Which life conditions actually drag down a dentist’s happiness, according to behavioral science?
Several have strong evidence behind them. Uncontrolled noise raises cortisol and produces sustained stress, even when the person is not consciously noticing it. Painful commuting has the same effect. Bad relationships are perhaps the single biggest drag, while strong relationships are the single biggest lift. Shame about any area of life lowers wellbeing dramatically. Consumption focus, the habit of orienting life around buying and accumulating material possessions, drains happiness and runs up debt at the same time. Vacations focused on experiences, relationships, and participation increase happiness; vacations focused on consumption do not. Most of these are at least partly addressable. The dentist who reviews their life across these conditions and changes the ones within reach captures a meaningful happiness lift that compounds over years. The fixes are not glamorous. They are usually obvious in retrospect. The doing of them is what moves the number.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.
