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Burning Logs to Prevent Burning Out!

Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR

We all know how intense this veterinary profession can be: the long hours, hard cases, demanding clients, difficult bosses, and just too little time to get too much done, without making too much money doing it!

So when Robert Roop decided to do a compassion fatigue survey in the veterinary practice world, he examined all the stressors we face every day (those listed above, and more!). He realized that either we were all lunatics, or there were enough satisfiers to keep us coming back to work this job day after day.

The survey was then changed to the Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Survey. As Charles Figley notes, work satisfaction is the antidote to compassion fatigue. The question is, where does your satisfaction come from?

Of course there are satisfiers within the work itself, such as the happy clients, the adorable kittens, the puppy breath and more. What about when you clock out, what are you doing to reenergize and refresh your energy so you have more to give back the next day at work?

We went camping this last weekend, to a state park here in Wisconsin very near my house. So near, in fact, that I came home every day to feed my critters and take a nice shower! For me, the only time I can really switch my mind off is when I’m staring into the campfire. I’ve become the Master of the Fire, meaning I’m the one who loves to start it, fuss over it, add logs to it, and generally become absorbed in the beauty of the flames.

That, and the fact that my blackberry doesn’t get good reception out in the woods, provides for me a place where I can truly be out of touch with work, and thinking about nothing in particular except maybe whether or not my marshmallow is about to go up in flames! (Some like it crispy!)

We all need those places, whether real or imagined, where we can relax and just drop all thoughts of work. This is difficult, there is no doubt. Even when you go on vacation, you spend days preparing for it, making sure things will run smoothly while you’re gone. Then it takes a day or two to unwind and let go of the worries.

Within a few days of your vacation ending, you may already be gearing up for the mess that awaits your return, which typically will take a few hard days to muck through. And who said vacations are relaxing? Well, we need to create that space where we can let it all go. Maybe you can’t leave for an extended period of time; then you need to at least have a hobby that disconnects you from the stress of the animal world.

Some technicians spend their time off either volunteering at shelters or rescuing animals without homes…that is not the hobby I’m referring to! Of course, if you’re like me, you’ve acquired such a zoo at home that every day is like going to work, whether you leave home or not!

But really, find the spark that lights your soul, which brings relaxation and refreshment to your world. I need my campfires to avoid burning out of this profession…what light do you need?

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Burning Logs to Prevent Burning Out!

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