Routines Bring Returns

Do you ever wonder where your time goes? Why does it seem that our work days go so slowly and our home days go by so fast?

It could be because we have our work days carefully scheduled, and our days off are so loosely planned. We have "day off" giant to-do lists, but we do not take time to plan and schedule our tasks. 

You must examine where you are now to achieve more, accomplish more, and work towards personal growth. Are you using your time wisely? Do you have a dialed-in routine to help you achieve your goals? What are you doing to change?

Personal growth and change involve working on yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Most of us have some idea of what we want, but we must do the work to follow through. We need to work to change our daily habits and mindset to grow and change direction. Minor changes to your daily habits and routines will go a long way to producing change and bringing significant returns on your investment.

Check with yourself to identify what you want. Becoming mindful of what you are doing now will allow you to decide if you want to change. What is your mindset? Are you thinking optimistically about your day, or are you allowing the day's events to control you? The only control that you have over your day is to control yourself. 

So now that you know you want to change, what can you do to grow and accomplish more?

Establish a solid morning routine. Most successful people get up early and have a routine to start their day right. Begin your day calmly and avoid rushing. Make your bed, eat breakfast, and do some meditation or yoga to ease into your day. Take a few minutes to plan your tasks early in the morning, and give yourself time to think about how you want to approach the day ahead. Remember that working on your mindset for a few moments will do great things for your ability to handle stress.

Make your to-do list, prioritize it, and time block it. Take a few moments in your morning routine or if you are like me and plan better in the evening, do it the night before. Prioritizing will help you sort out the urgent and important things and let go of the not-so-important stuff. Remember to schedule your self-care tasks as a priority. It may be as simple as taking a moment to offer yourself encouragement and love. Caring for the caregiver is always top of the list. 

When I say time-blocking, I mean assigning a time to do the tasks and setting a timer for each task. In addition, schedule twenty minutes to clean or reorganize something you have put off. The organization feels better than a mess, so get motivated by organizing your workspace or home. We often avoid cleaning because it is no fun, right? But, if you do a small amount each day, it will become manageable. 

If you want to get more out of your life, manage your stress by planning for growth and change. Stress magnifies when you avoid your life, but peace comes from managing yourself and your time. Improve your routine to get bigger results. 

Dr. Julie Cappel

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"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." - Mike Murdock.

New Year? So what now?

I have been working on writing this blog for the past two weeks, which is unusual for me as I often write my blogs in one day. I have been struggling with this because I have produced several blogs and podcasts about New Year's resolutions, goal setting, change, and how to start afresh in the new year. This time, I wondered what else I could offer to help you create your best new year? 

Here is what I came up with. 

I want to offer you the thought that every day can be a new start in your life. You do not have to wait till the new year to start anew. We all want to change something, our bad habits, physical or mental health, or we desire to do or learn something new. We do not need to wait until the new year to bring about change. It feels reasonable to choose January first, Monday morning, next week, or someday. 

That restrictive thinking keeps us stuck in our bad habits and "normal" life, and what we really want is an extraordinary life. Waiting till the time is right to start working on yourself will get you to the same place you are now, stuck. If you are anything like me, the "I will start tomorrow" thinking keeps me overeating, not exercising, and procrastinating my self-development because "starting tomorrow" does not work. If we do begin to work on a resolution, as soon as we experience a minor failure, we quit and never achieve it or vow to start again on Monday. 

So, it is January fifteenth, and we are two weeks into 2023. What resolutions are you keeping, and which have failed? If you have already quit those New Year's Resolutions, I encourage you to start again. NOW! Keep starting over and working towards what you want until you get it. Do not wait for tomorrow, next week, Monday, or 2024. Start again and work now.

The only way to overcome procrastination is to stop feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck. Getting our brains to see the possibility of change is the work that needs to be done to persevere. If you find that you are doing everything but working on your goals, you are an average human; congratulations. We all procrastinate and struggle to achieve our goals, but here are a few ways you can work to get over that and restart for the new year. 

