To clarify right away...
this article is about the duality of Universal Energies of the masculine and feminine, NOT gender roles. It does not matter if you are a woman or a man reading this.
Duality is defined as an opposition or contrast between two concepts; life is created from a balancing interaction of competing powers that compliment each other.
Night-day, hot-cold, black-white; these are simple examples of contrasts that without one we can not have the other. Neither one is more important than the other. They are equal; thus a compliment to each other.
The duality of the universal energies of masculine and feminine are not as common to understand, but hugely important if you want to live your life in balance!
We are human beings yes, but more importantly we are energetic beings. We are energy in motion. All of us have these two universal energies of masculine and feminine inside our own being, and this article will explain both and show you WHY you are unbalanced and how to correct it so that you can feel more joy and happiness in your life!
Take a look at this comparison list, and think about the office you work in, and your position as the Dental Hygienist within that office.
Is your day filled with the descriptions on the left, right, or a balance of both? As a RDH myself, it is my experience that the majority of our days are filled with the traits of masculine energies more so than the peaceful flow of the feminine energies.
RDHs are viewed as a provider within the dental team just like the DDS. So as a provider, (which is a trait of masculine energy), we lack the opposing force energy, which is the nurturer. The typical RDH schedule has NO TIME to be still, thus we are in action mode every day.
We give all day long, to a fault. We give whole-heartedly yes, but our cup runs empty with our patients by the end of the day, we people-please our boss, and our intuitive and creative nature is on the back burner of our logical mindset.
How do you know if your feminine energy is depleted?
You feel burned out, anxious, and possibly on the verge of a panic attack. You are confused in what to do in your life, yet you stay in control-mode by trading the hours you work for the money you make.
You are "ON" all the time at work, and that funnels over to either complete exhaustion once you get home, or you continue the "ON" switch at home because you don't know how to turn it off. Sitting still in silence is uncomfortable for you. Self-care is out of reach.
How do you find balance at work in dental hygiene?
If masculine energy is dominant for you, then focus on identifying the feminine energies you would like to explore in the list above. Now below, you will find ideas of how you can incorporate those feminine energies into your dental hygiene schedule.
- Stillness: we can't be physically still while working, but your mind can! Don't forget the power of a still mind while doing an activity. A still mind is a very present mind. Another option is during lunch you can meditate with eyes closed, observe your surroundings with eyes and ears open, or notice what is going on around you without judgment
- Nurture: consciously taking care of your patients while maintaining boundaries with them and your team
- Intuition: your intuition comes from your heart and that gut instinct you feel, so develop this with your patients. Do you get intuitive hits on how to proceed with treatment for a patient? Maybe you have a feeling someone is going to cancel on your schedule. Play with the "feeling" of what is going to happen and see if it actually does. Make it your own private game :)
- Heart-centered: most RDHs are required to focus on production goals every day. Don't. Just don't. Focus on being heart-centered with each and every patient. Building relationships is priceless, and if you focus on having heart to heart interactions with your patients, the money will follow.
- Receive: this is hard when we are giving all day long. If you do 1-4 above, you will automatically be receiving.
- Passive: passive in this way does not mean a pushover. Passive here means relaxed, not in a hurry. Be consciously passive by taking your time, moving through your schedule like you are flowing through the ocean. Do not become aroused by other people's personalities, especially the negative ones. JUST BE.
- "Being": are you a do-er or a be-er? Observe yourself and take note if you are always "ON", and if you are, then spend a few minutes between patients alternating deep inhales with deep exhales. If you don't have time in your schedule to do this, then this is your SIGN that you must do this!
- Emotional: do you allow yourself to feel emotion, AND more importantly do you support yourself in that emotion or do you try and stuff it or suck it up? Having emotion is being human, do not stuff what needs to be brought to the surface for healing.
- Creative: let's face it, being a RDH is not really a creative profession. Find ways in which you can offer something you enjoy that does not have to do with clinical hygiene. Examples: do you like to write? Offer to write a monthly newsletter for your patients from your practice. Do you like technology? Create a website for your practice. Do you like health and nutrition? Become a Health Coach in your dental practice. Its time to think outside of the box!
With conscious awareness and practice, you can regain this Universal feminine energy and find balance with the masculine energy. By doing so, you will begin to feel more calm, less anxiety, more patience, less need for control, more peace, less conflict.
Life is ALL about finding balance. Its up to you to embrace this way of "being".