One of the first things we do in the Burnout Recovery for Dental Hygienists program is establish safety. When we are in burnout, we do not feel safe. Our perception is that there are threats around us.
What is emotional safety? Emotional safety is having the mental security and comfort to communicate your feelings at work, with your co-workers, bosses, and others. It is the ability to openly communicate discomfort, profound ideas, and personal insecurities without feeling you are being punished or humiliated.
Keeping a journal of our triggers is the first place we start when establishing emotional safety. Understanding what sets us off brings profound awareness to the situation and to ourself. There are many ways to keep a journal, on your phone or on a scratch pad, writing things down in your calendar, etc. It doesn't really matter how you keep a journal so long as it works for you.
The first question to ask yourself is: What are things or situations that overwhelm you and trigger you? Knowing that a situation will trigger you, helps you plan ahead and anticipate what is coming. Knowing that a trigger is on its way is 1/2 the battle, anticipation is key. You won't be caught off guard.
The second question to ask yourself is: What are your signs that you will be triggered or overwhelmed? These warning signs can be thoughts, feelings, moods or body sensations. Examples are a headache, feeling dizzy or nauseous, a racing heart, tight neck/shoulder, or maybe your breathing becomes shallow and fast.
When we identify our triggers it gives us the ability to anticipate and predict when it is coming which in turn lets us plan ahead for when that trigger comes around again. This gives us an upper hand on our triggers!
A lot of emotional safety is related to setting your personal boundaries: honoring what is important to you, sharing personal information gradually and protecting your time by not overcommitting. The are topics that we teach within the Burnout Recovery for Dental Hygienists program.
So sharpen your pencils, get your favorite pen and start keeping track of the triggers that make you feel emotionally unsafe.
Sometimes we forget that emotional safety is as precious as physical safety. But it's essential that we learn to protect both.” - Nicole Sundine
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