We strive to help you be a happy and healthy veterinary professional. A large part of that is learning how to take care of yourself with the same grace that you award others. Often, we are hypercritical or expect more from ourselves than what we would from others. Here are five things that you can do you help improve your mental health in practice.
1. Take care of your body
Every day, we expect a lot of our bodies, we push ourselves to achieve more, and we actively want to be productive. However, we often forget to nourish our bodies and give it all the nutrients it needs to perform optimally. So, what can you do?
- Eat! Never skip meals, especially when you are busy. Make the time to fuel your body and eat as healthily as possible.
- Sleep. If you are not getting the sleep you need, it is very easy to become overwhelmed especially when cases have undesired outcomes. Sleep is often referred to as the “restart button” of your mental computer. Give it time to rest!
- Move. Make sure that you get some exercise, get the endorphins going and you will also feel better when you get your blood flowing.
- Meditate. Very often it is difficult to find the time to stand still, to reflect and recalibrate. Try some guided meditations or yoga to help you quiet your mind.
- Drink water. Make sure that you stay hydrated throughout the day.
2. Set realistic goals
Ambition, wanting to be the best veterinary professional, provide the highest standard of care to your patients, always keep calm and be a great team player are all great goals – but being everything for everyone is not realistic. Learn to be kinder to yourself by setting realistic goals. My one manager told me: “Success if often defined by the amount of things we say no to.” It is amazing to be the very helpful person, but make sure that you do not set yourself up for failure. Setting realistic targets that you can actually reach or surpass can increase your mental well-being.
3. Value yourself
What do you do to make yourself happy? Do you treat yourself with the same kindness, compassion and empathy as you reward to your patients and pet parents? Very often, we fall into the trap of giving others the best version of ourselves and we are over-critical of our actions. It is like we hold ourselves to a higher standard than we do others.
Find out what makes you happy – and do that often! Whether it is running, sewing, learning a new language, doing the crossword, learning to surf, taking riding or dance lessons – it does not matter! Find what brings you joy and allow yourself the time to pursue those leisure activities!
4. Surround yourself with genuinely good people
There is a theory that holds: “You are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” Take a good look at the company you keep. Very often, we use our closest friends or colleagues as our point of reference – if they are constantly negative, you may not realise how negative you have become. However, if they are authentic people who want to see you succeed and help you grow – you will start seeing results as they will hold you accountable.
5. Get the help you need
As veterinary professionals, we often get frustrated when clients waited too long before bringing their pets in; “if only it was diagnosed earlier, I could have made a big difference” – but when it comes to our own mental health, we believe that we can do it ourselves. When you are struggling, allow yourself the same grace – get the help you need early and the management will be much easier and less disruptive than when you wait until you are in real crisis. Be aware of your needs, consider getting a life coach or a psychologist to help you with the tools to thrive both professionally and personally!
