How to Handle Veterinary Burnout and Be Better at Stress Management as a Veterinarian

Veterinary professionals are reporting rising levels of vet burnout and emotional exhaustion (2023 Merck Animal Health Study). The long hours, emotional toll of their jobs, financial stress, and pending administrative work are leading to veterinary burnout and compassion fatigue in vets.

You may be noticing it in those outbursts, those piles of medical records, that long-lasting feeling of exhaustion, and more. However, the good news is that with the right tools and practices, you can safeguard yourself and your team from collective vet burnout and create a sustainable workplace lifestyle.

Veterinary burnout isn’t loud-it happens slowly, disguised in the form of “unwillingness/tired to do work” or “having a rough week”. This eventually turns one into an emotionally exhausted state with detachment issues. You suddenly start feeling empty and hazy about your work and life.

On the other hand, you are also susceptible to a state of compassion fatigue, a state where you are devoted to others and neglect your own emotional needs. Do you observe that you still feel tired after a long, good night’s sleep? Do you find it hard to feel deeply for your patients like you used to before? These are all signs that you’re headed to a complete veterinary burnout.

Furthermore, you will find yourself dreading certain situations, getting cross with the people you work with, avoiding being seen in social circles, feeling numb towards your patients’ conditions, and your morale takes a hit. Please remember that these are all “stop signs” that alert you to take care of your mental health and remind you that you’re only a human. Start paying attention to what your body speaks to you and take steps towards restoring the balance and fulfillment you would usually get from your veterinary practice.

Veterinarians have to go above and beyond to provide the best healthcare and safety to pets. The job is highly demanding and emotionally draining due to the following reasons:

1. Long hours and on-call duties

   You have to work long hours, handle emergency cases, attend on-call duties, fill in for shifts, and always be prepared for any emergency treatment call. The lack of rest and downtime feeds into your emotional and physical exhaustion.

2. Emotional toll of euthanasia and patient loss

   Even when a few decisions are taken in the best interest of the patient, they come attached with a huge mental and emotional stress. Saying goodbye suddenly or knowingly will still sadden you, blurring the line between feelings and professional responsibility. Such episodes call for wellness strategies for all veterinarians.

3. Financial pressure

   You will always have bills to pay at the end of the month-sometimes for the clinic, for its operations, and in most cases, due to something in your personal life. Financial obligations are mostly the biggest emotional stressors for veterinarians. You may wish to provide the best services to patients, but are bound by the cost-bearing this practice entails.

4. Difficult client interactions

   These days, pet owners/parents are leaving no stone unturned to provide the best lifestyle to their pets. This also comes with high client expectations, but unfortunately, you will have to break certain news to them. Such circumstances often stem compassion fatigue in vets who are torn between emotionally dependent pet parents and the clinical diagnosis and treatment of their patients.

5. Huge responsibility

   Veterinary work-life balance is often ignored because of the weight each case comes with. One wrong treatment or one wrong medicine can make matters worse. Therefore, veterinarians always struggle with maintaining perfection with every case they deal with and find it difficult to switch off and relax, no matter where they are.

With all the emergency procedures, packed checkup appointments, spending time with pets, and all that the job entails, you may ignore your feelings and end up with veterinary burnout. However, as a thorough veterinarian, taking care of yourself isn’t just necessary but also a moral obligation so that you’re able to be compassionate and care for patients.

Veterinary clinic software is a digital platform designed to manage the core operations of a vet clinic clinic, including:

• Imbibe mindfulness practices in your daily routine so you can concentrate on your tasks better and complete them more quickly. This reduces your stress levels quickly.
• Build a habit of journaling every night before going to sleep.
• Exercise regularly, preferably when the sun is up, so that you feel fresh and rejuvenated.
• Revisit your hobbies like baking, crafts, sketching, etc., which you may have forgotten while building your veterinary practice.
• Do deep breathing between appointments to reset your nervous system and/or take a quick walk in your clinic.
• Learn to say NO. Maintain healthy boundaries with your clients and colleagues. Ask for help and share workload, wherever possible.
• Don’t forget to sleep, stretch, and hydrate, as these are the basics for your mental well-being.

A few extra steps into self-care will help you move ahead in your professional journey with clarity and purpose.