Start by understanding your motivation for your New Year's Resolution in the first place. Why do you want what you want? What pain are you experiencing by not getting it? Most of the emotional pain you are experiencing is shame and self-judgment when you do not take action. Once you understand yourself better, you will be on to yourself and your excuses. Know where you are currently and where you want to go. 

Next, list the steps required to get back on track with your resolution. What have you avoided and why? Do not list anything that does not involve your resolution. Having the daily, mundane tasks on your list will give you an excuse to avoid your resolution goal. Then, break it down into baby steps that feel easier. If it is a food goal, plan one meal at a time, not a whole week. If it is an exercise goal, take it one day at a time. Do one simple task and get moving forward.

The most important step is changing your self-talk. Thinking that this is too difficult or impossible will not serve you. Change your thinking with strong and capable statements about yourself. You will feel less overwhelmed if you decide that you can do it. You will build momentum towards your goal if you achieve one step at a time.  

Remember that when you avoid change, you are ultimately creating more pain for yourself in the future. If you accept a slight change and a little pain now, you will be so much happier later as you achieve your dreams.

It is January 15, and you stopped working on your New Year's Resolution. So what? Begin again right now. Take one baby step, and continue until you have whatever you want.

Call me if you need help.

Dr. Julie Cappel

Christmas Blessings

I am writing this on Christmas Day from my living room couch. I am grateful for all of my many blessings. I am healthy, my husband is healthy, my parents are healthy, my adult children are visiting from Los Angeles and Dallas, and they are in the kitchen preparing a Christmas Feast. As they work, the holiday music is playing, and they are all singing and laughing. The dogs, there are three and another one joining us later, are running around begging for treats. The noise and chaotic atmosphere are a treat after experiencing an empty nest for the past year. Those of you with small children do not understand missing noise, but once your kids are grown, you will have time to miss the laughter and even crying and arguments.

We have been through seasons of joy and loss, so I know that not every holiday is joyful. After two years of dealing with the pandemic, I know we all want to feel freedom and happiness again. If you are struggling to find something to be grateful for this year, here are some ways to stay positive and care for yourself and your feelings.

Spend some time looking for the year’s blessings. Even when things are not going well, we can work to find some small things to be thankful for. They may be very small things like a good night’s sleep, coffee in the morning, a sunny day, or even just a roof over your head. By searching for the good things, you can shift your focus away from your challenges. 

Call a friend. Reaching out to check on someone else will help you feel better when you feel down. Talking to another human about your problems or theirs will give you a feeling of community, knowing that you are not alone. Your friend may be suffering too, and just the act of you reaching out may bring them out of their negativity. Challenge each other to remember positive experiences and share good memories. Those memories may help get you both more joy.

If you are not having a healthy holiday season this year, I understand you are not feeling blessed. That is OK. We can feel the sadness or loss and know there will be better days ahead if we hang on. As 2023 approaches, try to look back on your blessings in 2022. Even if your year was challenging or your loss was devastating, you can resolve to remember the happy memories. Remember that life is a series of ups and downs; much of the joy is in the lessons we learn about ourselves through the challenges. Have a beautiful holiday season and New Year.

Dr. Julie Cappel

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Charles Dickens

Stop and look

Have you ever felt that you have difficulty being at peace with yourself? Do you feel anxious and unable to live in the moment and enjoy your life? I certainly have many times. No matter what is going on with us, we look forward with worry and not outward and inward with peace. We miss the present while we worry about the future.  

Stop and look where you are so you can be content.

 

One of the reasons I got interested and involved in mental health and life coaching is that I wanted to change myself and help others who consistently struggle with perfectionism, anxiety, and impostor syndrome. I want us all to get out of our way and become present.

I was reminding myself this afternoon about building contentment in my life. After a beautiful morning with my parents golfing and having lunch, I felt unsettled. It was a beautiful day, and I felt content, relaxed, and present in our golf game. As I worked around the house and filled out Christmas cards in the afternoon, I started to feel overwhelmed, unfocused, and ungrateful. When I think this way, it is best to stop and do the work to feel more content.

