Emotional wellness concerns your ability to express your feelings, cope with stress, maintain satisfying relationships and deal with conflict. It encompasses optimism, self-esteem and self-acceptance. It involves cultivating a positive attitude, but being attentive to your negative feelings as well.

Dental school is stressful and can feel overwhelming. Whatever you’re struggling with, tell a friend, a family member or a professor about it. Reach out for help and you’ll find that there are resources available to get you excited about dentistry again.

What can you do to increase your emotional wellness?

Meditate or practice mindfulness | Learn to say no | Maintain realistic goals and expectations | Express your anger in a constructive way | Laugh freely | Surround yourself with positive people | Talk to someone when you struggle with your feelings | Practice your faith

From ASDA's publications:

• A review of guided meditation apps – ASDA Blog, March 14, 2018
• Four ways to transform anger into positive energy – Contour, September 2017
• The positive effect of pets – ASDA Blog, Sept. 6, 2017
• Why you should use your school’s mental health resources – ASDA Blog, July 5, 2017
• Emotional eating as a dental student — Contour, April 2017
• Managing emotional wellness in dental school — ASDA Blog, Sept. 2, 2015
• Stress coping tips that actually work — ASDA Blog, Aug. 29, 2014

Two issues of Mouth, ASDA's former magazine, both focused entirely on maintaining wellness while in dental school. Both issues, Winter 2014 and Summer 2016,  are available in our publication archives. The September issues of Contour always feature wellness extensively. 

Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 800-273-8255
• Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE): Resources and support for those grieving after loss from suicide
• Managing Stress: A Guide for College Students 
• University health and wellness services: Find the services available at your institution.
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): Resources and support
• Psychology Today: What is mindfulness? 
• SAMHSA.gov: Wellness worksheets and self-assessments 
• 10 stress reduction tips for college students 
• National Students of AMF: Grief support resources and events 
• Inside Dentistry: Thoughts from Year 1: Dealing with stress 
• BestColleges.com: Understanding Suicide Prevention guide 

Physical wellness promotes proper care of our bodies for optimal health and functioning. It involves routinely carrying out behaviors that have a significant impact on our wellness (routine check-ups, a balanced diet, exercise, etc.) while avoiding destructive habits (tobacco, drugs, alcohol, etc.).

What can you do to increase your physical wellness?

Eat homemade meals and avoid fast food | Add regular exercise to your daily or weekly routines | Get at least six hours of sleep per night | Take the stairs instead of the elevator | Get regular check-ups | Moderate your alcohol intake

From ASDA’s publications:

• Don’t overdo it – ASDA Blog, July 28, 2017
• Boxing my way to wellness – ASDA Blog, July 17, 2017
• Perks of being a foodie in dental school — Contour, March 2017
• Let technology help you form healthy eating habits — ASDA Blog, Sept. 25, 2015
• A healthy body equals a healthy mind — ASDA Blog, June 10, 2015
• Dental school meals on a budget — ASDA Blog, Oct. 15, 2014
• 5 ways to get your workout on even though you’re in dental school — ASDA Blog, Sept. 4, 2014

Resources:

• President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition: How to eat healthy
• Helpguide.org: Addiction and recovery. Information about substance abuse and addictive behaviors
• Experience Life: 25 ways to make time for fitness 
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): Resources and support
• CDC.gov: Benefits of physical activity 
• SAMHSA.gov: Wellness worksheets and self-assessments 
• MindBodyGreen.com 
• ADA.org: Substance Use Disorders in the Dental Practice 

Intellectual wellness encourages us to engage in creative and mentally stimulating activities. It involves actively participating in educational, cultural and community events and combining life lessons with those learned in the classroom. It’s about nurturing curiosity and lifelong learning.

What can you do to increase your intellectual wellness?

Read books for fun | Play trivia and board games | Visit a museum or art gallery | Take up a craft or hobby | Listen to music or play an instrument | Take a new route home | Attend a lecture on a topic that’s new to you

From ASDA’s publications:

• How to avoid brain drain – Contour, September 2017
• Stay happy in dental school with a little play — ASDA Blog, May 22, 2015
• Nonfiction, non-dental reads for the summer — ASDA Blog, May 12, 2010

Resources:

• 7 Ways to Explore Intellectual Wellness 
• Challenge your mind with online quizzes: WebSudoku and Sporcle 
• UNH Intellectual Wellness 
• Intellectual wellness self-assessment (PDF)

Occupational wellness entails seeking personal satisfaction and enrichment while being fully engaged in your work. It refers to developing work-life balance, managing working relationships and having enthusiasm for your job. It also means constantly developing the skills required to do your work well.

What can you do to increase your occupational wellness?

Attend networking events with colleagues | Find a mentor or become a mentor | Practice the routines and postures of proper dentistry | Maintain open dialogue with colleagues | Explore volunteer opportunities that interest you

From ASDA’s publications:

• Four ways to avoid repetitive strain injuries – Mouthing Off, June 26, 2017
• Defining your vision for the future – Mouthing Off, March 23, 2018
• Are you maximizing your workspace? – Contour, February 2018
• Eradicating the gunner mentality – Contour, February 2017
• How community services affects occupational wellness – Mouthing Off, June 1, 2016
• How to manage tension in a student-patient relationship — Mouth, Fall 2015
• Five ways to succeed in a team environment — Mouthing Off, Sept. 21, 2015
• The importance of neck and back health in dentistry — Mouthing Off, May 1, 2015
• How mentorship can guide you to success — Mouthing Off, Feb. 20, 2015
• How to avoid chronic injuries as a dentist — Mouth, Winter 2014
• Watch your back: How to overcome back pain and poor posture — ASDA News, December 2013
• Tips for conflict resolution — Mouth, Fall 2012
• Practical Ergonomics: A physical therapist's perspective — Mouth, Spring 2011

Environmental wellness refers to your relationship to your surroundings, both your immediate surroundings and the world at large. It’s about finding harmony with the natural world and understanding your impact on it.

What can you do to increase your environmental wellness?

Turn off the lights when you leave a room | Recycle glass, plastic and aluminum cans | Put things away after you use them to avoid clutter build-up | Donate items or clothes you don’t use anymore | Take shorter showers | Ask to be taken off catalog and junk mailing lists | Carry cloth bags to the grocery store | Walk or bike instead of driving to nearby locations | Sign up for paperless billing

From ASDA’s publications:

• A walk through nature – Contour, November/December 2017
• Grow a garden, sow the soul – Contour, May 2017
• Outdoor hobbies could improve your dentistry – Mouthing Off, Feb. 1, 2017
• Sustainability: it’s not just for the environment – Contour, February 2017
• Achieving and maintaining a harmonious dental office — Mouth, Summer 2015
• Eco-dentistry: Economical and environmentally friendly — Mouthing Off, Nov. 5, 2014
• Want to survive dental school? Get organized — Mouthing Off, Sept. 11, 2013
• Space solutions for your tiny rental — Mouthing Off, Aug. 12, 2012
• New Dentist blog, 80 Ways to Make Your Dental Practice Green

Resources:

• Xavier University: Tips for living ecologically 
• Becoming Minimalist: 10 creative ways to declutter your home