At a time when burnout, moral stress, compassion fatigue, and suicide are dominating conversations regarding wellbeing in the veterinary industry, self-care has been broadly advocated as a necessary practice for veterinary care providers. However, the definition of self-care seems to vary depending on who you ask; what many consider self-care practices are more accurately regarded as coping strategies.

A quick search on Instagram using the hashtag #selfcare reveals pictures of glasses of wine, freshly painted nails, and portions of dessert with a smattering of inspiration quotes. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news here: while chocolate cake and spa appointments are enjoyable and relaxing for many of us, they do not constitute self-care.

Self-care has been previously defined as a self-initiated behavior that people choose to incorporate into their lives in order to promote good health and general wellbeing. In other words, self-care involves a long-term plan to build up reserves in order to enhance resilience and manage stress.

People often have the misconception that self-care is easy, fun, enjoyable, and random, like stopping to get a fancy latte during your break because you “deserve it”. The reality is that self-care can be difficult, boring, and uncomfortable, and it almost always requires planning.

Because self-care strategies are meant to be health-promoting and aligned with our wellbeing, they must foster one of the eight dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, occupational, financial, and environmental. Examples include getting recommended immunizations, scheduling an appointment with a counselor, spending time in nature, seeing a friend for coffee, learning a new language, setting a boundary at work, sorting out personal finances, and decluttering the home, respectfully.

Last week while I was traveling extensively for speaking engagements, my self-care routine included going to bed early, washing my hands frequently, getting to the gym for my workouts, and continuing my daily meditation practice, none of which sound super fun and exciting when you think about it!

In my experience, most of the veterinary team members I speak to describe self-care routines that include binge-watching their favorite shows on Netflix®, having a drink after work, and ordering take-out after long shifts. These are examples of coping strategies, which are short-term means of dealing with difficulties or stress.

While coping strategies can be useful during a time of crisis when a person feels too tired or overwhelmed to plan anything else, they are not health-promoting and, over time, they can be draining. As such, people can find themselves in a vicious cycle of not planning and prioritizing self-care such that when times are stressful, or crisis-mode engages, that the option to do anything aligned with wellbeing is gone.

So how can veterinary professionals ensure that their self-care practice occurs consistently and is of benefit? They must take a proactive and holistic approach knowing that planning self-care practices that are not necessarily pleasurable will serve them further in the long-term.

Ultimately, caregivers in all professions must balance care for others with care for self.

A recent review of self-care practices adopted by palliative care providers in Australia shared examples of self-care used in and outside of the workplace. These examples can also be applied to veterinary teams.

Options for self-care at work included:

• Debriefing with peers when difficult situations arise
• Harnessing support in the form of employee assistance programs
• Regulating workload to avoid overwhelm
• Taking breaks and leaves as needed
• Considering part-time work when full-time work becomes unsustainable
• Keeping all areas of life flourishing (i.e., seeking work-life harmony)
• Using humor to ensure periods of laughter

Options for self-care at home included:

• Meditating regularly
• Prioritizing a spiritual practice
• Fostering positive social relationships
• Getting adequate rest and relaxation
• Accessing support from mental health professionals
• Separating work from home in the form of healthy boundaries

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: self-care is essential for the work that we do as veterinary care providers. It is not a luxury, it is not self-indulgent, and it is the least selfish thing individuals can do for the patients, clients, and team members they are trying to help.

In the words of mental health advocate Katie Reed, “self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you”. Please make planning your self-care a priority today, so that you do not need to resort to coping strategies tomorrow.