Contentment is an emotional state of satisfaction and ease in the mind and body. Feeling content with your life will allow you to be present and experience it. Feeling anxious about what comes next is a complete waste of time and energy.

I always like to start by challenging myself to feel grateful for something. When you ask yourself to look for something good, it helps you refocus on what is important in the present moment. If I feel grateful that I have a roof over my head and air in my lungs, I begin to bring myself back to the present moment. Boiling it down to simple gratitude works for me. Appreciating one thing you have daily will keep you present and content.

To feel content, you must create compassion for yourself and others by dropping the tendency to judge. As humans, we all want to judge others' lives by thinking that they should act differently or respond differently to us. If we can let go of our judgment and allow others to be, it will go a long way to helping us stop the judgment of ourselves. Today I was giving myself a hard time because my Christmas cards and shopping still needed to be finished. To feel content, I have to realize that I will get it done well before Christmas, and if I don't, no one will care. Feeling anxiety over it is not useful. 

Working on any skill takes focus and an open mind. We can all benefit from learning to be more content. When creating contentment for yourself, stop and ask yourself what you are anxious about; then, how can I be grateful in this moment? What experience are you missing while you worry? Be open to feeling peace and contentment in all situations to enjoy your life.

Stop and look - you can be content.

Dr. Julie Cappel

“Contentment is the only real wealth.”- Alfred Nobel

Show up for yourself.

Today I was doing a yoga video on YouTube, “Yoga by Adrianne,” and she said something as she ended the video that sparked my interest. She said, “Show up for yourself today.” I loved her closing statement because we often forget to show up for ourselves. We show up for our family, clients, and friends, but we rarely think of ourselves. On the one hand, I love the unselfish nature of people who think of others before thinking of themselves. Still, if we continuously put others first, we eventually run out of energy and capacity to remain healthy enough to be of service.  

Showing up for yourself means honoring your time, loving yourself, and being your own advocate. It can mean different things to different people, but making your needs a priority, emotionally, physically, and mentally is all part of showing up for you. 

With self-love in mind, let’s talk about some things we can do daily to show up for ourselves.

Create some self-discipline. One of the best ways to show up for yourself is to be resolute in your values and disciplined in your goals. If I have a strong sense of what I want in life, I am more likely to make choices that align with my values and take steps to work toward my goals.  

When I first bought my veterinary hospital, I knew that I wanted it to be a place that honored honesty, cleanliness, family, and team. I wanted to have a life outside of veterinary medicine, and I wanted my team to do the same. With that in mind, I was able to schedule time to attend family events and be open to my team members attending to their home lives, goals, and dreams. In order to get what you want, you must first know what that is, then take steps to get there.  

Just ask yourself, what do I need, and what steps will I take to get it?

Speak up for yourself. One of the most challenging things for me is saying “no.” I am naturally a people pleaser, and I am usually most happy when those around me are happy. There is nothing wrong with this way of thinking until it keeps me from caring for my physical and emotional needs. If I serve others to the detriment of myself, that is when I become run down and lose my interest.  

Learning to speak up for yourself is a skill that you can practice. Once you admit that you have a people-pleasing problem, you can begin to plan your boundaries. I like to pre-plan boundaries so that I have the strength to decline when someone asks for my help. Plan to stay strong, speak up for yourself, and ask for what you need at least once a week as an act of self-care. 

Stop being so hard on yourself. One thing that keeps us from showing up for ourselves is our propensity for self-judgment. We beat ourselves up mentally and hang on to every mistake, using it as fuel against our self-confidence. This practice is not only unnecessary but keeps us from allowing success. When you hear your thoughts telling you that you are inadequate, be strong against your own judgment. Think of yourself as a beloved friend and speak to yourself the same way you would to that friend. Clean up your judgment so you can have your own back. 

Showing up for yourself is not always easy, but if you do the work needed to love yourself, you will build the capacity to create the abundant life you desire.  Work to take care of you!

