LOADING

Type to search

Supporting Your Practice

Staying Well and Healthy Despite Pandemic Fatigue

DR. UCHE ODIATU, General Dentist, Toronto

Dentistry is a tough profession at the best of times, but given the events of the last 18 months many people in the dental profession are experiencing pandemic fatigue.

In this episode of CDA Oasis Live, Dr. John O’Keefe invites Dr. Uche Odiatu, general practitioner and wellness coach from Toronto, to give his practical insights into how dentists can stay fit and healthy during these difficult times.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:

BREATHING

  • We all breathe between fifteen and twenty thousand times a day. When we experience stressful thoughts, our breathing can become shallow and primarily through the mouth which only exacerbates the stress. By consciously breathing deeply through the nose we can disengage the sympathetic ‘fight or flight’ nervous system and lighten our mood instantly.

HYDRATION

  • The body is 65% water. No matter how content we are, if we are dehydrated the body will feel stress. Drink plenty of water at regular intervals during the day.

MOVEMENT

  • Prolonged periods of sitting are stressful for the body. Our muscles are meant to move. Standing up and stretching every 30 mins during the workday will allow more oxygen to the brain and relieve stress.

SLEEP

  • Sleep science suggests that 7 hours of quality sleep per night is a minimum for a healthy lifestyle. We need at least 100 mins of REM per night to process emotion and memory. Getting less than 6 hours sleep for 7 consecutive nights can lead to lower testosterone levels, lower neurotransmitter levels, lower growth hormone, and higher levels of blood sugar.

NUTRITION

  • You are what you eat. If you are starving your body of nutrients your body will be stressed. Good nutrition includes:
        • A salad a day
        • Staying hydrated
        • 1-2 fruits per day
        • Essential fats and amino acids

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

Full Conversation (14.41")

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *