VN April 2022

Vetnews | April 2022 29 Self-care is not self-indulgence or being selfish. Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, be well, do your job, help and care for others, and do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day. You’re right if you think you’ve been hearing more about self-care now. One indicator: According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has more than doubled since 2015. Paula Gill Lopez, PhD, an associate professor and chair of the psychological and educational consultation department at FairfieldUniversity in Fairfield, Connecticut, says the need for self-care is obvious. “We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression,” she says. “Everybody feels it.” (https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/) However, when we fail to create good coping strategies at this stage, we will start to experience the onset of stress and early burnout symptoms, awareness that some days are more complex than others. You may find your optimism waning and notice common stress symptoms affecting you physically, mentally, or emotionally. Common symptoms include: In my experience and that described in the literature, the understanding of the problem among employers and employees remains relatively low. The purpose of this article and the next few instalments is to recognise burnout or excessive stress in ourselves, friends, and employees so that it can be identified and dealt with before the symptoms escalate. While burnout can cause issues at work, at home, and in life in general, it is always possible to take action to minimise its effect on us. Even if you are not experiencing stress or burnout now, we suggest that the wisest course of action is to take up self-care practices and build your mental resilience proactively. Next month, we will continue exploring burnout and identifying the various stages and symptoms. v Life Coaching Anxiety High blood pressure Avoidance of decision-making Inability to focus Change in appetite or diet Irritability Fatigue Job dissatisfaction Forgetfulness Lack of sleep or reduced sleep quality General neglect of personal needs Lack of social interaction Headaches Lower productivity Heart palpitations Unusual heart rhythms