Dr. Julie Cappel

“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.” – Deborah Day.

Louisiana Lessons

This weekend, I am in Shreveport, Louisiana, attending a performance of The Barber of Seville by Shreveport Opera. The female lead character, Rosina, was played by my daughter Bridget Cappel. I probably would not be in Shreveport except for this performance; however, my husband attended college here at Louisiana State University Shreveport, so he enjoys showing me around the town where he grew up. We are also getting to spend time with friends and family.

I could not be more proud of my children. They are the most unique, kind, and talented people, and they are both musicians and performers. While we are here watching Bridget perform in the Opera, my son Tristan is performing on tour with Post Modern Jukebox. (Check them out when they are in your city - they are fabulous.)

When you have children, people will tell you that your life will change, but they don't tell you how much those children will teach you and push you to grow. My children make me proud to be their mother every day, not only because they are amazing but because they exhibit the utmost tenacity and perseverance for me. Perseverance is a lesson they teach me as I watch them navigate their unusual careers. Perseverance is a lesson we all need to learn; It takes perseverance to turn any goal into a reality.

Perseverance is "Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success."

Opera singers, artists, and musicians like my kids, study music and performing for years, not just years, decades. It is a stringent discipline that must be studied and practiced every day in order to display their product (art) on the stage successfully. Any goal that you have for success in your life and career will require you to adopt discipline and perseverance, much as musicians do. A daily practice of the small steps to your goals will ultimately bring you to successful completion. 

When working on any goal, it is tempting to avoid it when feeling discouraged. Even as I write this blog, I think I want to quit. “Why can't I just sit here and watch Netflix?” It would be so much easier than writing this blog. My thoughts tell me, "Just give it up already; this blog sucks!" 

We all have setbacks as we work towards significance, but if we can learn to overcome our urge to quit, we can build resilience and persevere. 

How do we persevere?

Keep your eye on the prize. If you know where you want to go (and why) you will be much more likely to get there. Every goal requires a level of vision, so create a strong enough image for your success to keep you from quitting.

  

Try to embrace your failure. It takes many, many failures to get to big success. Much like the artists repeatedly auditioning to get the big part, you must expect that everything will not be easy. Continuously working, failing, and working again is what keeps you moving forward. 

Make small strides each day. Just complete one task each day that moves you along your success timeline. You do not have to accomplish big things every day to see progress. Steady small steps toward your goal without quitting will result in success. 

Build a growth mindset. When working on any goal, it helps to think of growing, not necessarily finishing. Every musician must continuously work on their craft to maintain their level of expertise and to get better. If you stop working, you will start regressing. With growth in mind, you will continue to make strides, see change, and develop. 

Lean on others for support. When you feel like quitting, you need someone to encourage you. Having someone who believes in you when you don't believe in yourself will add to your ability to be persistent and preserver.

It feels great to learn, grow, and finish amazing things. Do not give up! Success is waiting for you on the other side of your hard work. Now go get something done!

Dr. Julie Cappel

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other."– Walter Elliot.

Explore your limiting beliefs.

Do you have a limiting belief about yourself or the world around you? Most of us do. Do you think you lack something or the world is working against you? We have ideas or stories that we tell ourselves about who we are and why we are not getting what we want in life. They are often subconscious, and we may be unaware of them. They may be a result of our upbringing or something someone told us as a child. 

As I work with veterinary professionals as a life coach, I learn more about the limiting beliefs that we all have.  

A limiting belief is "a thought or state of mind that you think is the absolute truth and stops you from doing certain things."

We are naturally wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure, so we are drawn into these limiting beliefs because they feel safe and secure. They keep us from pushing up against our comfort zone. Many of my coaching clients feel limited by the belief that veterinarians can't earn a lot of money or they cannot achieve work/life balance. Some think they will not be excellent clinicians because they need to be more confident in their medicine or surgical skills. The limiting belief is that they are not "ready" or "smart enough" to practice veterinary medicine with excellence. 

