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Wellness

Tips to Make Your Day Less Stressful and More Productive

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We are all living through practicing during COVID. It’s an adjustment and we are all a little extra stressed throughout the day. But there has been a growing trend of burnout, negativity, and overall unhappiness seen in the veterinary clinic and it definitely is having a huge effect on everyone. To me, every day is a new day for something good to happen. I try to remain positive at work, which then impacts my team and the work they do daily. Here are some of my daily tips that can lead to a less stressful day and might help you become more productive.

1. Arrive early!

Nothing makes a day more stressful and irritating than arriving to work and already having several rooms waiting for you. You pretty much have already started your day in the mindset that you are behind and will always be behind. Continuing this pattern leads to burnout and an unhappy work environment. Setting your morning alarm an extra 15-30 minutes early will allow you time to get to work before appointments have started and give you the opportunity to get ready for the day. You can assess the appointments coming in, look over your messages and respond as needed, and review any lab work that you may have sent out. This leads to less stress at the end of the day as well since you will have taken care of most of your messages and calls to owners.

2. Pack your lunch the night before.

It sounds so simple but honestly, this can make or break your lunchtime.  Having an already packed lunch means you don’t have to waste time looking at menus, ordering food, waiting for the food to arrive and stressing about the delivery potentially being late. You will also feel better with a self-packed lunch versus spending unnecessary money on greasy takeout. Obviously, you may want to treat yourself from time to time but in general, having a pre-packed lunch means less stress for you.

3. Learn how to multi-task efficiently. 

You are a veterinarian which means you already know how to multi-task. You have done it throughout your entire schooling and continue to do it to this day. But there is a difference between multi-tasking and efficiently multi-tasking.  Trying to see three rooms at once only helps if you can switch your focus easily.  If room 1 needs blood work then have your technician get it running, write down your notes and switch to room 2. While your technician is discharging room 2 you can write your notes and then move onto room 3 while still remembering that lab work is running on room 1. But if all three rooms require large workups it’s not efficient to try to take on all three at once. Pick your battles and learn that trying to do it all can actually slow down your efficiency.

4. Leave your home life at the door.

One of my technicians states that her child tells her to take off her work coat when she gets home. It’s a cute way of saying, mommy separate your work life from your home life. I know it’s hard – your staff is like your second family. But if you continue to come into work upset about what may be going on in your home life, you are just going to spread that negativity throughout the day. Spending 15 minutes complaining about how you have so much laundry to do at home means you just wasted 15 minutes that could have been used to write notes, call owners, or finish an exam. We all need a little time to vent but if that negatively continues to make your day worse, then it really isn’t helping you decompress.

5. Utilize your technicians and staff. 

Your staff is the lifeblood of the clinic. You need to trust them and trust in them to help you with tasks.  Don’t be the doctor that refuses to allow their technicians to get blood or urine themselves. If you are worried they will miss something on ultrasound when obtaining urine then teach them what to look for to sharpen their skills. If you have technicians that monitor your hospitalized patients, trust in their skills of observation and let them guide you to change or keep certain treatment plans. Train your staff to feel comfortable going over lab results with owners and discussing the doctor’s plans. The more you use them the less stress on your plate.

6. Breathe

Take a few moments to just breathe, decompress and assess the situation. You are the doctor, you are the rock. If three emergencies come through the door and you have frozen, then the rest of the staff will panic. Know that if you push through with a positive attitude it will be easier to get through those unexpected rough moments. Yelling at the staff, blaming the staff, or getting mad at the circumstances of the emergency will never help you in a time of crisis.

I’m not an expert but I know what has helped me the most over the last several years of practice. Walk into work happy and ready for the day and likely you will leave work a happier person as well.

Everything You Need to Know About Bravery Can be Learned from a Bamboo Shrimp

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My latest aquarium obsession? Bamboo Shrimp. I stumbled upon them one day while Googling aquarium stuff when I was supposed to be working. I was delighted to find that my local fish store had them. I got one, hoping that I wouldn’t kill it. They often die within the first 2 weeks of introducing them to an aquarium, and I haven’t had the best luck with shrimp.

Mittsy did well, despite my inexperience. I could watch her for hours, holding her feeding fans up to the water flow and collecting small bits of food that she rotates into her mouth when the fan is full.

