{"id":75738,"date":"2024-02-02T19:49:26","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T00:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=75738"},"modified":"2024-02-02T19:49:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T00:49:26","slug":"volunteering-0224","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/volunteering-0224\/","title":{"rendered":"Revitalize Yourself Through Volunteering"},"content":{"rendered":"

The question was heartfelt: \u201cHi, would you like some hot soup? I\u2019m Tyler.\u201d At that moment, I had no diagnostics to interpret, patients to see or titles to use. The stresses of everyday clinical practice had evaporated. What replaced it? Soup. To be clear, I had not left veterinary practice to become a chef; I was simply volunteering.<\/p>\n

Life seemed so much simpler in my role as a volunteer. My job was to share soup and company with those less fortunate \u2014 people who, for one reason or another, found themselves living on the streets of Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n

But why volunteer? If you have so little time and energy, can you afford to give it away for free?<\/p>\n

Veterinary medicine is a field full of givers. We give our time, energy, money and, at times, sanity to relieve suffering, improve a patient\u2019s life and protect the human-animal bond. Unfortunately, we often spread ourselves too thin. Very often.<\/p>\n

Volunteering is tremendous because it helps broaden your perspective, increase your gratitude and overcome burnout. The results might surprise you.<\/p>\n

A Paradigm Shift<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What keeps you up at night? Is it an angry client threatening to sue your clinic for \u201cnot caring\u201d? Or employees whose sick days outnumber their paydays? Or the clinic air conditioning that remains nonfunctional despite three visits from the repair company?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to worry about in a clinic. Getting caught up in the deluge of issues inherent to veterinary medicine is easy. Has your stress reached nearly Cushingoid levels?<\/p>\n

Perhaps you need a paradigm shift.<\/p>\n

My perspective changed completely when I handed out soup. I went from a world of medicine<\/a>, safety and employment to one of drugs, danger and poverty. The white linoleum floor was replaced by neglected concrete. Conversations about pet vaccines and diets had changed to discussions about food, warmth and tents. My anxieties about medicine, business and student loans evaporated when I confronted the stark realities of homelessness.<\/p>\n

My mental health suffers most when I\u2019m stuck in a mindset or situation. Handing out soup helped shift my perspective. When we move our focus from perceived hopelessness to helping others, we can accomplish amazing things and feel reinvigorated.<\/p>\n

Changing your perspective might take your mind off everyday anxieties.<\/p>\n

Volunteering is a way to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. You realize that others might not have some of the good things you do.<\/p>\n

Maximize Gratitude<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What are you grateful for? Is it the employee you can count on to work an extra shift? Or the accountant who saved you more money than expected? Or perhaps being able to order valuable medication and have it show up on time and in the right amount?<\/p>\n

We truly are grateful for many things. If you\u2019re reading this article, I bet you can see. Your heart is beating, and your lungs are moving air (even if your clinic air conditioner isn\u2019t).<\/p>\n

Remembering to be grateful amid the chaos of the clinic can be challenging. Volunteering changes that.<\/p>\n

When I finished handing out soup to the homeless, I had a newfound appreciation for something you and I do every day: bathing. How incredible my hot shower felt after that winter night of volunteering. I could clean myself in privacy, with fresh water, in warmth. What an amazing privilege.<\/p>\n

What privileges are you grateful for? Volunteering can remind you of all the amazing people and things in your life.<\/p>\n

After my volunteer experiences, I felt grateful that:<\/p>\n