Pitner Ortho's online newsletter for August 2018
THE STRAIGHT UP
August 2018
Forget the Imaginary Audience Teaching Teens Self-Compassion
Last month, I talked about self-compassion and how, when I start getting too hard on myself, I think about what Buster would say. Remembering that my dog thinks I’mawesome helps me be kinder tomyself. Since we’re reaching the end of summer and a lot of my young patients are preparing to go back to school, I began to think of self-compassion on a broader scale. I mean, if it’s hard for some adults to practice self-compassion, just imagine how muchmore challenging it is for teenagers. Being a teen is hard, and I don’t mean that in the punk-rock song lyrics way. Froma psychological standpoint, teenagers are harder on themselves than anyone else is.Your cognitive abilities start to enhance in adolescence, which is why you felt somuchmore self-conscious in high school than you did as an elementary schooler.Teenagers tend to feel like everyone is noticing and judging everything about them, a phenomenon psychologist David Elkind calls “the imaginary audience.”This fear of the imaginary audience is what leads teenagers to be so critical of themselves and become so upset if they aren’t completely perfect.
Here’s amessage tomy teenage patients, and something I wish I’d realized back when I was a teenager: No one is judging you—we’re all too busy worrying about ourselves! There’s a famous psychological study fromHarvardUniversity in which volunteers watched a video of six basketball players and were asked to count howmany times players with white shirts passed the ball.The answer was 15, but the real question wasn’t “Howmany times did they pass the ball?” It was, “Did you see the gorilla?” This test, now known as “The InvisibleGorilla,” found that over half of all participants were so focused on counting the passes, they failed to notice aman in a gorilla suit dancing around in themiddle of the screen.This is called selective attention.We really only see what we’re paying attention to.You can check out the video from this study for yourself at TheInvisibleGorilla.com . I’ve seen examples of selective attention a lot in the office when it comes to kids getting braces put on. Most patients are so nervous about having to wear braces and they’re convinced everyone will be staring at their teeth for the next few years. Ninemonths later, when they come in for an appointment, I have patients telling me that their best friend onlymentioned them for the first time last week, saying, “Oh, I didn’t even notice! How long have you had those?”
While research proves there’s no imaginary audience judging our everymove, this knowledge doesn’t make those insecurities just disappear. This is why it’s important for teenagers to learn how to practice self-compassion. Dr. Karen Bluth of theUniversity of NorthCarolina emphasizes how important self-compassion is to a teenager’s mental health, especially as depression and suicide rates climb. For parents of teens, I highly encourage you to read up on Dr. Bluth’s work at Greatergood. berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_help_ teens_become_more_self_compassionate . She’s taught a class on self-compassion for teens for many years and offers insight on why it’s so important to empower teenagers with the tools to be kinder to themselves. After all, not everyone has a Buster to cheer them on. –Dr. Leslie Pitner
"NO ONE IS JUDGING YOU — WE’RE ALL TOO BUSY WORRYING ABOUT OURSELVES!"
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Smile big. Smile often. • 803-781-5225
JourneytotheGreatBackyard
FINISH THE SUMMERWITH A FAMILY CAMPING ‘TRIP’
Summer is drawing to a close, but there’s still time to make some great memories. Camping trips are a summer staple. Fortunately, you don’t have to drive hours into the mountains to
night long, they might end up deciding they’d rather be inside playing video games after only an hour. Be sure to pack everything you would need if you were really going into the woods for the night so no one is tempted to go back inside. This means tents, sleeping bags, flashlights, pajamas, books, binoculars, a compass, water bottles, and a cooler of food with snacks and dinner. Treat this like a “real” camping experience right from the beginning! Figure out the campfire. Don’t have an in-ground fire pit? No worries! You can still enjoy hot dogs and s’mores with a charcoal grill or a store-bought fire pit. If you have enough room in your backyard, you could even try building a bonfire. Just make sure to check your city ordinances and get any necessary permits first. You can find advice for building the perfect campfire at REI.
Remember: It’s okay to call it a night.
For kids, the most exciting part of camping in the backyard is getting to sleep in a tent — that is, until they actually have to sleep. After stargazing, some kids will want to stay up all night whispering and giggling in the tent, and that’s great! But other kids might decide they’d rather sleep inside, and that’s okay too.Your camping trip isn’t a failure because everyone spent the night in their own beds. It’s not about where everyone sleeps; it’s about howmuch fun your family had together before bedtime.
find the perfect campsite.Your backyard is right there waiting for you! Here are
a few tips to help your family say farewell
The best part of backyard camping? It doesn’t take a lot of planning. Just grab your gear and your family and hike out into the great backyard.
to summer with a perfect
backyard camping trip.
Pack for an authentic experience. Your back door is literally a few yards away, which can be great in the event of an emergency.
com/learn/expert- advice/campfire- basics.html.
But if the kids are running in and out of the house all
FROM THE OFFICE OF BUSTER
Let’s Talk About Technology G’DAY, MATE!
needed to create the best possible smile from every angle. Once the design is perfect, she sends the measurements to the SureSmile robot, which then creates a customized archwire. Thanks to the sophisticated SureSmile program, a patient’s teeth are moved directly to their ideal location with precision that would be impossible with human hands — or dog paws, for that matter.With SureSmile, patients spend 33 percent less time wearing braces, and they enjoy stunning results. TheWorld Journal of Orthodontics stated, “Patients treated with SureSmile experienced overall reduced treatment time and better-quality results than those treated conventionally.”
Today, I want to talk about why we dogs aren’t a fan of technology. For one, the internet is full of cats!Yeah, Grumpy Cat and Bub are cute, but can you name a single famous internet dog? Talk about unfair. And then there’s the fact that computers make it way too easy for humans to keep working. For example, sometimes on the weekends, when my mom should be petting me, she’s straightening teeth on the computer! No, she’s not playing some really weird video game. At Pitner Orthodontics, we use SureSmile, a system that combines specialized software and robotic technology to create archwires for braces. After taking a scan of a patient’s mouth, Dr. Leslie is able to create a 3Dmodel with the SureSmile software. She virtually moves each tooth, tweaking them as
but it also means patients of all ages get to have bright, happy smiles a lot sooner. That’s pretty cool. And after all, not every dog can say their mom creates beautiful smiles right at home!
When you put it like that, I guess technology isn’t so bad. Sure, it eats into my cuddle time,
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HOW TO ACHIEVE A MORE
Restful Night’s Sleep
Put your excuses for staying up too late to bed. Say no to “one
A good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your mind and body. One study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that the quality of your sleep is much more important than the quantity — that is, if you want to feel rested. And we all want to feel rested. So, what can you do to improve the quality of your sleep and get the rest you need? Listen to your body. This, above all else, is crucial to a good night’s sleep.Your body knows when it’s time for bed. Generally, you want to go to bed when you feel tired, whether that’s at 8 p.m. or 1 a.m. Whenever your body tells you it needs rest, you should make a habit of going to bed then. The more consistent you are, the better your sleep will be.
body any favors (it can be stressful on the body and even elevate blood pressure, which is not good first thing in the morning). If you do need an alarm, consider a wake-up light.Wake-up lights mimic the sunrise, slowly brightening the room, waking your body in a natural, gentle way. Kick the screen habit. You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: Looking at an electronic screen
more episode.” And all those emails? They can
wait until tomorrow. Not getting enough quality sleep is harmful to your mental and physical health. When you get into the habit of following these three tips, you’ll find yourself feeling rested and refreshed in no time.
— a TV, computer, tablet, or smartphone — before bed is detrimental to sleep quality. Light from these devices is disruptive to your brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which helps regulate your circadian rhythm, and screen time before bed can throw off normal SCN function.
Wake up naturally. Jolting yourself awake with an alarm or radio isn’t doing your brain and
SUMMER GRILLED HALIBUT
INGREDIENTS
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4 boneless, skinless halibut fillets, about 5 ounces each 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
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2 pounds mixed tomatoes, sliced 1/2 cup hearts of palm, drained Basil leaves, for garnish Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
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1 lemon
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DIRECTIONS
1. Lightly oil grill grates and heat grill to medium. 2. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest onto halibut fillets. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 3. Grill halibut, turning just once, for about 5 minutes on each side. 4. In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, hearts of palm, juice from lemon, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Garnish salad with basil. Spoon salad over grilled halibut. Serve.
Inspired by Bon Appetit magazine
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Smile big. Smile often. • 803-781-5225
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
5953 Wescott Rd. Columbia, SC 29212 803-781-5225 Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.drpitner.com
INSIDE
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Did You See the Gorilla?
The Best End-of-Summer Activity Is Your Dog Jealous of Technology? Sleep Better and Feel Great Summer Grilled Halibut
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Local Events
South Carolina Is Full of Summer Fun THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
‘Boy About Ten’ Where: Trustus Theatre, Columbia When: Aug. 17-25 Admission: $25 Website: Trustus.org/event/boy-about-ten Terry Spooner is desperately trying to win back his ex-wife, but he’s not exactly the man he was when she agreed to marry him. When Terry’s kids get involved, the family soon finds themselves swept up in unexpected twists and turns. From nationally produced playwright and South Carolina resident, Jon
Soda City Comic Con Where: Columbia Metropolitan Convention
Chapin Labor Day Festival & Parade Where: Historic DowntownChapin When: Sept. 1-3 Admission: Free Website: ChapinSC.com/269/Chapin-Labor- Day-Festival-Parade Bring the family out to Chapin for the ultimate Labor Day celebration! Check the schedule and make plans to attend great events all weekend long. Interested in checking out the authentic farmers markets? Or maybe the live concert and street party are more up your alley? However you prefer to spend your weekend, the Chapin Labor Day Festival & Parade is sure to have something for the whole family!
Center, Columbia When: Aug. 25-26
Admission: See website for tickets Website: SodaCityComicCon.com
Calling all fanboys and fangirls! Soda City Comic Con is here to celebrate all things nerdy. Come dressed as your favorite pop culture icon and meet artists and vendors
from across South Carolina as well as professional creators from all areas of fandom. Fans of comics, video games, anime, and everything geeky will find themselves right at home at Soda City Comic Con.
Tuttle, comes a story of living in the past and trying to reclaim your future.
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