You will always feel like time is flying by with one case after the other, added with emergency calls/cases and surgeries. Amidst all this chaos, there are a few workload and time management tips that you can implement in your clinic:

• Delegate tasks and build the team

  The veterinary ecosystem is a team of doctors, assistants, technicians, receptionists, helpers, etc. You need not do everything all by yourself, but only ensure that responsible people carry out their duties systematically. The best way to do that is by delegating tasks so that the load is off your back and you can also build operational efficiency at the hospital/clinic.

• Use time blocking and prioritization tools

  Software like AcuroVet will organize your workload so that everything becomes manageable. These tools can also schedule your day in focused time blocks-surgeries, meetings, calls, breaks, etc. Doing so will prevent vet burnout and protect veterinary mental health.

• Maintain structured schedules and rotate shifts

  Maintain a structure at your workplace where everyone is well-informed in advance about their shift timings and schedules. With the intense nature of veterinary healthcare, this structured framework will support stressed veterinarians by giving them rest days and eventually improving performance.

Time management not only makes you productive but also protects your overall well-being and reduces veterinary burnout by a huge margin.

You need to build a supportive workplace culture from the very first day. Doing so will help people feel protected and supported, instead of feeling isolated. A healthy atmosphere in your clinic/hospital will prevent veterinary burnout and create career satisfaction.

• Have team meetings and peer support groups

  Regular check-ins with your staff will go a long way. Everyone will get along with each other, and all efforts will be collective. This builds trust and team cohesion-virtues that help maintain veterinary work-life balance in the long run.

• Create safe spaces for mental health discussions

  Have open dialogues about the stress, challenges, anxiety, and compassion fatigue in vets. Ensure that there is zero stigma at your workplace so that people feel confident sharing about their emotional well-being. When your staff and colleagues know that it’s okay to ask for help, everyone understands each other better, and this positively impacts the way you care for your patients.

• Encourage mentorship and a professional community

  Strong mentor-mentee relationships need to exist so the experienced can guide the newbies on how to tackle the professional and emotional challenges all veterinarians face. Being a part of a local community can also give you reassurance and support from your peers who truly understand what the role demands.

It’s only in the recent past that the veterinary industry has started talking about compassion fatigue and veterinary burnout. Beyond the comfortable surface-level, there is a growing need to address the same at an institutional level. Industry leaders need to prioritize the well-being of veterinary professionals, much like the animals they care for.

• Implement wellness initiatives like employee assistance groups and confidential counselling.
• Conduct workshops regularly that teach mindfulness exercises and stress management techniques.
• Encourage flexible work scheduling, whenever possible.
• Invest in professional development courses and skill-building classes so that growth isn’t stagnant and each veterinarian has a rewarding journey.

A healthy workplace culture follows a top-down model where veterinary leaders singlehandedly shape how their team manages stress and job satisfaction. The behavior of the leadership during critical phases sets the tone for the entire clinic to follow.

• Exemplify work-life balance

  If you take time off and prioritize your wellbeing, your team will automatically follow suit. This shows that taking care of your health and avoiding vet burnout by leaving work early or taking the day off isn’t a sign of slacking off.

• Have honest communication

  Feeling overwhelmed with work? Share that with the team. Have 1-1s and open-door policies so that your team feels welcome to share their emotional and workload concerns and suggestions. This builds trust and keeps veterinarian burnout at bay.

• Recognize and reward your team

  A thank-you note, a shoutout during a team meeting, and a word of appreciation help prevent chronic stress and vet burnout. Recognitions make your team feel like their work matters, even on days when they feel like no one notices or applauds their hard work.

Healthy mental habits at the leadership level will create a ripple effect. They make a happy and productive workspace brimming with compassion for themselves, each other, and their patients.

Caring for your patients starts with caring for yourself. Coping with veterinary stress doesn't benefit you alone but also strengthens teams, improves client relationships, and enhances the quality of patient care. You can start small by taking that needed break, setting a healthy boundary, or asking for help, so that you’re able to show up for every animal and pet parents who meet you.

This is where AcuroVet truly supports intentional and sustainable veterinary practice. With features such as smart appointment scheduling, blocked call and rest slots, streamlined medical records, treatment planning, automated reminders, and easy billing and inventory management, AcuroVet helps reduce daily overload and prevent veterinary burnout and compassion fatigue. By simplifying your workflow and giving you better control of your time, we help you focus on quality care and your own well-being. Reach out to learn how we support veterinarians every day. Contact us today to know how AcuroVet Empowers Veterinarians.