How to Stop Teeth Grinding During the Daytime

We know, having to work from home these past several weeks has been very challenging. It’s easy to get stuck in the same routines, every day! Who knew that working from home in your comfiest clothes day in and day out might make you feel less productive? And that contributes to bad habits — namely, if you grind your teeth every day, you may be doing it even more now.

So, there are a few things you can do to try to alleviate a bad habit like grinding your teeth while you are working. Here are a bunch of our favorites…

- Shower and dress for work, folks! Even if you wear a t-shirt and sweat pants, that’s fine… no one is expecting you to dress up for Zoom calls! But be comfortable, stay fresh and alert, and that will help a lot.

- Identify and stick to one area designated for computer work.  We get it, it’s nice to just kick your heels up on the sofa and work… but at the end of the day, is that the most productive situation? Probably not. And it's also not ergonomically sound; you may end up experiencing back pain if you do it too often. If you can make a desktop space somewhere in your home that is specifically for work, then you get an A+!

- Stand up, move and stretch. Often.  As many health experts have noted over the past few weeks, it's still vitally important to keep active even if you are sheltering in place at home. With work to complete throughout the week – and for those with kids, lessons to oversee, as well – you might not always have the opportunity to take an hour for a walk around your neighborhood. When you do, great! But if not, carve out 20-30 minutes to relax, do deep breathing exercises, meditate or even some light exercise. Put on a favorite album and dance, even! (That could be a fun one for the kids to join in and get some exercise, too.)

- Don’t let your laptop dictate your activities! – As we noted, it’s really hard to divorce yourself from the computer when you are working from home and connected 24/7. Set a timeline! If you are done at 5PM, then stop. Even if you still have your laptop in front of you, just enjoy fun content, no more work! (But also… maybe you should stop even looking at fun social media stuff eventually? Go read a book or watch a TV show! If you can do some fun Zoom calls with your friends that involve group-watching a favorite film, that's an idea too.)

- Time zones are important. Stick to your own.  Social media happens 24/7, 7 days a week, even if you give yourself a break. The temptation is there to just answer questions every minute of every day, or follow up with colleagues who may be on a different schedule than you immediately. But it’s not beyond the pale to establish good business guidelines. Set expectations that you are available during work hours, and will always follow up at the earliest opportunity. 

These are just a few ideas that can help you manage a better workflow and smarter habits while navigating this challenging time. Of course, for your best oral health, these should be used in tandem with a dental nightguard to ensure that you aren't being adversely affected by grinding your teeth. ClearClub offers the most affordable, convenient solution - find out more and try us out today!