Rekindling: Compassion Fatigue Solutions For Animal Workers

If you work with animals, you've chosen a highly emotional field and if you don't learn how to feel and process your emotions, you will suffer greatly. I don't want you to suffer. Most of us don't know how to actually sit with and feel what we're feeling in any given moment because we've never been taught. So instead we resist what we feel and try to change how we feel through any and all means possible. Growth happens when we learn how to surrender to what we are feeling and instead allow our feelings to be present and flow through us. This skill is ESSENTIAL for your work and for your life. Let me teach you how!  Veterinarians! The deadline to join my new 6-month group coaching program Living A Life You Love is Monday, April 4, 2022. You can see all the details of this program at www.rekindlesolutions.com/lalyl Email me your questions about this program: julie@rekindlesolutions.com

Shame just might be the most uncomfortable emotion to feel because it comes from thinking that who we are is bad or wrong. And shame loves to hide in silence and secrecy which makes it feel even further isolating.  But shame is just an emotion and one we can learn how to be with and bring into the light. From there we can begin to unravel it and find our way to the real truth, which is that all along, you've been whole, worthy and perfect.  For more info on Living A Life You Love 6-month group program for veterinarians, please visit www.rekindlesolutions.com/lalyl  

Boundaries tend to be one of the most challenging things in vet med and among other animal workers but maybe they don't have to be. When we are honest with ourselves, we can be honest with others about what's ok with us and what isn't.  A life without boundaries results in a tremendous amount of resentment, pent up anger and frustration. But there is another way! Join me in this interview I did with The Whole Veterinarian, Dr. Stacey Cordivano where we dig into the depths of boundaries, respect and self-worth.  For more info on the upcoming Sustainability in Equine Medicine retreat please visit www.sepseminars.com. I'll be there! It's going to be fabulous.  Also for more info on my NEW 6-month group coaching program for veterinarians, please visit www.rekindlesolutions.com/lovelife. But hurry, we start the first week of April and spots are LIMITED. 

When we don't use our voice as women, we become invisible and aren't able to make an impact. There are many reasons why women are not speaking up, from fear of criticism to lacking in confidence to feeling outnumbered by men. But by not speaking up we do ourselves a disservice as well as the world around us. Women's voices need to be amplified and we can all impact that. Check out this episode to find out how. 

With every ending is a new beginning. Sounds cliché? Well maybe so but the truth is that when something ends, a life, a job or even a relationship, something new does start. We may not be able to see it at first or even want to and that's ok. New beginnings take their own sweet time and all you have to do is hold the possibility that something else could emerge.  Check out this episode to learn how to navigate endings and new beginnings and what the ONE essential ingredient is.     

You are the designer of your life. The CEO if you will. If you believed that, how would it elevate the way you lived, worked and spent your free time? If you carried yourself with CEO energy, what profound shifts could you make in your income, happiness and overall quality of life? I think huge ones! 

There are times when being reactive is beneficial, like when an animal or person is in some kind of distress. But being reactive in interpersonal interactions is usually not. So we have to learn The Subtle Art of Responding vs. Reacting, especially if you're in a leadership role of any kind. But even if you're not, you need this!  In this episode I'll teach you the power of the PAUSE and how to recognize the options you have in any moment so how you handle the situation aligns with who you want to BE.  Upcoming Events Feb 26-27, 2022: (Virtual) Lone Star Veterinary Academy workshop "Creating A Life You Love" https://www.lonestarvetacademy.com/shop/online-vet-ce-compassion-fatigue-2022/ March 25-27, 2022, Charlotte, NC Sustainability in Equine Practice Seminar https://www.sepseminars.com/upcoming-events

We've all been in "survival mode" for the past 2 years. According to Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs, until our physiological and safety needs are met, we aren't able to adequately self-actualize. I experienced just this when a major ice storm hit our town and we lost electricity, heat and running water for three days. Without my basic needs being met, I couldn't focus on anything else.  This might help explain how your life may've felt like it's stalled a bit during the pandemic. Take a listen.  And for more information about the upcoming online workshop I'm facilitating on February 26-27, 2022, visit www.lonestarvetacademy.com. 

