Rekindling: Compassion Fatigue Solutions For Animal Workers

The Window of Tolerance(WOT) was created by Dr. Dan Siegel as the optimal zone in which a person would be able to function and deal with day-to-day stress most effectively. It is the optimal arousal state in which we feel our emotions are tolerable and we can manage the experience we are in. When our nervous system gets activated and our brain goes into survival mode and we will often go outside of our WOT to either a hyper-arousal state (anxiety, irritable, overwhelmed) or a hypo-arousal state (shut down, withdraw, disengage). But we can get ourselves back to our optimal zone. Listen and find out how! 

For animal workers purpose and passion go hand in hand. When we are aligned with our purpose we can't help but also feel the passion that comes with living out what we believe we are here to do. But some things can get in the way. What other people might think, whether or not we believe we can make a living while living our purpose and whether or not the world needs what we believe we are here to give.  I'll explore all of these things and more in this episode!  To join my email list, text REKINDLE to 66866

The women I talk to in animal-related fields are exhausted and often overwhelmed. Yes animal-related fields are challenging and emotional and require our best selves. But that's not the entire story of why women are drained. Partly to blame is all of the unpaid, invisible and unnoticed work women do to maintain their families, households and communities. That is the Invisible Workload of Women. Tune in!  To join my bi-weekly email list, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

What is upside down gratitude? Well it's something I made up after hearing an interview with Matthew McConnaughey. Upside down gratitude is having gratitude for things that didn't work out well, were challenges or things that didn't at all go how you want. I invite you to explore with me how you might have gratitude for things that seem dark and problematic in your life. 

Today's episode is short and sweet but impactful. It's tempting to go through our lives comparing our experiences to others and not even recognizing the extraordinariness of our life. This episode will have you thinking about your own extraordinary life.  To join my weekly email list, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

Emotional labor may or may not be a new term for you.  Although it's recently taken on a different meaning, it's original intention is when we regulate or suppress our emotions at our job. Not as a choice we necessarily make but instead as an expectation coming as rules or regulations being put on us to appease the "customer" (client, general public, contractor, etc).  To join my email list, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

I've noticed that when something causes us shame, guilt, sadness, frustration or anger, we either: 1. Don't acknowledge it and distract ourselves with other things 2. Ruminate on it and can't let it go Most people do one or the other. What I'm proposing in this episode, the 5-Second Funeral, will allow you to do just the opposite. It will allow you to give yourself just a moment to feel the feeling and then to move on and let it go. Give it a try! Text REKINDLE to 66866 and receive my bi-weekly dose of wellness straight to your inbox.  Check out my new website www.juliesquires.net

Do you know when you've reached your limit before you've gone too far? Do you have to get to burnout before recognizing you need to change things? Do you find yourself abandoning your own needs because you don't want to feel guilty for "letting others down"? Well you're not alone if you do. In this episode I'll teach you how to rely on your own inner wisdom as a guide for you in your life.  To join my e-inspiration list, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

Clearly you are someone who is here to make their mark on this world. You do big work. You save or improve lives. You help provide a good death. That’s BIG work my friend.  BIG work comes with BIG emotions.  And those BIG emotions don’t always get the attention they deserve. The BIG emotions I’m talking about are grief, loss, sadness, disappointment, shame, regret and guilt.  Working with animals puts you in close contact with all of these emotions. Let's talk about what to "do" with them.  Registration for my 6-month group program for women veterinarians, Living a Life You Love, closes on Friday, March 31, 2023. Click here for all the info. 

So many people are trying to create new results in their lives in an attempt to feel better about themselves. But it doesn't work that way. We don't get self-confidence from the results we create. We don't love ourselves more based on accomplishing things. New jobs, awards, promotions or smaller jeans don't create self-worth.  In this episode, I'll tell you what does! Also, registration for my 6-month group program for women veterinarians, Living a Life You Love is closing on March 31, 2023. Click here for all the info.  Text REKINDLE to 66866 to join my email list! 

