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Stress Management and Resources for Veterinary Professionals

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    To be the best caregivers to dogs, cats, and other patients—it’s important for the caregiver (i.e. veterinary professional) to be cared for, too!

    Many veterinarians have dreamed of a career working with animals since they were young children. And veterinary professionals may feel joy or fulfillment from their careers.

    However, a busy veterinary job can put a number of different stressors on veterinarians and their team members. Over time, these stressors can decrease job satisfaction, and even lead to feelings of isolation, depression, or suicidal thoughts. 

    For all these reasons, wellness and work-life balance are very important for veterinarians and veterinary team members. Even though bad days happen, having the right tools to handle stress and challenges can really help. 

    Check our last article for tips on finding activities that bring you joy (and finding time to do them) and setting boundaries. And, try these tips and resources…

    Stress Management for Work and Beyond

    There are many strategies and schools of thought on how to best deal with stress in work and life. So, this list is by no means comprehensive and does not represent every technique or philosophy available.

    We mention this because it’s important to find what works best for you personally, rather than trying to force a strategy or philosophy that doesn’t resonate with you.

    However, this list does incorporate some “tried and true” methods that can work for many different people and that are fairly simple to begin with.

    So, these tips may be a great place to “dive in” if you’re looking for something new…

    • Find healthy ways to process challenging emotions or stress, rather than pushing them down. A few examples include journaling, talking to a trusted friend or therapist, exercising to upbeat music, or even simple breathing techniques.

    • Explore a spiritual practice that works for you. Many people find that turning to a higher power can help put day-to-day worries into a new and less significant perspective.

    • Try meditation. While once considered “woo-woo,” the prevalence of meditation—including scientific studies that indicate its mental and physical benefits—is hard to deny. That being said, meditation can take many different forms. It can mean sitting in silence, listening to guided relaxation, or even a walking meditation—to name a few. Try a few methods to see what you enjoy most. Practice by starting with just a few minutes at a time, then work your way up slowly.

    • Keep a running list of positive work experiences and memories. As humans, we have a natural tendency to remember negative experiences more than we remember positive ones. Looking at a list of things that make you smile could help put things into perspective if you’re having a bad day.

    • Delegate at home—not just at work! Veterinary professionals are smart and capable. And they’re used to multitasking. As such, it’s easy to take that drive to “go-go-go” home after the workday ends. However, it’s important to find time to rest and recharge. That’s where time-saving delegation can help.

    • If it’s reasonable for your budget, consider things like hiring someone to clean your home or pick up/look after your kids after school, using a meal delivery service rather than cooking from scratch, sending out your laundry, etc. Or, talk to a partner or roommate about dividing chores.

    Resources and a Support System are Beneficial

    While learning to process stress and emotions is important, there’s no reason anyone needs to feel alone in the process. Feelings of isolation are common in the veterinary profession, perhaps because friends with different careers can’t relate to what a veterinary job is really like, or because of the long working hours. Whatever the reason, there are many resources and caring people available to help, including but not limited to…

    Also, look for apps (many of which are free) for meditation, and check out books, life coaches, financial advisers, and any other resources that resonate with your current needs and goals.

    Staying at Your Best Physically Can Help with Stress Management

    Physical health and wellbeing can help us stay at our strongest and most capable when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges.

    After all, think about how you feel dealing with a difficult client when you’re well rested versus sleep-deprived. And consider how a long workday may feel worse if our legs and back are sore afterward, too.

    For all these reasons, it’s good to do as much as we can to stay physically ready for work. Some strategies include…

    • Sleeping enough each night.

    • Regular exercise or physical activity.

    • Stretching with exercise or after a work shift.

    • Eating nutritious meals to “fuel” us through the day.

    It’s not typically necessary to be a perfectionist about these things. We don’t need to be elite athletes or give up chocolate cake forever to start reaping the benefits to our energy and mental stamina. Instead, as with all new habits, it’s often best to start with small, achievable goals. Small changes to our habits can result in very real benefits. 

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    We hope these tips and suggestions have sparked some ideas. Remember to consult a medical or another professional to receive the best advice for you as an individual. Also remember, you’re never alone. Please reach out to someone who can help (such as one of the resources listed above) at any time.

    Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM

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    Well-being and Work-Life Balance for Veterinary Professionals

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      Despite the wonderful aspects a career in veterinary medicine offers, there’s no denying that the field presents its own unique challenges.

      This may include long work hours, demanding appointment schedules, emotional ups and downs, and difficult clients—to name a few. 

      All of these factors and more contribute to burnout and stress amongst veterinary professionals. These factors are part of the reason why the suicide rate is higher in veterinarians and vet techs/nurses than in the general population.

      So even though veterinary medicine can be an amazing career—one where many professionals find joy and meaning by helping animals—work-life balance is very important for veterinary professionals. 

      Here are a few ways to start finding that balance…

      For Better Work-Life Balance, Think About What Matters Most to You

      There are many different aspects of life from which we can derive joy, purpose, and a sense of connection. The specifics will look different for everyone, depending on their individual needs and interests.

      But some examples include:

      • career

      • friends

      • family

      • dating or marriage

      • spirituality

      • hobbies

      • curiosity/learning new things

      • staying active

      • time for resting

      • volunteering

      • and more. 

      Imbalance can easily arise when a person puts too much focus on just one of these aspects of life.

      For example, if a person’s life is dominated by work, it’s easy to feel disproportionately upset when the workday is stressful or difficult.

      On the other hand, if a person has nurtured several of these areas of their life, a bad workday might not hit so hard. There’s a stronger foundation of other meaningful things in life on which to stand.

      So, which things matter most to you? Which parts of your life would you like to nurture more?

      Trying to do too many things at once can lead to burnout and giving up. So it’s important to start making positive changes by focusing first on the things that bring you the most joy, energy, and sense of connection.

      To Change Your Life, Start With Small, Achievable Goals

      After choosing which areas of your life you’d like to nurture more right now, think about practical ways to start making positive changes. 

      Trying to do too much at once, or setting huge goals that are unrealistic, can cause procrastination, a sense of discouragement and frustration, and giving up altogether. On the other hand, small changes can add up to surprisingly big results over time. 

      Try these techniques…

      • Follow your interests and curiosity. For the time being, forget about what you “should” be doing. Of course, do necessary things, like paying bills. But for your mental wellbeing, focus on what makes you smile and gives you more energy—such as a new hobby that seems impractical but fun.

      • Set realistic, small goals. For example, read 10 pages per day rather than trying to finish a book on a weekend, start meditating for 5 minutes rather than 30 minutes, or walk for 15 minutes rather than doing a long hike right away if you’d like to spend more time outdoors.

      • Nurture connections while honoring your boundaries. No one can be all things to all people. So if a friend or family member takes up too much time with negative phone calls or unreasonable obligations, think about ways to give them time without giving too much energy if you’re already tired from work. It’s okay to sometimes say no to events or phone calls and still have a healthy relationship or friendship.

      • Create more time for your priorities by keeping a “time journal” to see where your time truly goes each day. Figure out where you could make changes to do more of the things you love. 

      • Combine mundane tasks with something more meaningful or fun. For example, listen to a podcast while cleaning or driving, or meet up with a friend for socialization while exercising.

      • Set boundaries at work, too. Of course, this will depend on the specific workplace environment. And sometimes, a change of employment is necessary to have a healthier workplace. But often, discussions with bosses and colleagues allow new ideas to be integrated. 

      For example, “buffers” in the schedule (for walk-ins, emergencies, catch up, and even taking a short break) can help employees perform at their best and avoid mistakes. Pre-arranging patient care with colleagues can help avoid unnecessary phone calls on a person’s day off. And considerations for the well-being of all employees can contribute to a positive workplace with less staff turnover. 

      These and other strategies and be mutually beneficial for employers and employees alike.

      Finding the best work-life balance can take time. And a person’s needs may evolve throughout the course of their career and life—so it’s important to reassess and make “course corrections” as our needs and interests change.

      Set aside time each month to assess how things are going and where you’d like to make changes.

      The time spent on personal care and work-life balance isn’t time wasted—and wellbeing is a necessity, not a luxury.

      Life goes by quickly, so it’s important to think about the things that make life happy and meaningful. In addition to helping us live our best life, “filling our own cup” also allows us to be better caregivers for our patients and spark new enjoyment in our careers.

      For veterinary professionals who are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, there are many people and resources who would like to help. Here are a few:

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      Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM