This year has been challenging for many people.
For some people, there have been years of challenges. The drought, then the bushfires, then the floods and now COVID-19. This has resulted in prolonged stress which has an impact on your mental health and wellbeing. It’s important to be aware of your mental health and have an awareness of strategies you can implement to maintain your wellbeing in times of adversity.
There has been a rise in anxiety, depression and people struggling in the community as a result of COVID-19. This is due to the isolation, social distancing, job losses, worsening economy and the cycle of bad news.
Currently, veterinary teams are experiencing significant challenges in the workplace as a result of COVID-19. Initially, there was uncertainty and unpredictability with the fear of what potentially may happen creating a heightened sense of threat. There were supply issues and veterinary practices having to pivot to keep their teams safe and the business open. The situation was changing weekly and sometimes daily. As a result, the workflow in practices changed significantly. This has been occurring for months and the teams are now becoming exhausted.
In this session, I will discuss practice strategies to maintain good wellbeing:
- Being self-aware is really important at the moment
- Understand what contributes to your stress
- Know your capacity levels
- Ask for help
- Be proactive with your wellbeing
- Self-care is so important at the moment
The session is being held on the first night of the AVA VetFest, Sunday 19th July at 7:15pm.
Thank you to Zoetis for their initiative with Beyondblue and for asking me to present this session. Learn more about the initiative and Zoetis generous donation here.
If you are struggling and want support, reach out to Beyondblue on www.beyondblue.org.au
Natasha Wilks
