The holiday season is over, and with any luck you're feeling refreshed and full of energy to get stuck back into work. On the other hand, you might go home at the end of each day feeling drained, achy and craving comfort foods. If so, perhaps your team need to reassess the design of your work environment. Tim Hutchful provides some useful tips for ergonomically-friendly surgeries on page 39.

If mounting a saddle seat just isn't enough to dispel your dread at the thought of the long winter ahead, turn to page 15 for the opportunity to win a trip to a little oasis in the English countryside. My colleague and I gave it a test-run earlier this year, just to make sure it was good enough for Vital readers.

Karen Bell is one dental nurse used to beating off the competition as far as winning prizes are concerned. Find out just how she does it on page 20.

Despite being voted Dental Nurse of the Year 2006, Karen continues to further her skills by signing up for training courses. Along with our usual Spotlight feature, which in this issue is on hygienists, we have also provided a detailed guide to DCP schools and courses across the country (page 30). Be sure to check what your local colleges have on offer as well.

The best place to start fine-tuning your brain cells is, however, right at your fingertips. The Vital Guide Series not only gives you a crash course in infection control on page 23, but also enables you to check how much has sunk in with the ever-popular CPD questions.

So, with the posture of a ballet dancer and thoroughly decontaminated, you'll be fighting fit to have a go at one of the activities on pages 43–45. Our busy lifestyle writers have plenty to recommend.

If you haven't found something to interest you in this issue of Vital (not even reading about flirty working relationships on page 35?), and if you still haven't got round to subscribing, then now is your chance to let us know. To mark our three-year anniversary we have decided to include a questionnaire to collate your views. Be sure to send us a photo if you win the stylish prize.

Look out for the results in a forthcoming issue of Vital. Who knows, it might be your surgery gracing the cover next time ... get scribbling!

Kate Maynard, Editor, k.maynard@nature.com