By Rachel Teichberg, CVPM, CVBL, CCFP
When you hear about burnout in veterinary medicine, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of long hours, staying late, skipped breaks, non-stop appointments, or feeling exhausted from the daily emotional rollercoaster. We typically talk about burnout as a workload problem, and while that may be true, many times it is also a boundary problem.
People who choose to work in veterinary medicine are typically givers and caretakers by nature. We often prioritize others, showcase our dedication through self-sacrifice, avoid disappointing people, hold incredibly high standards for ourselves, and push through discomfort. This can be a perfect personality storm that quickly deteriorates into chronic overwhelm and overextension, lack of rest and renewal, emotional overload, and blurred lines between the job we have and the people we are. Unfortunately, many of us don’t realize that we’re struggling until those symptoms appear and it feels too late for positive intervention.
I understand that boundary-setting, whether it be in vet med or life in general, can be incredibly hard. We long for approval, acceptance, and affirmation (which is why saying “yes” feels so good), yet we also ignore our boundaries to avoid some uncomfortable things like emotions (ours or other people’s), rejection, pushback, FOMO, loss of opportunities, friction, internal pain, feeling unneeded, not knowing how, or sometimes just to avoid the stress of setting them. Take a second and think about something in your life you said “yes” to when you wanted to say “no”. Why did you say yes? Did it fall into one of these categories? Many of us are saying yes long before we consider the cost.
I spent way too long being a yes-woman at work and could put a check box next to every single one of those reasons. I was a true perfectionist, which, in hindsight, was driven by imposter syndrome. I was often worried that I’d let people down, that I wouldn’t be reaching expectations of my role, or they’d realize I wasn’t cut out for the job. Fake it till you make it, right? Pair that with my conflict-avoidant nature, and I was destined for burnout.
Looking back, there were definitely clues that things weren’t right. Feeling resentful and overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, unable to disconnect from work (even dreaming about work), unwillingness to delegate because I could obviously do it better and faster. Like many people, I ignored these symptoms and figured it was just part of the job. It wasn’t until much later I realized that I was misreading all the signs.
While my experience may be unique from everyone else, the common thread is that boundary struggles show up in our practices every single day, big and small. In our profession, which is built on care, compassion, service, and problem-solving, we forget that we need those things for ourselves too.
Implementing boundaries at work does not make you selfish. Nor are they a punishment to your team or to yourself or a rejection of another person or thing. Boundaries create clarity (this is ok, this is not ok), self-protection (time, energy, feelings, space, etc.), and sustainability (avoiding burnout). Don’t think of boundaries as barriers but rather bridges that allow us to continue to show up to do the work we love without losing ourselves in the process.
The most important thing we need to do with our boundaries is communicate them. Often. People will not assume your boundaries, so you need to be clear about what they are and be prepared to remind them regularly. Though boundaries might feel like a big deal, it’s often small changes that can make a dramatic difference. Here are some more tips:
- Keep boundaries simple
- Avoid saying yes or no in the moment
- Review what you’ve already committed to
- Ask questions to determine priority
- Offer an alternative
- Ask for help
- Empower your team to problem solve
Implementing boundaries does not have to be a solo journey. We can encourage open and honest communication within our teams and model boundary-setting behaviors in leadership. When assigning tasks, ask if the person truly has the capacity to take it on. If the answer is no, then let that be a moment of curiosity and discussion to invite more clarity to the situation. Connect with your team regularly, look for signs of burnout and address them individually or as a group.
We have the ability to rewrite this narrative in vet med. We can implement boundaries without associating it with caring less, selfishness or lowering standards. Healthy boundaries will allow us to keep showing up to do the work we love while building stronger teams, healthier relationships, and a culture rooted on open communication, trust, and respect.
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