030: When Caring Costs Too Much. Nervous System Regulation, Burnout, and Healing in Dentistry with Lori Bulloch

Burnout in dentistry doesn’t always look like exhaustion or breakdown. Sometimes it looks like tight shoulders, shallow breathing, emotional numbness, or the constant feeling of being “on” for everyone else while slowly disappearing from yourself.In this episode of The Real Talk of Dental, I sit down with Lori Bulloch, registered dental hygienist, certified yoga instructor, natural health educator, and founder of Breathe With Lori, to talk about the quiet, cumulative toll dentistry takes on the nervous system and what actually helps.This conversation centers on wellness in its most honest form. Not productivity hacks. Not expensive tools. But breath, boundaries, movement, and presence.Lori shares her personal journey through mental health challenges, discovering yoga and breathwork, and learning how simple, accessible practices can regulate the nervous system inside a profession built on constant care for others. We explore emotional labor in dentistry, secondary traumatic stress, and why so many dental professionals feel overwhelmed even when they’re doing everything “right.”If you’ve been feeling tense, depleted, or quietly burned out, this conversation is a place to take a breath and remember you’re not alone.You’ll learn:Why burnout in dentistry often shows up quietly rather than dramaticallyHow breathwork supports nervous system regulation during the workdayWhat secondary traumatic stress is and how it affects dental professionalsSimple routines to reduce dread, tension, and emotional overloadHow to protect your energy without losing compassion for patientsWhy foundational wellness practices matter more than complex solutionsHow movement, nature, and breath support sustainable careers in dentistry🔗 Join the community and submit your anonymous questions:https://www.therealtalkofdental.com🔗 Learn more about The Empowered LeadHERship Program for Women in Dental:https://leadhershipexperience.com/We talk about:00:00 Why nervous system care matters in dentistry02:00 Lori’s journey into wellness, yoga, and healing06:00 Mental health, diagnosis, and accepting support10:00 Emotional labor, burnout, and overstimulation13:00 Grounding routines before and during the workday16:00 Patient anxiety, energetic boundaries, and self-protection19:00 Secondary traumatic stress in dental settings23:00 Breathwork as a real-time regulation tool26:00 Why wellness doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive29:00 Final reflections on sustainability, care, and hopeConnect with LoriYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@onewholeheartedhygienist3595Email: [email protected] Connect with meLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandimarzolino/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.marzolino/https://courageandjoyatwork.com/https://leadhershipexperience.com/Phone: 616-682-6222