Are You Toughing It Out?

We've all had bad days at work. We know that practice is a series of challenges—some harder than others—and that Veterinarians and RVTs come to the profession prewired for duty: going above and beyond the call, wanting to serve those trusting their precious pets to our care.

As the pressures of work build, our instinct is to dig deeper and work harder. We may invoke a role model or mentor, our own James Herriot, who worked tirelessly through the night, always made a good decision and had all the answers. These ‘get it done’ figures have become our benchmark and keep us striving to do better. The hyper-achiever in us keeps reaching for the next gold star. We tell ourselves that all our hard work, dedication and sacrifice will be our badge of honour. [i]

And yet, in reality, many of us struggle through our day using the 'tough it out' model. We act like we are in basic training boot camp without room for physical and mental weakness. We have dealt with this model throughout our training, and although there are some days when it works, ‘toughing it out’ takes its toll.

We read about burnout, four-day work weeks, higher wages, fractional ownership, creative scheduling, and more time off – all valid and meaningful. These goals are to reduce stress, avoid sick days and job attrition, and prevent burnout. Whether these valuable efforts lead to overall job satisfaction is unclear.

As we continue to push through with our 'tough it out' mentality, we keep digging deeper into our near-empty well of emotional energy. This is where the embers of stress, burnout and discontent start to smoulder. We begin to feel a disconnect from the joys of practice. We start to hear the hum of anxiety in our day-to-day life from the moment we put our hand on the door to walk into work. Another day of productivity, dealing with the problems that find you, hoping no one notices you have lost the joy of practice.

What contributes to this accumulating stress is our inability to recover from daily setbacks and the misguided belief that more work will somehow bring us more meaning and purpose. We need help to ask for help as we become disenchanted and begin to question our future in the profession.[ii]  This may be you. It certainly has been me.

Our industry specialists talk about physical fitness, diet, sleep, and work-life balance, all antidotes to burnout. Since burnout results in both physical and mental exhaustion[iii], it may be time to focus on our mental fitness. Mental fitness helps develop our ability to respond to life’s challenges quickly and with a positive mindset. 1  In my coaching practice, helping clients shift from the boot camp mentality of daily practice life to a more mindful, self-compassionate approach requires work. It takes work to rewire old mental habits and change our view of what success looks like.

It starts with what is in your control. You can learn to control your thoughts. Start small, and notice your self-talk. Is it supporting you when you make a mistake or barking at you with every misstep? Notice when that negative voice speaks up. Stop and try talking to yourself like you would talk to a co-worker in the same situation. Do you have empathy for your animals and team but not yourself? That is your self-critical judge. 1 So, step one is to try to manage your negative self-talk.

Step two: learn to pause for 10 seconds.[iv] Do you know the feeling when a client with a treatable pet declines your recommendations? Or when you see your schedule has you working another long weekend? When you get emotionally triggered, you pause in real time. Ten seconds may feel like an eternity, but it will allow you to see that the client's 'no' is not about you. A pause gives you time to see the bigger picture and lets you know you have options. You can speak with the scheduler privately, for example. A pause can mean you avoid being emotionally hijacked and the burden of regret that often follows and can last for days. Wasted time.

As you practice mental fitness, you will become more resilient, self-aware and aware of others. You will begin to make better decisions and, again, see the spark of your professional commitment and experience more joy and balance in your personal life.

So, start small. Recognize and celebrate every time you change your negative self-talk. Secondly, pause. Time will re-direct you and salvage professional relationships and peace of mind. This discipline will spill over into your personal life as well. You will be different, and people will notice. And then, you may find yourself as a role model and mentor to someone trying to tough it out.

References

[i] Chamine, Shirzad. "Positive intelligence." Austin, TX: Greenleaf Book Group (2012).

[ii] Hatch, P. H., et al. "Workplace stress, mental health, and burnout of veterinarians in Australia." Australian Veterinary Journal 89.11 (2011): 460-468.

[iii] Arnold B. Bakker & Juriena D. de Vries (2021) Job Demands–Resources theory and self-regulation: new explanations and remedies for job burnout, Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 34:1, 1-21, DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2020.1797695

[iv] Johnson Chris L, The Leadership Pause: Sharpen Your Attention, Deepen Your Presence, and Navigate the Future, BrainTrust Inc. 2022.

drwilliamhanson.com