Controlled Breathing to Cope with Stress
As staff clinician and co-director of the facial pain clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Dr. Bruce Freeman knows a thing or two about stress. Dr. Freeman is also Director of Patient Experience for dentalcorp, helping dentists across Canada achieve clinical success that results in the best experience for their patients. And in his opinion, focusing on the breath is one of the most effective ways to address feelings of stress and anxiety in the dental office. By simply controlling how we breath – where exhalation exceeds inhalation – we can slow our heart rate and calm our physiology.
“Recognize that you have what you need inside of you,” says Freeman, “the ability to focus on your breath and feel better”.
In conversation with Dr. John O’Keefe, Director of Knowledge Networks CDA, Dr. Freeman shares his considerable insight into the management of stress. He suggests that rather than ignoring feelings of anxiety, we should instead call them out and become aware of them. He walks through the proven techniques of box breathing and hyperfocusing, and highlights their benefits to both dentists and their patients.
We hope you find the conversation useful. We welcome your thoughts, questions and/or suggestions about this post and other topics. Leave a comment in the box below or send us your feedback by email.
Until next time!
CDA Oasis Team
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