When bad reviews happen to good veterinarians

Can you name the number one source of severe work-related stress in your life? In my case, I don’t have to think twice—it’s negative online reviews. One bad review (usually a one-star review on Yelp or Google) can send me into a weeklong tailspin of self-recrimination and feelings of overall job dissatisfaction.

When a nonconfrontational people-pleaser gets a negative review, it always feels deeply personal. And because I’m the practice owner, especially one whose profession is inextricably intertwined with her identity (sound familiar?), any bad review feels like a general referendum on my worthiness as a human.
Everyday stress versus extreme stress
While my quotidian, veterinary work-related woes are more often attributed to negative...