Some time ago, I asked all of my veterinary connections about their biggest frustrations in practice. Reading the responses, I found that many people were struggling personally.
We work in a mentally & emotionally taxing profession
We are losing many talented colleagues to suicide
I have lost friends and colleagues and it is heartbreaking.
We need to work together as a profession to change the culture of working long hours with no breaks and the thought of asking for help is a sign of weakness.
While we focus on rolling out the red carpet for our clients, we have forgotten to look after the mental health of the veterinarians and the team.
The pressure has increased for veterinarians, from themselves, from owners and from the practice
Self care is very important. I want you to consider self care the same as you promote preventative care to your clients for their pets. Taking care of yourself will give you a buffer for the tough times.
For a lot of veterinarians in practice, that buffer was used a long time ago.
Again, self care is of vital importance. You need to:
- take regular breaks during the day
- get enough sleep. At least 7-8 hours every night. Anyone who has young children knows the effects of sleep deprivation and how it impairs your performance.
- eat healthy meals every single day
- exercise which increases your endorphins and has a protective effect
- take regular holidays!!
- ask for help. We normally tough it out. Don’t!
- negotiate your salary yearly and ask what you need to do to increase this figure. With an increased income, you will have more options for self care.
- stop being a perfectionist and be ok with good enough. Remember your 100% is usually a normal persons 150%.
- understand yourself. Seek to understand your personality, your thought process, your communication styles and your beliefs and whether these are working for you or against you in practice and in life.
- remember and focus on the good things about yourself, what you have done and have gratitude in your life.
I became a coach as I love helping people. What I noticed in my early days of practice was the amount of people who were struggling, myself included.
I had many beliefs and thought patterns that were not helping me in practice or in life. I didn’t even realise I had these and how they were driving my behaviour and how I was reacting. Coaching changed my life.
I am passionate about veterinarians well-being and flourishing in their life and career.
If you notice you are heading down the path of burn out and/or depression, please ask for help. It’s not something you will get over. You need to seek help. It is ok to ask for help.
If you notice a colleague or team member is struggling, please make the time to talk to them.
Don’t suffer in silence. There are many people who are willing to help.
Natasha
Vale Robin Williams
