First and foremost, I don\u2019t think you are broken and in need of fixing. But I am concerned about something: you and your sustainability as a veterinary technician.<\/p>\n
Over the past few weeks, I\u2019ve been asking my compassion fatigue seminar and workshop participants the question, \u201cHow many of you consider yourself a healer?\u201d Less than 10% of my audiences do, and I\u2019ve noticed that most who do are veterinarians. This got me thinking\u2026a lot.<\/p>\n
Merriam-Webster defines healer<\/em> as one who heals. So I dug a little deeper. What is the definition of heal<\/em>? \u201cTo become healthy or well again; to make (someone or something) healthy or well again.\u201d<\/p>\n Stop me if I\u2019m wrong, but is that not what veterinary medicine is all about? I wondered what I was missing and why veterinary professionals aren\u2019t identifying with their work in this way, especially veterinary technicians and nurses.<\/p>\n This idea of healer goes back to the keynote speech given in August by Dr. Dan Siegel, neuropsychiatrist, at the American Veterinary Medical Association conference in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Siegel spoke very candidly about the suicide rate plaguing veterinary medicine and said something I\u2019m still thinking about. He said, \u201cThe problem is, we have a community of healers that haven\u2019t been taught to heal themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Is he on to something? I sure thought so. What I wasn\u2019t prepared for is that so many people in veterinary medicine don\u2019t consider themselves healers.<\/p>\n While it may not be necessary to claim \u201chealer\u201d status, what is necessary is to recognize that to provide care to another being in a sustainable way, we have to take care of ourselves first. This is not intuitive to anyone in a caregiving role.<\/p>\n When we put ourselves last on the list, why are we surprised when we feel stressed, anxious, depressed, depleted, or exhausted? It is our job to meet our needs, no one else\u2019s. We can\u2019t wait for others in our life to tell us to take a day for ourselves or go for a walk. That responsibility falls in our hands. We need to ask for what we need, unapologetically.<\/p>\n Based on psychologist Abraham Maslow\u2019s \u201chierarchy of needs,\u201d all human beings need the following:<\/p>\n Can you identify needs that are not being met in your life? Most of us can, and that is okay. The question is, what can you do to fulfill those needs?<\/p>\n We need to realize that the extent to which our work is traumatizing is the same extent to which we need to balance it with self-initiated action aimed at meeting our needs. This is not something we can ignore or hope will go away.<\/p>\n I recently met an LVT who has been a veterinary technician for 30 years. She told me that asking for what she needs from her family is much of what has sustained her in her career. She asks for \u201calone time\u201d routinely and time to transition when she comes home from work. Her family knows that she needs 20 minutes or so to decompress after work. This is how she meets her need for rest.<\/p>\n If you live with others, what do you need to ask for to take care of yourself?<\/p>\n If you live alone, what is one thing you can start doing daily for yourself?<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t have to be very time consuming. Finding 10 to 20 minutes a day to gift yourself is often enough.<\/p>\n The most common reason I hear for not attending to ourselves is that it is selfish. Au contraire, mon fr\u00e8re.<\/em> Being selfish is when we care only for and about ourselves. That is not at all what I\u2019m suggesting, and if you are reading this, I am absolutely certain that you are incapable of it. As a veterinary technician, you are called to serve others. It\u2019s part of who you are. That is beyond commendable, and I am grateful that you are in this world, serving animals in the way that you do.<\/p>\n But. It is unreasonable and unrealistic to think that we can serve others, give the best of ourselves and our hearts, and not have to do anything to maintain that beautiful well within. How long will your car run if you never refill the tank?<\/p>\n What are you telling yourself about why your needs don\u2019t matter? Remember, our thoughts determine our feelings.a<\/sup> Our feelings dictate our actions, and our actions determine our results. Said another way, what you choose to think determines your outcome in life.<\/p>\n So if your thoughts are along the lines of, I don\u2019t deserve to take time for myself<\/em>, why is that what you are choosing to think? Could you consider a thought like, I\u2019m good at what I do, I care deeply for my patients\/animals, and I know I\u2019m better when I take time for me<\/em>.<\/p>\n I study under many of the personal development thought leaders of our time, and I\u2019ve found that they all follow their own very intentional morning routine to set their day up for success. I do too.<\/p>\n My routine involves excellent coffee, real food, meditation, and exercise. Sometimes my exercise becomes my meditation, but the routine is non-negotiable. I. Do. It. Every. Morning. Sustenance and health are enormous needs of mine that I honor every day.<\/p>\n Sometimes this means I have to get up earlier depending on my travel schedule or the day\u2019s activities. I do it anyway, because I know that following my routine will dramatically improve the quality of my mind, body, and soul for that day. I\u2019ll be better able to serve those I care for and feel better about myself.<\/p>\n When the start of your day is consistently filled with chaos, and then you go to work in the often unpredictable world of veterinary medicine, it is too easy to set yourself up for failure in your well-being and emotional state.<\/p>\n I\u2019m asking you to break out of the traditional box of caregivers and practice giving to yourself. Be rebellious and stare down martyrdom. Don\u2019t be surprised when your mind chatters back, because it inevitably will. There will always be something else you should be doing other than gifting to yourself. Do it anyway.<\/p>\nHealer or Not<\/h2>\n
What You Need<\/h2>\n
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What Gets in the Way<\/h2>\n
How You Start Your Day Matters<\/h2>\n
Be a Rebel<\/h2>\n