January 2018 – Writer’s block and how to de-stress
Well, it had to happen. I’ve been merrily working on this blog now for over 6 months with no problems and then January rolls around and I’m stuck. Humph. I’ve lost track of the hours I’ve spent staring at a blank page trying to encapsulate my feelings this month. Am I aiming to be uplifting? Serious? Controversial (never!)? I go back and focus on last month’s blog, reading its message of looking for the positive and try to find examples, which I do. For instance, I successfully placed a stomach tube in a pony at the first attempt when called out to a colic last week. This may not seem like a big deal but I’ve had a real mental block about this so I was thrilled I managed it smoothly and (I hope to the owner’s eye) calmly.
Thinking about my sort-of new years resolution to look at the positives has got me thinking about the other resolutions people make. Now I’m not making any claim to attempting dry January or ‘Veganuary’ (I’m an everything in moderation type of person) but thinking about dry January did strike a chord within me. I spent 5 years at vet school with a work hard play hard mentality. Although I was by no means the hardest player or, indeed, worker (everything in moderation!), I am no stranger to alcohol consumption. But since graduating and starting my veterinary career, my alcohol consumption has steadily increased. Not to worrying levels, I’m not putting vodka on my cornflakes but I do find myself with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer on an evening which was never common for me before. Even working in hospitality for a large portion of my adult life, I didn’t drink as much as I do now on a regular basis. And what’s more, alcohol consumption seems to be normalised by the veterinary industry. After I had a run in with a particularly stressful client, my boss encouraged me to have a drink that evening. After a put to sleep visit (that actually went very smoothly), another vet joked about having a lunch time drink.
Now we can all cherry pick data that shows us alcohol consumption is good or bad for our health in different ways but it is undeniably a mood-altering drug. In an industry where mental health is a real concern, I don’t think I am being a stick in the mud by wondering if normalising or encouraging alcohol consumption is the best advice to give a stressed-out new grad? Or anyone, for that matter. The conversation I had with my boss after dealing with that particularly stressful incident did much to relieve my anxiety and make me feel better. Just 5 minutes of his time and sympathy was worth more than a glass of wine to me.
So while I will not be going dry this month, I would say, the next time a colleague rants or is upset: listen. Five minutes of your time is worth a lot. And if you are in charge of new vets as a partner or practice manager, please take that time to listen to them. It’s nice to know that I can come to my bosses with a problem and be met with sympathy and compassion, much better than cracking open a bottle.
Thinking about my sort-of new years resolution to look at the positives has got me thinking about the other resolutions people make. Now I’m not making any claim to attempting dry January or ‘Veganuary’ (I’m an everything in moderation type of person) but thinking about dry January did strike a chord within me. I spent 5 years at vet school with a work hard play hard mentality. Although I was by no means the hardest player or, indeed, worker (everything in moderation!), I am no stranger to alcohol consumption. But since graduating and starting my veterinary career, my alcohol consumption has steadily increased. Not to worrying levels, I’m not putting vodka on my cornflakes but I do find myself with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer on an evening which was never common for me before. Even working in hospitality for a large portion of my adult life, I didn’t drink as much as I do now on a regular basis. And what’s more, alcohol consumption seems to be normalised by the veterinary industry. After I had a run in with a particularly stressful client, my boss encouraged me to have a drink that evening. After a put to sleep visit (that actually went very smoothly), another vet joked about having a lunch time drink.
Now we can all cherry pick data that shows us alcohol consumption is good or bad for our health in different ways but it is undeniably a mood-altering drug. In an industry where mental health is a real concern, I don’t think I am being a stick in the mud by wondering if normalising or encouraging alcohol consumption is the best advice to give a stressed-out new grad? Or anyone, for that matter. The conversation I had with my boss after dealing with that particularly stressful incident did much to relieve my anxiety and make me feel better. Just 5 minutes of his time and sympathy was worth more than a glass of wine to me.
So while I will not be going dry this month, I would say, the next time a colleague rants or is upset: listen. Five minutes of your time is worth a lot. And if you are in charge of new vets as a partner or practice manager, please take that time to listen to them. It’s nice to know that I can come to my bosses with a problem and be met with sympathy and compassion, much better than cracking open a bottle.
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