Finding My Holistic Path

I’ve been in the care giving profession for 15 years working in the field of dentistry. For anyone in this work, I would say its a well known secret that there are many of us who tend to miss their own 6 month dental cleaning often being “too busy” to sit in the chair themselves and when they get home they are often too tired to do the basic self care needed like make a decent meal. Even more,  the energy it takes to be a compassionate practitioner at work on a daily basis leaves us exhausted and then it’s time to give more of ourselves to our loved ones at home. We go back to work over and over with less and less of our best selves to give. This is called compassion fatigue and its a form of burnout. Recognizing as early as possible when it might be happening can benefit your long term health profoundly.

In the evenings coming home from work, I was mentally exhausted and not present with friends and family. I had zero energy and at the same time was wired and often couldn’t sleep. At night I would get numbness and tingling sensations in my arms that would wake me up at night whispering carpal tunnel. I was gaining weight and waking up in the mornings with a sore stiff body on my days off with a groggy head and a moody attitude that did no good for anyone around me!  My skin health had always been a mess. My diet was all over the place. I decided to try a vegetarian diet with my boyfriend because it sounded healthy and while at first I felt a little better because I was eating new foods, I started to gain even more weight and reacting to foods I had eaten, with no issues before. Overtime I became more and more aware that something needed to change in order for me to feel better. 

I took about 6 months or so exploring what needed to happen for me to feel better about my my life. I also came across the concept of Ikigai (生き甲斐, pronounced [ikiɡai]). It means “a reason for being” or having a direction or purpose in life, that feels worthwhile and satisfying, After much creative visualization, I was able to get more clarity about how utilize my knowledge in oral health care, in a way that felt more fulfilling. I made a conscious decision to study holistic nutrition. It also became blatantly apparent in my mind that the two areas of oral health and nutrition, went together! 

At CSNN, I had the opportunity to study human physiology, biochemistry and nutritional pathology. I was exposed to cooking techniques that preserve nutrients and improve digestion. I was made to examine different ways of looking at food.  My holistic education also focused on examining different lifestyle choices or life circumstances that affect health. I was taught to uniquely consider a person’s current state of health on all levels (mental, physical and emotional). In that, I was able to support balance where indicated.  It became extremely rewarding to help others understand how to listen to their body’s subtle messages as they shared their personal experiences which brought them to the where they were.

After graduating, I was able to start exploring my own mental health, as someone living with ADHD. I was not interested in medications which I had done before and that meant doing active mindful work which now remains ongoing throughout my life. I was able to uncover my values, beliefs, thoughts and unconscious habits, so that I could start to make even meaningful changes in my relationship with others and especially, myself.  In discovering more about myself, I learned more about who it was that I could help the most. I wasn’t just passionate about helping those in the dental chair get fewer cavities. I was ready to start helping others like me, who needed help building resilience to stress and supporting their immune system. I continued to study digestive health imbalances on a deeper level and now support hormonal health and brain function with even greater success. To this day,  I still work as a dental assistant helping others understand the link between their oral health and its effects on the whole body. While I may never leave dentistry completely, I am looking very forward to devoting my life to helping others in a more empowering way.