Bamboo shrimp have zero defenses. They are big and somewhat scary looking, but they are the most gentle of aquarium creatures. When startled, they tuck their fans in tightly to prevent them from being injured. The most beautiful part of themselves is also the most important – it’s what keeps them alive.

This is a video of Mittsy eating out of the filter flow.

Mittsy the Bamboo Shrimp from Andy Roark on Vimeo.

She is out in the open and completely vulnerable. She holds her delicate fans up high to catch whatever deliciousness might come her way. If she protects herself inside a rock, plant, or piece of wood, she may be safe from predators, but she’ll eventually starve. Instead, she chooses to reach out for all the good things that come from throwing yourself into the flow. When she molts, she is at her most vulnerable, and she will forego food to protect herself until she is strong again. That’s the smartest thing she can do.

She is often knocked around by inconsiderate, hungry fish. Sometimes, she reaches so high that the flow takes her, and she falls to the bottom of the tank. When this happens, she sweeps her fans through the sand looking for a snack before climbing right back into the churning water.

If you put a bunch of Bamboo shrimp in a tank, something awesome happens. Instead of fighting or shoving each other off their perch, they simply jostle around and make room. Sometimes they’ll stack themselves so everyone can eat together. They don’t necessarily help each other, but they at least do no harm to their companions. This, in my opinion, is the most stunning example of their bravery.

It’s tempting to hide from the world. I certainly find it easier to stay at home and work in a place of quiet and safety. There are rewards for that, but not nearly the rewards that come from putting myself out there and taking risks. I have so many more regrets about things I didn’t try than things I did. The more I try, the more fun I have, and the more I believe in myself. Sure, I have to stand back up and dust myself off when I tumble off my self-appointed pedestal. But I can take my cue from Mittsy and eat a snack or take a break before hauling my butt back up there

Fans up, people! If something isn’t working for you, reposition yourself so you can take advantage of all the good things that come your way. Brace yourself against those who may want to push you out of your flow. Reach out for and be someone who lifts others up. Above all, protect AND nourish yourself so you can show the world what makes you shine.

FansUp #ColleaguesNotCompetition

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

NEW RESEARCH – LGBTQ+ Mental Health in Veterinary Medicine

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This week on the Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark talks with Dr. Tracy Witte about her TWO new journal articles. The first is a commentary on storage of euthanasia solution, and the second is a survey of negative mental health outcomes , workplace and school climate, and identity disclosure for LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals in the US and UK.

LINKS:

A survey of negative mental health outcomes, workplace and school climate, and identity disclosure for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and asexual veterinary professionals and students in the United States and United Kingdom –
avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.246…avma.257.4.417

Suicides and deaths of undetermined intent among veterinary professionals from 2003 through 2014
avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.246…avma.255.5.595

A guide to fostering an LGBTQ-inclusive workplace: journals.lww.com/nursingmanagemen…WqHO4yQTwzAlGdAQ

Pride VMC: pridevmc.org/

WORKSHOP: Finding Your Voice – How To Speak Persuasively to Groups
Learn more here: unchartedvet.com/finding-your-voice/

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Dr. Tracy Witte is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Auburn University, as well as a licensed psychologist. Her research is primarily focused on understanding and preventing suicidal behavior, with a line of work investigating suicide and other negative mental health outcomes in veterinarians, other vet professionals, and vet students.

Looking for the Vet On-Off Switch

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Veterinarians are a tough crowd. We are high-achieving, motivated, soft-hearted smart people who put a lot of emphasis on getting it right. Who doesn’t do a happy dance when you confirm the Demodex case you diagnosed from 30-feet away as it walked in the door? And who doesn’t kick themselves and bemoan the missed radiographic finding or unexpected outcome of a patient? We are hard on ourselves, and others in our profession. We know that veterinary medicine is a practice, and art, and not something that is ever perfected, but we can nearly kill ourselves trying.

These things exhaust us, make our palms sweat, and drive many people out of the profession. Do you know who doesn’t care if the last client of the day was happy when they left or if the surgery has stitches that are perfectly apposed? Your kids or your parents or usually even your spouse. We take these things home, but the people at home don’t judge you for them, thank goodness. Good spouses will listen and sympathize and sometimes even offer to take out that abusive client, but they still love you at the end of the day.

How do we as professionals learn to leave work at the door? I know I have taken many calls from an emergency doctor or a specialist returning phone calls late, sometimes at the expense of dinner with the family or playtime with the kids. I try not to do this – I try really, really hard, but it still happens. I would love to espouse how we should turn off our devices once we walk through the door and let our cases and business be put on hold until the next day at the office. It rarely happens.

