As veterinary professionals, handling emergency situations is second nature. We encounter life and death situations on such a regular basis that our instincts take over. We know exactly what to do – follow your ABCs. Airway, Breathing, Circulation are so drilled into us during vet school that our neural pathways automatically tell us what the best approach should be without giving it another thought. Now imagine if you could apply these same principles to everyday decision making – imagine if you had the habitual process that your brain will naturally follow to defuse stressful situations. What would your ABCs be then?
1. Affirm
The affirmation phase is where you come to terms with the radical truth that you are facing. Affirm that you are capable of handling the situation or that you either have the knowledge to treat the patient or the insight to know who to ask or where to look. The great thing about the veterinary community is that you have knowledgeable people in your team, your classmates, friends or acquaintances made at conferences that you can ask. Affirm that you are not alone in this – social isolation has become more normal with the global pandemic, but we have the ability to use technology to access even more resources, information and people than ever before.
The power of affirmation lies in very slowly releasing you from negative thoughts that you cannot do something, it frees you from anxiety, negativity, worry and fear and it helps you gradually change your thinking pattern, and it has even been shown to mitigate the effects that stress can have on you.
2. Breathe
Breathing is the simplest tool that you have at your disposal, however, we often forget to use it to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. If you learn to practice diaphragmatic breathing, you can get yourself out of the fight/flight natural response to stress and help yourself make higher quality decisions even in high-pressure situations.
Yoga and other meditation practices can help you refine breathing techniques that they become as ingrained as your emergency ABCs. You will be able to return to the deep breathing practices and help calm yourself, regain focus and manage stress. Make your exhalations longer than your inhalations.
3. Conquer
The definition of conquering is to take control or to overcome. This is the step that accomplishes what you set out to achieve. Come up with strategies to overcome your problem – one of my favourite quotes is: “Dream big, take small steps” – Paul Foxton. Break up your problem into manageable steps – but do not give up until it is conquered. Commit to consistency – it drives habits – if you are consistent in taking control and overcoming the things you have put off for so long, you will start seeing results. Procrastination is the enemy of conquering – you have to start wanting the end result more than you are content with the status quo.
This drive and determination will help you to not get distracted along the way. Accumulatively every small step will add up and you will make a habit of conquering problems. Do not leave the problem half solved – take the time to do it properly and ask for help from your community. It is often more widely available than you know as you have never asked.
Affirm, Breathe and Conquer – those are your ABCs for solving everyday problems and managing stress. What are your thoughts? Do you have other coping mechanisms that help you manage anxiety and get the day? What have you implemented to help you manage stress and improve decision making?