These stories are precisely the things that keep us from doing and becoming all that we want to be. 

What are your limiting beliefs? Do you think, "I don't have time, I don't have enough talent, I am not worthy, or I don't deserve success"?

In truth, we all have unlimited potential, and our beliefs are the things that hold us back from getting what we want. Life coaches are valuable because they help point out our limiting beliefs and teach us what we do to our lives by keeping them.

To help uncover your own limiting beliefs, ask yourself some questions. How do I feel about myself, my time, my job, my money, and my life? If any of your answers to these questions sound negative, self-destructive, or keep you from taking action, you need to work on your beliefs. 

If you think you are untalented, unworthy, or "out of your league," you probably have a fear of failure. You may be comparing yourself to others or seeing some vision of perfection in the media. To overcome this negative self-talk tendency, start by being aware of how you talk to yourself. Notice the little digs and write them down so you create awareness about how you are hurting yourself. Then practice changing those thoughts into something you might tell a loved friend or relative. Practice showering yourself with affirmations until some of them start to stick. 

If you think you don't have time to get what you want, remember that we all have the same amount of hours in the day, but we all have different priorities. Try to think about the most important things you want or need and schedule them first. Do not use the excuse that you don't have time, but make the time to start working to get them done.

If you want to gain more talent to do a great job in veterinary medicine, start thinking about working to be better each day. We all have a tendency towards impostor syndrome. I have been in this profession for over thirty years and still doubt myself. We all are a work in progress, and we become better by practicing. If you focus on the things you want to learn, open up to accepting help from your colleagues, and put in the effort, you will become everything you dream of being and more. 

Take some time to become aware of your limiting beliefs and do the work needed to begin to let them go. As you do, you will uncover your unlimited potential and begin to soar.

Dr. Julie Cappel

You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress. – Sophia Bush

Autumn Brings Change, and Change is Hard.

As I was riding my bike today in the cool (almost cold) autumn wind, I thought about how hard change is for all of us. Autumn reminds me of the changing seasons and that winter and holidays are coming up fast. So many things change this time of year; a new school year starts, football games, and everything is pumpkin spice. A few weeks ago in Michigan, it was 80 degrees as I was riding, and now it is in the high 50s. 

Change is hard.

I have several clients I am currently coaching through times of change, and they struggle with their decisions and the fear of significant life change. Fear of choosing wrong. Fear of new experiences. I am getting ready to change how I work, a significant life change for me. I feel the stress of that change, even though it is exciting and wanted. Change feels hard, but it is something that we all strive for because through change comes growth and progress. 

So why is change so difficult?  

Because we are comfortable where we are, even if you desire change, you feel the pressure of pushing against your comfort zone. We all want to stay where we are because it feels easy, and our brain likes it easy. It is easier to sit on the couch and eat chips than get outside and exercise. But, if you sit on the couch and eat chips, your life does not get easier. You get fat, lazy, and depressed, which is the opposite of easy. That is why we need to embrace change. 

When facing a decision involving change, first expect to feel some negative emotions. Sometimes, you may even feel confused. Too many choices will confuse you and cause you to sit in indecision - you will feel stuck. Getting out of that confusion will require you to narrow your choices to one or two priorities. I like to list all the things I want, then choose the top two priorities; narrowing my choices feels less overwhelming. For example, suppose you're going to get healthier. That may mean changing your diet, exercising more, increasing water consumption, decreasing sugary drinks, giving up dessert, and stopping drinking alcohol. You feel overwhelmed when you think of all these changes to your routine. If you can narrow it down to one simple yet meaningful change, you will be better able to start. Just vow to exchange one sugar drink for one water, or start walking for 10 minutes a day. Narrowing and simplifying your choices is a great way to make change more palatable. Once you have the small change down, make another.

If you face a significant life change, spend some time thinking about why you want to change. Why will this change be good for you? Write down the top three most important reasons for making a change and the top three reasons that not changing will be detrimental. Showing yourself why change is necessary is the first step in creating a significant change decision. Visualize yourself already living in your new situation. How does that person (you) feel? 

