Veterinary practitioners are familiar with the concept of homeostasis. It’s the delicate balance within the body where various physiological processes work together to maintain a stable internal environment. But can our external environment affect our homeostasis? I believe it can because I have experienced it.
In veterinary practice, homeostasis plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of our patients. Our responsibility as practitioners is to ensure our patients are in a state of homeostasis. But who’s responsible for our health and well-being? We, as practitioners, must take control of our lives.
The conversation around “self-care” and “balance” is not new, but the issues we face still exist. We see the proof in the burnout and suicide rates, which continue to rise. Those conversations are happening in the veterinary space, and we have resources to turn to, but what are we doing for ourselves? I have been in such a place. In fact, we have all been in a place where we were mentally exhausted. You might be mentally exhausted today and ready to quit.
If you’re like me, you have a business to run, and it relies on you to be at your best mentally and physically. The demands of our lives, businesses, patients and clients all affect our homeostasis. But if we take each piece of the pie and tackle them individually, we can become the best versions of ourselves. We can fight the feelings that plague us and hopefully fall back in love with being a veterinarian. The fight starts with you.
Let’s work through each piece together.
Your Clientele and Patients
I know you’re familiar with the many ways that patients and clients can disrupt our homeostasis. You’re probably thinking, “What can I do to change it?” We might not control the cases that come through the door, but we can control how to handle all the pressures from people and their pets.
One way that veterinarians can protect themselves is by setting boundaries. This means being clear about what you can and cannot do and not taking on more than you can handle. This includes, but is not limited to, how clients speak to you and your support staff.
When I started Dr. Donita’s Veterinary Concierge Services, one of my biggest driving forces was my inner peace. I refused to let anyone disturb my peace of mind and homeostasis. I was selective of my clientele and the people I allowed around me and my staff. I didn’t turn people away, but I was clear and upfront about my expectations of new relationships.
As practitioners, we are the voice for the voiceless, but we must tell pet owners we are to be respected and trusted with caring for their fur babies. As a Black woman who owns a small business, I knew I had to stand up for myself every day and demand respect. If we allow clients an inch, they will take a mile if we allow it.
It’s OK to sit a client down, express concerns about the relationship and come to a mutual understanding. Sometimes, those conversations go well, and sometimes not.
The beauty of being a business owner or practice manager is we have more control over crafting our clientele. Don’t worry if you have clients who continue to disrupt your homeostasis — you can still have the conversations and look for miscommunication about expectations. I assure you your quality of medicine will improve drastically because your stress levels will be lower and you will find more joy and love for your career and business.
The Health of Your Business
As a solo practitioner and business owner, I have a small support staff — typically one veterinary assistant or technician in my Sprinter van. Initially, the business wasn’t taxing, but as it grew, so did the administrative tasks, reception duties and other responsibilities. Within the first year and a half, I was concerned about burnout. I quickly had to adjust how I ran the practice. There were so many options for virtual assistants and receptionists that I hadn’t considered. When I added that small piece to my practice, my world became clear again, and I never looked back.
You don’t realize how important your client service team is to the health of your business until you don’t have one. Having a virtual service team freed me up every evening. Instead of working until 9 p.m., I was done by 5 p.m. Another amazing addition for me was virtual texting applications, which help streamline prescription requests and client questions. The option frees your phone line for new inquiries and reduces the time spent on the phone or answering emails.
The Health of the Practitioner
You are the most critical piece of homeostasis. It should be your focus. Without you, there is no business. Without you, you can’t help your patients or be there for your family. Every piece of this puzzle works synergistically. If one part is out of balance, everything slowly falls apart.
How do you stay in balance and keep your mental health intact? By establishing an identity outside of veterinary medicine. I’m not talking about motherhood or fatherhood. Those are amazing jobs, but I’m talking about something for yourself. Being selfish is allowed. It doesn’t mean you’re a horrible person. In this instance, being selfish could be the difference between life and death. You know the saying “Self-care isn’t selfish”? Well, now’s the time to do it.
Re-establish who you are at the core. What are the things you love doing that you left behind? What hobby have you thought about and need to start? Stop thinking about it and do it.
I went through such a struggle. My only identity was being a veterinarian. I was also a mother, but all I knew was to go to work, take care of my son and go home. That wasn’t what I expected in my life as a veterinarian. So, I decided to find something I loved outside of my career. It was fitness — more specifically, competitive bodybuilding.
You don’t have to become a competitive bodybuilder. Instead, find something that brings you joy and guides you back to your center. My hobby helps me clear the day of all the stress, anxiety and worry. Clearing the day is a way to decompress. It allows you to feel what happened, process it and move on.
A frequent problem with practitioners is we like to hold onto everything that happens every single day. As those things pile onto our shoulders, they get heavier and heavier to the point where hopeless and destructive feelings start to creep in again. If we let those feelings linger and prey on our minds, mental destruction forms. I know because I have been there.
We all came into this wonderful field with the same hopes and aspirations. And over time, we learned that we help pets and people daily. We can find joy and peace in our careers. We can heal or continue to heal every day from the stressors in the world. Stress never leaves, but once we know how to combat it, we find homeostasis in our lives, families, businesses and patients.