Rekindling: Compassion Fatigue Solutions For Animal Workers

The longest and most important relationship you will ever have (other than with your Higher Power) is your relationship with yourself. It's based on what you think about yourself which may or may not have originated from you. Regardless, you are the creator of your beliefs about yourself. Are they based in fear or love? Listen to learn more.

Ever feel like you bring your "work" home with you? You just can't stop thinking about it no matter what you do? It's likely because you haven't effectively transitioned from your work self to your personal self. We have to signal to our brains and bodies that the work day is over. Listen to all my tips of how to do so!

What binds us as animal workers is animals and euthanasia. Euthanasia means "good death" and it is just that, no matter the circumstance. But in order to see that we have to see our limiting beliefs and question them. We also have to come to our work always from a clean headspace vs. a dirty one. Check out this episode to find out what that means and also to remind yourself of the enormous positive impact you make even when the result is euthanasia. Get the handout at www.rekindlesolutions.com/19

Self-care is essential in any helping profession but especially those that deal with animals. And it's not bubble baths and mani/pedis! Why we have to prioritize our self-care and essentially replenishing ourselves is because we work really hard taking care of others and unlike a machine, we need downtime and time to rejuvenate. Self-care isn't a "nice to have", it's a "need to have" in order to not feel drained and depleted. I'll share with you my #1 Self-Care Practice in this episode! www.rekindlesolutions.com

Kim Wolf is a veteran of animal welfare. She's not only walked the walk, she talks the talk. In 2015 she started her own non-profit, Beyond Breed where she has helped to support the human-animal bond. We talk about compassion fatigue, community outreach, releasing judgment, pet retention, her journey with breast cancer and how her dog Cappy poops in buckets at the park. You don't want to miss this episode!

Imposter syndrome, lacking confidence and a negative self-image are all related. They all stem from the same place, our misguided thinking. Now I know you believe these thoughts, but that still doesn't make them true! Don't believe everything you think. Start here!

Compassion fatigue often shows up as exhaustion. The work with animals can be emotionally and physically demanding and it's not at all uncommon to find ourselves feeling tapped out, mind, body and spirit. In this episode I'm going to share with you what I believe are the top 3 strategies to get from EXHAUSTION to ENERGIZED. Hit play!

Do you know how to change how you feel when you want to? Without drinking a glass (or two) of wine? Without binge-watching Netflix? Most of us have no idea that we not only create our emotions but we can also change them if we want to. You have so much more power over your emotions than anyone has ever taught you! Listen and learn.

Do you know what you're bringing to your work with animals? Are you owning the difference you are making? Do you acknowledge your efforts? If not you're probably really struggling with compassion fatigue. Claiming who we are and what are intention is in the lives of animals (and their people) is the fuel that can refill you and move you forward. Time to own your special sauce!

Compassion fatigue isn't a disease but a set of signs and symptoms. And while there may be no "wonder drug" for everyone to alleviate it, I feel confident that I know what the 6 main tools are that can make all the difference. Listen in to find out. For more info on my program Compassion Fatigue Rx, please visit www.rekindlesolutions.com/enroll.

Your brain is like a puppy. An untrained puppy! It is more interested in survival than your happiness so if you want to grow, be happy and have a semblance of wellbeing, you need to train it. Yes it takes effort and yes it takes practice but so does learning how to spay a cat or running a CBC in your lab or training a dog! What you focus on becomes your reality, your brain likes to focus on the negative. Time to train it! Sit. Stay. Listen.

Dr. Pope has been in veterinary medicine for over 20 years, practicing in both the large and small animal sectors. She developed a movement called 1 Life Connected which provides wellbeing support for the profession. Listen as we discuss all things related to veterinary medicine, wellness and filling our balloons!

So many of us are wanting our job to make us happy. It's not our job's job to make us happy. Our emotions don't come from our circumstance, remember? They come from within us, they come from what we think about our job or our boss or our co-workers. Looking outside of yourself to feel the way you want to feel is a dead end. What you're looking for.....is already inside YOU! You just need to learn how to access it. This episode will teach you how.

To define mental health as the absence of mental illness is subpar yet that's what you'll likely find as a definition. In veterinary medicine we have an alarming suicide rate and yet not much in the way of how to create mental health for oneself. Where do we learn how to be mentally healthy? This podcast is one such place. In this episode I will share with you the components I believe make up a large portion of mental health. 

Emotional whiplash, it's what happens when we go from one extreme emotional state to another. Like going from a euthanasia to a puppy wellness visit. But just because we can, doesn't always mean we should. This episode will raise awareness of whether we are experiencing this, what to do if we want to prevent it and how to better care for ourselves when it does happen. 

We can't escape being on the receiving end of other's judgement. In the age of social media and endless surveys, we all have a place to voice our opinions about anything and everything. Veterinary clients may or may not've been happy with the service they received at your practice. So what do you do when someone voices their opinion about you? When they judge you? Listen and find out!

Humans are judgmental by nature and while that serves us in some ways (keeping us safe from harm) it's unhelpful as it pertains to judging pet owners. When we judge others we can no longer help them because it limits our ability to connect. And connection is essential to helping animals and people. In this episode you'll learn how to avoid judgment and find more compassion for even the most challenging humans! 

When you don't like the way that you feel, how do you change it? If you think the answer is outside of yourself, you're wrong. The cause of your feeling isn't outside of you, nor is the solution. Tune in to learn how to change the way you feel without having to use food, Netflix or booze!