Autumn is a time of change, so take a few minutes this week to ask yourself what change you avoid because of indecision or fear. Once you answer that question, choose something to work on and embrace your change. Enjoy your autumn, and let it remind you that change is healthy and essential for personal growth. 

Enjoy a football game, crisp walk, pumpkin spice latte, or caramel apple, too.  Happy autumn to you!

Dr. Julie Cappel

Challenges make life better.

I was thinking this week about why veterinarians do what we do. 

It was a rather rough week at the veterinary hospital; an unexpected complex diagnosis for a dog in for a simple procedure, counseling the family of an elderly dog struggling with a euthanasia decision, and the unexpected death of a long-time patient made it particularly emotionally challenging for us all. Not every week is like this, but when one hits, I understand why our profession is in trouble concerning our mental health. 

When I think of these challenges, I wonder if there is a better way to see them, and if so, how can we welcome them? What things do challenges bring us that are worthwhile?

In the book 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson teaches us rule number seven. “Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.” 

Our tendency, based on our natural motivations, is to do what conserves energy and maintains our safety. That is the primary function of our primitive brain. However, we have all felt the deep urge to stretch ourselves to do something outside of our comfort zone to create pride, a reward. This urge goes in direct opposition to our primitive brain. Why? Challenges bring meaning, purpose, and joy to our higher brain.  

You will feel good in the moment, safe, and comfortable when you take the easy way. It is the lazy way to be. Have you ever laid on the couch all day, eating and watching movies? It feels great for the day, but if you stayed there for a week, you would certainly end up in a cloud of depression and feelings of uselessness. There is no challenge or purpose in that activity.  

A meaningful life comes from pursuing challenges that create a better living for self, family, and others. Purpose creates meaning, and the only way to make that is through some level of sacrifice. To run a marathon, you must sacrifice your time and energy by running many miles and training daily. Laying on the couch will not get you there.

Veterinary medicine requires sacrificing your time and emotion to help people and animals in their time of need. We create value with difficulty, not with ease. Just like working your muscles to become stronger, we practice veterinary medicine to improve. We stretch, learn, fail, grow, and feel more fulfilled for the struggle. The joy in completing a difficult day is in the feeling of accomplishment if we choose to see it that way.  

Choosing the responsibility and embracing the difficulty of treating patients is what purpose in life is all about. If you feel discouraged in veterinary medicine, try to focus on the rewards of the job. You build mental muscle and value in everything you do for your patients, clients, and, most importantly yourself. Choose challenge to make your life better.

Dr. Julie Cappel

“The more difficult the journey, the sweeter the reward.” - Erin Andrews

Stop getting in your way when it comes to goals.

Many of us struggle when it comes to goal setting and accomplishing the things we want in life. We want something that we think is important or something that will make us happy, but we don’t follow through. We fail to take the steps that it requires to accomplish that goal. Ironically, one of the main reasons we quit on ourselves is because we fear the discomfort of change and the feeling of failure that may come when we don’t achieve the goal.

If you think you are unique in setting goal after goal and failing, you are not. Most people want things they never get because they are unwilling to take the steps that cause the pain needed to get to their goal. Our brains are wired for this naturally; it is called the motivational triad. The motivational triad is three things; seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy. Animals and humans were all designed with these three motivations to keep them safe and alive. 

To accomplish big goals, there are things you can do to overcome the motivational triad.

Choose your goal wisely and specifically. To overcome your primitive brain, you must have an intensely compelling reason to shoot for your goal. It is not enough to say you want to lose ten pounds because as soon as you see a donut, your need to seek pleasure will kick in, and you will ultimately eat that donut. If you want to set a wise goal to lose ten pounds, you have to have a compelling reason, like you want to add years to your life, or you want to be able to play sports with your children and not collapse. You must want it bad enough that the pain of not getting there overcomes your need for pleasure.

