You can’t pour from an empty cup: Stress management tools for new grads

You might be experiencing a new kind of stress as a new grad. You might be worrying about getting through the one-hour hygiene visit without running behind schedule, or maybe you find yourself worrying about how you are going to explain the need for nonsurgical periodontal therapy to your patient who has been receiving prophylaxis treatment for years.

While it is important to learn how to navigate these situations, the skills for this develop over time and with practice. A great way to better set yourself up for success during the transition from student to professional is to learn about stress, its long-term effects, and obtain tools to help you manage stress. Because falling behind schedule at some point is inevitable. Gaining the tools to properly navigate and manage stressful situations is prevention in practice, and this leads to a more sustainable career.  

Dealing with stress

Stress is a natural, sometimes automatic, response that our bodies go through when there are external changes or perceived threats, but not all stress is inherently bad. In some circumstances, stress can protect us and keep us safe by triggering our fight-or-flight response in potentially dangerous situations. Stress becomes harmful when it becomes chronic, meaning it is experienced for a long period of time without periods of relief, keeping us in a heightened state and on high-alert. Chronic stress can lead to weakened immune systems, trouble sleeping, anxiety, burnout, and more.¹ 

Unfortunately, stress is almost unavoidable. On the way to work you might run into traffic or get cut off on the road, then when you get to work you realize you forgot your scrub jacket or your lunch. Your workday starts off with a late patient that needs a full mouth of radiographs, putting you behind, but when you finally get caught up and start your third prophy, you drop the suction. Each of these events is considered episodic stress, a form of short-term stress that is experienced frequently without being able to return to a relaxed state for some time.¹  

Managing these stressful events in little bursts throughout the day will reduce the risk of experiencing chronic stress, so here are some helpful tools you can use in the op.  

Breathing 

Breathing helps to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which switches your body out of fight-or-flight.² A common technique is called box (or four square) breathing. This consists of inhaling through your nose for a count of four, holding that breath for a count of four, exhaling through your nose for a count of four, and holding that breath for a count of four. You can repeat this as needed; this method is easy to incorporate throughout the day as a quick reset between patients.  

Humming 

Humming that stimulates the vagus nerve can also reduce stress. A deeper vibration, one used to make an “mmm” sound is what more specifically targets the vagus nerve and activates the parasympathetic nervous system.³ 

Grounding 

Grounding exercises are a great way to shift your focus to the present. An effective grounding technique is the 3-3-3 rule. This is when you sit and name three things you can see, three things you can hear, and three things you can feel. Another option is naming three things you can see, three things you can hear, and moving three parts of your body.⁴ 

Final thoughts 

Effective stress management and awareness is going to help you avoid overload and burnout. Finding simple yet effective ways to manage stress is something that I personally wish I learned a lot sooner. One of the hardest realities of the field is the toll that it can take when you constantly prioritize others' needs over your own. So don’t let that reality be you—don’t let yourself get to the point where your cup is empty and you have nothing left to give. Make sure you put on your oxygen mask so that you can help save others. 

References: 

1. Stress. Cleveland Clinic. Medically reviewed May 15, 2024. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11874-stress 

2. How box breathing can help you destress. Cleveland Clinic. August 17, 2021 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits 

3. Kaye AM. The power of humming. Psychology Today. October 7, 2024. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-compassionate-brain/202410/the-power-of-humming 

4. Gupta S. How the 3-3-3 rule for anxiety can calm your mind. Verywell Mind. Updated March 18, 2026. https://www.verywellmind.com/3-3-3-rule-for-anxiety-8660964