I think a better goal is to aim for discreet victories. I handed off dinner duties to my husband at least one night a week. So, one recent day when I got home, I plopped down and played ”Go Fish” for a good 30 minutes and didn’t think about any cases or pets. I laughed at my 8-year-old’s enthusiasm for a match and kept a lookout for my sneaky 11-year-old’s wandering eye. It was glorious. Two hours later, while the kids were getting ready for bed, I was checking bloodwork and finishing emails. I knew it would still be there in the morning, but I also knew I would have thought about it as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep. 

I count this combination of an evening a success. We know we aren’t going to stop practicing medicine as soon as the last client has checked out, but we need to allow ourselves permission to take long breaks. And we need to grant grace when we fail. 

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Stop Being a Martyr & Start Modeling Healthy Behaviors

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This week on the Cone…

The amazing Dr. Marie Holowaychuk and Dr. Andy Roark discuss martyr status in vet medicine and how we need to stop competing to be the most burned out.

Original article: marieholowaychuk.com/2019/10/16/sto…lthy-behavior/

We are supported by PSIvet!
The PSIvet Healthcare Initiative hopes to introduce new ways to ensure all Veterinary Professionals get the healthcare coverage they need. Learn more at www.psihealthcareinitiative.com/

ABOUT OUR GUEST: marieholowaychuk.com/

Dr. Marie Holowaychuk is a specialist in small animal emergency and critical care and a passionate advocate for wellbeing in the veterinary profession. She lives in Calgary and travels worldwide as a speaker and locum. Marie received her DVM from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004 and then completed a year-long rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Washington State University, followed by a 3-year small animal emergency and critical care residency at North Carolina State University. After becoming board certified in 2008, she accepted a faculty position at the Ontario Veterinary College, where she was Assistant Professor of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine until 2013.

Dr. Holowaychuk has been primary or co-author of more than 30 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals and is an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. She has spoken at conferences across Canada, Europe, and the USA, in addition to various general practitioner and veterinary technician continuing education programs. She helped train ten emergency and critical care residents and mentored interns, graduate students, and veterinary students in clinical research, facilitating their co-authorship on veterinary publications. She is also co-editor of the Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking.

Marie has a diversity of experiences in veterinary medicine including time spent in general, specialty, and academic practice. One thing that Marie feels is consistent no matter the veterinary setting is that all members of the profession are susceptible to compassion fatigue and burnout. As such, Marie facilitates Veterinary Wellness Workshops and Retreats for veterinary care providers that include lectures, yoga, and meditation practices. She is a certified yoga and meditation teacher and has completed a mindfulness-based stress reduction course for professionals. She also has Compassion Fatigue Training from the University of Tennessee School of Social Work, Mental Health First Aid Training from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training from the Centre for Suicide Prevention, and a Life Coaching certificate.

Marie’s favorite self-care activities include strength training, practicing yoga, rollerblading, watching movies, and hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

PSIvet Covers a New Approach to Healthcare in Veterinary Practices

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This week on the Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark talks to Kelly Fusco, CVT of PSIvet. They’ll discuss the new Healthcare Initiative that has been 2+ years in the making and hopes to introduce new ways to ensure all Veterinary Professionals get the healthcare coverage they need.

Learn more about the PSIvet Health Initiative HERE.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Kelly Fusco is a seasoned professional in the animal health industry and is currently a Strategic Accounts Manager for PSIvet. No stranger to veterinary medicine, Kelly spent much of the early part of her 20-year career in critical care and emergency medicine. As a CVT, she has worked in almost every aspect of the industry as well as outside the clinic as a sales consultant. In 2018, Kelly took on a role with PSIvet to help transform the traditional GPO offering to veterinarians by leading strategic initiatives that add more value to the veterinary hospital and to their employees. One of the key initiatives Kelly heads up is the PSIvet Healthcare Initiative. This initiative provides various benefits and health packages that empower practice owners to care for their people and strengthen the practice, forging a proactive business strategy against new market entrants through enhanced recruitment and retention efforts. Kelly’s knowledge of the veterinary industry, from the inside, combined with her drive to provide new programs and services that help veterinarians grow and stay independent will help define healthcare and benefits to veterinarians for years to come.