Somber conversations on mental health topics swirl around the veterinary community, but we can shift the dialogue to a more positive one. Employing strategies to safeguard our mental health is essential to help prevent burnout and COMPASSION FATIGUE, which most of us will inevitably face at some point in our schooling or career due in part to the stressful and overly empathetic nature of our vocation. By implementing the following tips, you can help stabilize volatile moods, reduce anxiety, and enjoy greater contentment during vet school and after graduation.
#1: Breathe and drink water.
When you’re on the verge of panicking during that pharmacology exam or your first big solo surgery, help calm yourself with 2 quick actions: breathe in and out slowly and deeply for 4 breaths, and drink a glass of water. Gleaned from the empowering online course Compassion Fatigue Strategies taught by Jessica Dolce, a Certified Compassion Fatigue Educator, these top tips are essential when I enter crisis mode. They instantly drop my stress levels to a more manageable level, giving me time to calmly focus on responding to a stressful situation in a rational manner as I move closer to calm parasympathetic baseline.
#2: Ward off perfectionism.
Most of us in vet med are perfectionists. Our high performing nature is a partial reason why we got into vet school in the first place. While perfectionism can be a strength, it can also be a weakness. Perfectionism strips away our resiliency and happiness, adding to our stress and anxiety. We become too sensitive and guarded. We can stagnate in our growth; if we’re too concerned with being perfect, we may not take risks or try something new for fear of failing. “Good enough” really and truly is “good enough” in the vast majority of circumstances! Your self-worth is not dictated by your GPA or how quickly you can complete a spay. No client is ever going to ask if you passed the NAVLE on your first try. Rest assured that by drifting away from perfectionistic tendencies, you’re not going to devolve into a thoughtless, mistake-ridden person. Instead, you’re going to free up brain space and be rejuvenated to care and learn in deeper, more meaningful ways.
#3: Stop comparing yourself to others.
Comparing yourself to others depletes joy and blocks recognition of your own unique gifts, accomplishments, and self-worth. Avoid reading too much into others’ unbalanced social media posts. Celebrate your own wins. Channel your energy into unlocking your own talents rather than wasting time trying to be someone else. Be the best version of you! Focusing on your strengths and what you’ve overcome can help ward off imposter syndrome, explains Dr. Katie Ford, veterinarian and mentor. Focus on what you do have rather than what you think you’re lacking (which many times, is false). You may struggle with neuro while your classmate excels in it, but you may be surprised to learn that your peers envy your ability to analyze bloodwork. We each have our own gifts.
#4: Set boundaries.
It took me 30 years to realize that “no” is a complete sentence – no explanation required. In the veterinary field, we’re natural helpers. Setting boundaries can feel wrong; we can feel selfish and riddled with guilt. But appropriate boundaries can be a kindness both to ourselves and to others. Setting boundaries takes practice. Dr. Ericka Mendez, veterinary mentor and creator of The Purposeful Vet, encourages us to practice setting boundaries before we actually need to assert them. For instance, you study better solo, but a few classmates are asking you to join in their study group; it’s okay to decline. If you’re asked to run social media for your clinic and aren’t going to be compensated financially, say “no”! Value your time and core priorities to ward off burnout and resentment. Additionally, creating a ritual, such as a 5-minute mediation or journaling exercise, to help you transition from work to home life can aid you in honoring your own boundaries to respect your life-work balance.
#5: Redefine “self-care”.
Ingrain it in your head that self-care is not selfish. Jessica Dolce firmly states in her Compassion Fatigue Strategies course, “Research shows that there is a correlation between ethical violations and compassion fatigue, which means compassion fatigue can cause us to cause harm to others. That means: You are ethically obligated to take care of yourself… It is unethical to neglect self-care.” Wow! But what really is self-care? It starts by providing for our physical needs with a strong foundation of sleep, exercise, and good food. These seemingly “basic” needs are just as important to your role as a veterinary student or professional as using your sophisticated “higher brain”. To be a whole person, we have to take care of all 5 of our human components: physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. Commercialism doesn’t belong anywhere near this realm. Instead, self-care is primarily discipline to provide for your needs (not wants) with a little pampering interspersed… it’s meal planning and financial budgeting with a relaxing bubble bath and slice of cake on the side. It’s a balance between fun and practicality. Plan ahead to make your future self healthier and less stressed. Got 20 minutes? Don’t procrastinate; review those therio notes or wash those dishes now. Go to bed early rather than pulling an all-nighter for that exam. Dive into a hobby that lights you up and provides you an identity outside of vet med. Stay organized with a planner. Mediate or pray. That’s self-care.