We all carry around with us emotional wounds from our past. Childhood traumas when we didn't have the tools and/or support to be able to process the emotions we were feeling at the time.  If these issues aren't healed, may feel stuck and triggered by similar situations, others reactions towards us or even grief. Healing our old wounds is important for our mental health and wellbeing.  In this episode you'll: -be able to see if you have some old wounds that need healing -see how they often show up as "always" and "never"  -hear about one of my own old wounds that needed some salve -learn the two things we must do to move forward from our painful stories Don't forget to subscribe to my M & F e-inspiration emails by texting REKINDLE to 66866. 

Sometimes when you work with animals, bad things happen. Traumatic things. And it weights on you. It's normal and natural to want to alleviate the burden you feel when that happens. But you have to be aware that you can secondarily traumatize others if you don't know how to effectively debrief.  This episode will teach you how in 4 steps.  Are you getting my M and F emails? You'll want them! Subscibe by texting REKINDLE to 66866. 

Your self-image, what you think about yourself, literally creates your entire life. How you dress, style your hair, what the inside of your car looks like and even what your desk looks like all says something about how you think about yourself. In this episode I want to challenge you to not think these are just shallow things but consider how they are impacting the way you are showing up in your life and how you feel about yourself Your self-image matters because YOU matter. Take a listen to this episode. I promise it will have you thinking differently about things you perhaps thought didn't matter that much!

Compassion is the care and concern for others that are in pain or struggling. Self-compassion is that care and concern for ourselves, particularly when we are facing adversity or failures of any kind. It probably won't surprise you that women tend to be harder on themselves than men. As women are socialized to be nurturing towards others and self-sacrifice, it's no wonder that compassion towards self isn't inherent for many women.

As important as it is to reflect on the past year, it's equally important to set your sights ahead on what you want for your future. No one has a crystal ball and knows what 2022 holds but that doesn't mean you can't create some intentions for yourself. In this episode I walk you through The Year Ahead worksheet I created to guide you in deciding on your Word of The Year, what you want for your self-care, what relationships you want to improve and what advice and wisdom your Future Self has to help you navigate whatever may lie ahead in 2022. You can get the worksheet at www.rekindlesolutions.com/149. Subscribe to my bi-weekly e-inspirations by texting REKINDLE to 66866.

I'm so excited that It's that time of year again! Time to reflect and take stock on the past 12 months of our lives. Let's take a look at ALL of it, the good, the bad and perhaps even the ugly. Join me as I walk you through this annual tradition on the Rekindling podcast. This year I'll walk you through the questions and give you my answers. Ready. Set. Go! To get the worksheet, go to www.rekindlesolutions.com/148

Life is half wonderful and half super-challenging. No one escapes that despite what you see on social media or in tv commercials. The problem is we don't often see that side of other's lives so no wonder we think it doesn't even exist. In this episode I share with you how I navigate the half of my life that is a struggle. I want to be a real example of what's possible even when we are struggling.

Animal workers are "fixers". You make animals feel better, live better and sometimes die better. But when it comes to grief, our own or other's, there's no making it better. One of the hardest things to do is to just BE with someone in their grief. In this episode I give you practical tips for how to BE with others in grief. And if you're the one grieving, these tips can help you too.

Procrastination and inaction impact us all from time to time. But when we want a certain result and we aren't taking an action to make it happen, we can start to turn on ourselves. The way to ending procrastination and inaction is not what you think. The solution isn't to just force yourself to do more or do the thing you're avoiding. While they may work in the short-term, it won't for long. In this episode I'll share my 3 Step Process for turning procrastination and inaction into action and results.

We all have expectations of others. Things we want them to say or do. We want veterinary clients to be more patient and to show more appreciation. We want our co-workers to say "thank you" and respond to our emails right away. But what we THINK we want, is not actually what we want. Listen to this episode to find out what we are really after when we have expectations of others. It may surprise you!

In honor of my 7 years of sobriety today, this episode is about exploring your relationship with alcohol. Whether you want to just bring some awareness to it, cut back or quit all together, this episode can help you. I share with you how to create a Drink Plan, how to sit with your emotions and how to allow urges. Get support if you need help processing your emotions. If you want to explore coaching with me, email me at julie@rekindlesolutions.com.

Animal workers are tired. Your work has been insanely busy and so many of you are telling me you feel feeling drained and exhausted. And look! Here come the holidays. So what do you need to do this year to make it more enjoyable for yourself? What do you need to say no to? What do you want to opt out of? You can, you know. I give you permission to and want you to give yourself permission to drop the "should" and "have to's" this year and instead find what you actually want to do and not do. This is Holiday Self-Care.