 

Make a plan and commitment to the goal. To start working on your goal, you must break it into steps and be deliberate with your time. You will need a detailed plan of how your time will be spent each day working on your goal. Making the plan is vital, but following it is critical. When you sit down to attend to your project, your mind will tell you to check your phone, eat a snack, watch some Netflix, or visit the bathroom. Your brain will try to foil your efforts because it is fighting against the discomfort you are feeling. Stand firm and keep to your plan. Realize that when your brain tells you to stray, you can control it. You have a higher brain to keep that primitive brain in check. Tell it to quiet down and let you get to work.

 

Make solid decisions, and don’t look back. While working on a goal, many of us agonize over simple choices instead of just making a choice and moving on. If you make the “wrong” decision, you can chalk it up to a learning experience and make a better one the next time—no big deal. Do not beat yourself up, and do not quit; move on to the next step and try again. The only people who fail to succeed are those that quit.

Embrace a little discomfort. The discomfort that you feel as you work through your goal is the pathway to your success. You will ultimately give up unless you vow to feel a little uncomfortable on purpose. Fear is painful, but not getting what you want in life is worse. Face up to your fear and work to make things happen.  

Now get it!

Dr. Julie Cappel

“Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” – Rocky Balboa

Join me on The Veterinary Life Coach Podcast!!

Puppies help solve for stress.

This week my dog Trent was scheduled for a routine dental cleaning, so he could not eat his Tuesday morning breakfast in preparation for general anesthesia. Trent is an eleven-year-old sheltie, and if you know anything about shelties, you know that they love food more than anything else in the world. Trent has a schedule that includes waking me up early, going outside for a brief moment, then demanding that I make his breakfast. Tuesday, he was confused that I did not wait on him when he barked for his food; then, when he realized that he was going to work with me, Trent hid behind a chair. Trent hates the veterinary hospital, mainly because it usually means getting groomed or spending the day waiting for me in a kennel. I think that I can safely say that Trent felt stressed on Tuesday. 

There is no doubt that veterinary hospitals are stressful and sometimes rushed and confusing. It is stressful for the dogs and also for us. The days may go smoothly or, more often, feel hectic and overwhelming. We deal with some very complex problems that require intense investigation, high levels of empathy, and more than a bit of patience. Like Trent, our days do not always go the way with think they should. When the days bring about stress, it pays to look for the little joys that come with each day. Tuesday afternoon brought puppies - we sometimes get to relieve stress with puppies.

There are other ways to deal with the stress until the puppies show up.

When something makes you feel stressed, start by identifying your thoughts about the stressful event. We usually feel stress just by thinking negative thoughts about the things that could go wrong. You might worry that a client will be angry when you are running late; in reality, they may be happy to wait and never say a word about it. The negative thoughts create all the unnecessary stress before you walk into the exam room.

Vow to look for solutions to the specific problem. When you go into problem-solving mode rather than worry mode, you will likely stay calm and solve the problem without causing stress. Think of a few solutions even if you are unsure of the results. Do not judge yourself if you feel a bit stressed, go back to brainstorming solutions until you feel calmer. Coming up with a few good solutions to offer to the client, not struggling for the ideal solution will allow you to be more openminded and flexible when it comes to collaborative decisions with your client. 

Accept that stress is a normal feeling. Your body creates stress to keep your mind sharp and you on your toes. A little stress may be good, but constant stress harms your health. If you can adjust your thinking to keep yourself calmer, your mind will be able to make a solid and clear decision as you move throughout your day.  When you feel high stress, take a moment and focus your mind either with a short meditation or self-care break.

Remember that your workday will offer you ups and downs, and you can handle all the emotions. Take a small break or ask for help if you feel overwhelmed. Try to look forward to the happy parts of veterinary medicine, the kind and grateful clients, the pets you save or cure, and the puppies (or kittens). Please take full advantage of the puppies when you see them. Hug them, take photos, and play with them on the floor. You will be better for it.

Dr. Julie Cappel and Trent. 

“Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.” ― Gordon B. Hinckley.