Burnout Account: Letitia Hill - Dental Hygienist & Founder of Sunday Scalies

Letitia Hill - Sunday Scalies

Burnout is a term that I overheard throughout my educational journey but I didn’t really understand it at the time. I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue a career in dentistry, originally taking the steps to pursue a career as an orthodontist. Throughout the process of obtaining my bachelors degree, I started to realize that dental school was not the direction I wanted to go. I took a gap year after graduation to determine what my next step would be, ultimately choosing dental hygiene school. I struggled throughout dental hygiene school with my mental health. I constantly felt the need to be perfect and to get everything correct on the first try. A few months after graduation the Pandemic rolled in halting my education and delaying my licensure. This further affected my mental health at the time. Looking back I had been experiencing the signs of early burnout however, I was very naïve and thought that it wouldn’t happen to me because I wanted my career so badly. Starting my career I lacked mentorship and found myself in a “non-traditional” employment position. I constantly second guessed myself and my abilities to provide patient care and handle difficult situations which led to me battling imposter syndrome. I also found myself struggling to set boundaries and stand up for myself as a first-time clinician. After some time I felt very isolated and lonely.

I found it difficult to get up for work, it took a lot of energy to put a “brave face on” and face patients day in and day out. Often times I brought work stress home with me which created a negative space and affected my personal relationships. I stopped eating properly and I stopped working out. My days consisted of dragging myself out of bed at the last minute to get to work on time, treating patients, complaining about work stress on lunch with co-workers, treating more patients, leaving work on long phone calls with friends discussing our frustrations, eating dinner and going to bed. Over time I got tired of feeling stressed and upset so I took the leap of faith and started a social media page to share my journey and experiences. I used it as a way to find community and support. It has quickly turned into a supportive group of individuals, a podcast, writing, speaking, and mentoring new graduates. Navigating burnout is still a process for me day to day. Sometimes my burnout is triggered by new stressors. It’s constantly a learning cycle and something that always needs to be worked on. Luckily I have been connected with amazing individuals who have shared their experiences with me and taught me so much. I wouldn’t wish burnout on anyone, but I’m glad that I learned about myself through the process and have grown and continue to grow because of it.