Is your Boat Leaking?

As a Veterinarian or RVT, your days are filled with challenges—clients relying on your expertise, patients who can’t tell you what’s wrong, and a constant demand for perfection. No wonder your emotional resilience can feel like a small boat taking on water.

Unresolved stress, harsh self-judgement, and workplace conflict can create new holes in your emotional boat, and you may be slowly sinking.

The good news? You can stay afloat and thrive by proactively identifying the leaks and plugging them. 

Leaks in Your Boat 

1. Compassion Fatigue

You care deeply, but the weight of constantly comforting others can erode your emotional reserves. Over time, this manifests as numbness, irritability, and emotional fatigue. 

2. Perfectionism 

In a profession where lives are at stake, striving for perfection feels necessary and familiar. We have been practicing - and getting rewarded for - perfectionism throughout our educational years. Chasing unattainable standards creates unreal expectations and self-doubt: These leaks need immediate attention.

3. Coping 101 

Whether it’s a difficult euthanasia or a patient you couldn’t save, unprocessed disappointment, sadness, and grief can slowly create emotional cracks that grow with time. 

4. Neglecting Self-Care 

Skipping meals, not getting enough sleep, saying yes to every request to see more patients or work extra shifts, pushing through fatigue, and avoiding breaks might feel like acts of dedication. Still, they often lead to burnout and more "holes" in resilience. 

Leak Repair Toolkit 

1. Identify Your Leaks 

It starts with self-awareness. Take stock of what’s draining you emotionally. Are you carrying around all of your not-so-great outcomes? Or feeling the burden of an impossible schedule? Identifying the issue is the first step to fixing it. Collaborate with your team, discuss your concerns, and learn to set boundaries with your time when you need to. Job #1 is to recover and rebuild your energy reserves.  

2. Shift Your Mindset 

Combat perfectionism by embracing a growth mindset. Not every case will have a perfect outcome, and that’s okay. Growth = expanding your comfort zone and focusing on learning and improving rather than on what isn’t right. Celebrate your successes and learn from your missteps.  

 3. Build Your Mental Fitness

Mental fitness will strengthen your emotional boat. Take time to invest in yourself, learn new ways to manage stress, and build your resilience. Create new habits to help you weather the inevitable storms ahead.

4. You are Worth it

Your patients and clients need you at your best, and that’s only possible if you care for yourself. Schedule short breaks, nourish your body, and make time for activities that bring you joy. Invest in personal growth and development like you invest in learning new skills in your career.

Strengthen Your Emotional Boat 

Veterinary medicine is challenging, but it doesn’t have to sink you. By addressing emotional leaks and reinforcing your resilience, you can navigate your days with strength and compassion—for yourself and others.

Now is a good time to reflect on the leaks you have been ignoring. Get started on them and welcome others into your boat to lend a hand. It is ok to ask for help.

Remember: a well-maintained boat can weather any storm.  

Dr. Bill