It's no coincidence that 60-80% of animal workers are introverts AND 60-80% of animal workers experience burnout. Now extroverts experience burnout too but I believe that as introverts we have to be very self-aware of what we need to recharge ourselves.  In this episode you'll learn: -what I believe we need to know as introverts around burnout -the 4 kinds of introverts -how to love, accept, understand and have self-compassion for who you are and see your introversion as your greatest strength and something that needs caring for a little differently than others Introvert quiz: https://susancain.net/quiet-quiz/ Introvert, social anxiety or depression? https://youtu.be/vhglKx0EwZA

We all get overwhelmed from time to time. I've noticed that my susceptibility to overwhelm increases when I have other pressures in my life. Contrary to popular belief, overwhelm isn't caused by our to-do list or our responsibilities. That doesn't mean we don't need to take a real hard look at those things and perhaps decide to make some changes. In this episode I'll give you my top 8 tips for dealing with overwhelm.  Things mentioned: March 11, 2023 Introverts Forever: Harnessing The Power Within webinar FREE  https://www.introvetce.com/online-vet-ce-secret-power-of-introverts Living a Life You Love, my  6 month program for women veterinarians  www.rekindlesolutions.com/lalyl The Tapping Solution www.thetappingsolution.com

March is Women's History Month and in this episode I'm celebrating women who have made significant achievements in the lives and welfare of animals as well as giving suggestions for how you might celebrate women in and outside of animal work.  My 6-month group coaching program for women veterinarians is OPEN for registration. There are limited spots available to don't wait until the last minute. This round runs from April-September. Here's all the info www.rekindlesolutions.com/lalyl

In the almost 9 years I've been coaching people, I've learned a lot. Not only how to be a better coach but I've learned a lot about people. And I've seen how alike we all really are. So I put together this list of 10 things, it could be 10,000 but I constrained it to 10. I bet you'll see yourself in this list.  To join my email list: text REKINDLE to 66866 To find out more about my 6-month group coaching program for women veterinarians,Living A Life You Love, go here: www.rekindlesolutions.com/lalyl Make sure you're on my email list so you know when enrollment is OPEN!   

Who doesn't love to find out more about themselves? No one! One of the many benefits to positive psychology is the discovery of 24 character strengths that make up what's best about our personality. You heard that right, they make up what's BEST about our personality!  We all have 5 signature strengths and a the other 19 fall in such a way to create a unique fingerprint of ourselves. My guest today is Andi Davison from Flourish Veterinary Consulting. Andi is an LVT and a wealth of knowledge about what makes people thrive. Don't miss this convo! Links mentioned in this episode: Free Character Strength Assessment: Click here Andi's email: andi@flourish.vet Flourish Veterinary Consulting LLC  www.flourish.vet

Compassion fatigue and grief often go together. When we don't make space to feel our grief, we get filled up with no room left to care. Working with animals exposes you to a lot of grief because you are exposed to a lot of death. But death isn't the only source of grief. We can experience grief related to any kind of loss.  Regardless of the kind of loss, if grief is present there are needs a grieving person has. They are as follows: 1.To have your pain witnessed 2.To feel your feelings 3.To release the burden of guilt 4.To be free from old wounds 5.To integrate the pain and the love 6.To find meaning in life after loss To receive my bi-weekly e-inspiration emails, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

"We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it." ~ C. S. Lewis Isn't that the truth? Forgiveness of self and others requires that we let go of something, something we've been carrying for a long time. Anger, hatred, regret or guilt are commonly what we're holding on to. And while we may be justified in feeling as we do, we are the only ones feeling those feelings. The person who hurt you isn't. So we get to decide whether we want to forgive ourselves for our mistakes and the mistakes of others.  Forgiveness isn't condoning. Forgiveness is for YOU.  In this episode I explore forgiving yourself and others and remind you that you never have to if you don't want to. You get to decide.  Get on my email list by texting REKINDLE to 66866. 

What if your best is yet to come? Notice how it feels to think that. Exhilarating right? And what if you truly believed that? What opportunities might you consider, attempt or say yes to? Your legacy is currently under construction. Believe in your greatness and the promise that the future has for you.  To join my email list, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

Most people set some kind of a goal or intention at the beginning of the year. Here it is the second half of January and you may've found your motivation sliding. You may find yourself using some excuses that feel really justified for why you can't or haven't done what you said you wanted.  This episode will teach you how to spot your excuses and dismantle them to achieve the things you want in your life.  To join my e-inspiration email list, text REKINDLE to 66866. 

Are you familiar with the "messy middle"? It's the place of misery we often find ourselves in until we have clarity, insight or the revelation. Interestingly enough, not many people talk about their "messy middle" so we don't have a lot of mentors for how to navigate through the tough stuff of life.  Well in this episode I will not only teach you about the "messy middle" but show you how normal it is and how to navigate it with grace. You'll want to listen to this one!  If you aren't on my e-inspiration list, just text REKINDLE to 66866. You'll then receive my Monday and Friday inspiring emails delivered right to your inbox. Easy peasy!