score and the greater likelihood of illness. For example, if you were to score 225 LCUs, you would be at a 50% higher chance of having a major illness within the next two years. A colleague's score of 150 LCUs or less indicates a low susceptibility to stress-induced illness. Take the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale at jenbutlerpartners.com. One factor the Holmes-Rahe scale doesn't measure is the sense of overwhelm or level of burnout dentists feel. That is better determined with a Stress Self-Assessment. Stress Self-Assessment Unlike scientific stress tests like the Holmes-Rahe Scale, stress self-assessments are subjective and highly personal. This is great news! That means for every stress self-assessment you take, you are getting results meant only for you. You learn a little more about your kind of stress, how you feel 46 when you are stressed, and tools and resources that can help you manage stress. When taking a stress self-assessment, be sure to keep the following hints in mind:  Think about the last 12 months. It allows for greater evidence and examples.  If wavering between answers, select the one that measures you when you're more stressed. You will get results with support, tools, and resources.  The more stress your result shows, the higher potential for improvement. Don't let the end results add to your stress.  Stress self-assessments are tools to be used to create a higher awareness around the issues of stress. They are not intended to be diagnostic. You are encouraged to seek medical guidance from your primary physician. Some recommended self-assessments are:  Dental Stress Self-Assessment. This selfassessment is specifically for dentists and dental specialists. It is written in the affirmative, so it depicts a dentist who is well balanced in all areas of the physical-socialemotional arenas. Questions are geared to determine which of the common dental stressors trigger your stress response.  Burnout Self-Test. Burnout is a common feeling with dentists. You may not know the technicalities or exact definition, but you know when you're there. This self-test highlights the key symptoms associated with burnout and captures the personal thoughts and feelings of the tester.  Resilience Self-Test. When it comes to stress and burnout, much of how you manage is determined by your level of resilience. Focusing on the top skills necessary for the highest form of resilience, this self-assessment offers great insight and suggestions with your personalized results. PCSO Bulletin  Fall 2016 http://www.jenbutlerpartners.com http://www.jenbutlerpartners.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2016