#6: Practice gratitude.
We humans instinctually focus on the negative, a leftover trait from our caveman ancestors who constantly scanned areas of potential danger. In the modern world, this manifests as anxiety and pessimism. To ward off such thoughts, immerse yourself in gratitude. Write a daily gratitude journal or recite the top 3 good things that happened to you today – make that your mantra for the day. Compile a notebook of your accomplishments, big and small. Keep a folder of thank-you cards from clients and good evaluations from professors. Practice mindfulness by focusing on the good in the here and now. For every negative thought that crosses your mind, dilute it by pairing it with 3 positive thoughts of gratitude. Remind yourself why your younger self would be happy to be in the position you’re in today.
#7: Talk it out.
We humans are wired to relate. (Yes, even us introverts.) If you’re struggling, confide in a trusted loved one, classmate, or colleague. Find a good therapist, school counselor, or veterinary social worker. Let’s destigmatize mental illness and emotional struggles. I waited way too long to pursue therapy, but when I finally did, I discovered I could work through my problems more efficiently – not that they went away but that I learned better coping tools. It’s not that I wasn’t strong already in my own right, but I was trying to tackle a giant in hand-to-hand combat, and therapy granted me the sharpened sword I needed to be more effective in my quest for happiness as a vet and a complete person.
Implementing these changes into our busy lives can seem overwhelming at first. Start with one little component, and reassess how you feel afterwards. Focusing on just one additional positive thought per day is an excellent start to reframe your mind and improve how you feel.
– Maranda Elswick, DVM
This article was originally composed for Veterinary Professionals’ Next Gen as “7 Mental Health Tips for Vet Students and New Grads”.
Recommended Resources
- Brown, Brené. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. “List of Values.” https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Values.pdf
- Dolce, Jessica. Compassion Fatigue Strategies. University of Florida’s Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program. Online course. https://jessicadolce.com/compassion-fatigue-strategies-ufl/
- Elswick, Maranda. “What Your Veterinarian Needs You to Know about Compassion Fatigue and Suicide in the Veterinary Profession.” The Meowing Vet. September 10, 2018. http://themeowingvet.com/2018/09/10/what-your-veterinarian-needs-you-to-know-about-compassion-fatigue-and-suicide-in-the-veterinary-profession/
- Ford, Katie. “6 Step Guide to Crushing Imposter Syndrome: A Helpful Starting Point for Those Who Feel Like a Fraud in the Profession.” Katie Ford Vet. https://www.katiefordvet.com/
- Mendez, Ericka. “5 Steps to Saying No without the Guilt: A Helper’s Guide to Setting and Keeping Healthy Boundaries.” The Purposeful Vet. https://www.thepurposefulvet.com/
- Moga, Jeannine. “Perfectionism: How High Standards Can Both Help Us and Hurt Us.” Vetgirl. Facebook. September 24, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/VetGirlOnTheRun/videos/512241906252803/
- Moga, Jeannine. “Rethinking Work/Life Balance: How Technology and Boundaries Are Influencing Our Productivity, Focus and Well-Being.” Vetgirl. Facebook. December 10, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/VetGirlOnTheRun/videos/2435746100024735/
- Wiest, Brianna. “This Is What ‘Self-Care’ REALLY Means, Because It’s Not All Salt Baths and Chocolate Cake.” Thought Catalog. November 2017. https://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2017/11/this-is-what-self-care-really-means-because-its-not-all-salt-baths-and-chocolate-cake/
