The Benefits of Mindfulness for Veterinarians

As a veterinarian, you are well-acquainted with the importance of staying mindful and focused on your work. Your job requires you to be calm and collected in order to properly care for your patients and provide them with the best possible care. That's why mindfulness is an essential skill for veterinarians. With regular practice, mindfulness can help you stay focused, reduce stress, and increase productivity. Here's a look at why it's so important. ​

What is Mindfulness? 
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and environment without judgment or reaction. It helps us gain insight into our emotions and how we react to certain situations. By being mindful and learning how to observe our own thoughts and behaviors, we can better understand ourselves and those around us. This can help with decision-making, problem-solving, communication skills, empathy, focus, self-awareness—all skills that are essential for veterinarians. 

​The Benefits of Mindfulness 
Mindfulness has been linked to numerous psychological benefits such as increased happiness levels and improved physical health. Regular mindfulness practice has also been shown to reduce stress levels by helping us become more aware of our thoughts and more accepting of our emotions. In addition to this, mindfulness can improve cognitive performance by increasing focus, concentration levels, creativity, memory recall ability and problem-solving skills—all of which are necessary for successful veterinary practice. Finally, it can help increase empathy towards animals because it allows us to better understand their feelings and needs. 

How To Practice Mindfulness? 
Mindfulness is not something that you can master overnight; it’s a skill that must be practiced regularly in order to develop fully. One way to begin practicing mindfulness is by meditating each day for 10-20 minutes in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed or distracted. You should focus on taking slow deep breaths while allowing yourself to notice any thoughts or sensations that arise without judging them or reacting to them. Other ways include focusing on the present moment when interacting with animals or going through daily tasks like eating meals or exercising; noticing details around you like colors or smells; journaling about your experiences or feelings; doing yoga; taking time out from technology; engaging in creative activities like drawing; simply engaging in conversation with another person without getting caught up in anxiety or judgmental thoughts - all these things have the potential to increase your level of mindfulness if done consistently over time! 

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There are many books on mindfulness that can teach you how to make mindfulness part of your everyday. As part of a New Year, New You I invite you to take the 2023 Mindfulness Book Challenge by reading one book a month that will expand your mind and help you reach your highest potential. There aren't any prizes but you will definitely win - if you do this challenge, think about how you will be different 12 months from now!  You are definitely your most important asset, so invest accordingly!

If you are joining my book challenge, let me know by dropping me a line at drsarah@drsarahwooten.com - I'll be reading the books along with you!

Parting thoughts:
Being mindful has many benefits for veterinarians because it helps keep us grounded both emotionally and cognitively during challenging times in the profession. It can also provide us with insights into our behavior as well as those around us which will enable us to make better decisions when dealing with difficult cases or providing treatment options for clients' pets . Taking even just 10 minutes each day dedicated solely towards being mindful will undoubtedly enhance your veterinary practice over time – give it a try! 

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Want more ideas for creating mindfulness at work?

Consider these courses I've created  to help veterinary professionals stay mindful at work. I even have a promo code for you:

​25% Off Course Promo Code:   NEWYEAR

All courses are fully RACE approved for one hour of continuing education credit for veterinarians and veterinary technicians that can be done at-your-pace, anywhere, and in your pajamas with tea and a fur friend on your lap.

Author

Dr. Sarah Wooten is a well known international influencer in the veterinary and animal health care spaces. She has 16 years experience in private practice and over 10 years experience in veterinary media work, and is a certified veterinary journalist.