AzVMA Wellness Works ~ Cultivating Resilience & Happiness
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AzVMA is committed to the well-being of all of its members
in our veterinary community. While caring for patients and clients, it is vital to remember to care for yourself. This newsletter will provide ideas and resources to help and inspire.
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Remember, we are all in this together!
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Monthly Holidays & Themes
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March 17 - Happy St. Patrick's Day!
- What is something that makes you feel lucky to have in your life?
- Consider adding green veggies to one of your meals today - spinach, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, zucchini...
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March 20 - First Day of Spring
- The arrival of spring is a welcome change this time of year & provides an opportunity to get a fresh start on the new season.
- Choose 2 tips below to spring into wellness!
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Eating too many sugary snacks?
Here are some easy alternatives:
- almonds, walnuts or pistachios
- vegetables with hummus dip
- cut-up fresh fruit
- celery sticks with peanut butter
- yogurt & granola
TIP
: Pre-cut or bag snacks for easy access when you're hungry or short on time.
Did you know?
Leafy green vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber but low in calories.
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Word of the Month Activity
As a team, choose a word for the month. Post it in the break room and remind each other throughout the month.
Some Ideas:
- accuracy
- balance
- empathy
- fun
TIP
: Think about how the word relates to your daily work, your team interactions, and your personal well-being.
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10 Tips to Spring into Wellness
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- Spring clean your house - or a room, a closet, or even a drawer
- Start carrying a water bottle with you & drink plenty of water as the temperatures rise
- Look for a new healthy recipe, and then actually make it
- Pack a healthy snack and take it with you to work
- Challenge your brain once a week - read a new book, do a Sudoku, crossword, or logic puzzle
- Go for a trail walk, run, or hike - or just walk around your neighborhood
- Try an exercise that invokes your inner child - jump rope, skip, or visit a trampoline park
- Visit a new place - explore Arizona, visit a state park, or go for a scenic drive
- Consider a new hobby - pottery painting, yoga, meditation, or a 5K fun run
- Have fun - break out of the daily grind and have some fun
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While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it back into the ocean.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
The old man smiled, and said, "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, "But young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."
Original Story by: Loren Eisley
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Like the young man in this story,
each day you make a difference in the lives of pets & clients!
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Source: Good Housekeeping
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One Word That Will Change Your Life
By: Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, Jimmy Page
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Think of this book as “One word that will change yourself,” and also “One word that will change your practice”.
This book was written after the authors started choosing one word for themselves as a focus for the coming year, rather than making New Year’s resolutions. It was so successful they wrote the book to share the concept. They discuss how resolutions are quickly forgotten, but when just one word is chosen it is easy to keep in mind and return to for inspiration and focus. They also found that the practice of choosing one word could be adopted by groups, including families, classrooms, sports teams, work teams, and entire businesses. The book is filled with stories of words chosen and positive results.
Here is one example: “Hendrick BMW in Charlotte, North Carolina, featured a car in the middle of its showroom displaying the words chosen by each employee. Imagine all the employees coming in to work every day and seeing their word and their coworkers’ words on a car. Now imagine customers seeing these words, asking what they mean, and hearing how One Word helped Hendrick develop the best team and provide the best customer service possible."
Imagine choosing one word for yourself that will make your life and work better.
Imagine choosing the word Balance if you are working on cultivating your emotional and physical health in addition to carrying a heavy load at work. Imagine other words that will support your well-being, such as Fun, Sunshine, Health, Friends, Family, or Camping. Now post your word on your computer screen, bulletin board, screen saver, bathroom mirror- and use it to remind yourself to live your best life.
Also imagine having your team at work choose words for each person, and sharing them as in the example of the car dealership described above. Also imagine choosing a team word of the month, which could be culture-related, such as Positive, Kind, or Empathetic, excellence-related, such as Accuracy, or learning-related, such as Anesthesia or Cardiology. The team words could be posted in the treatment room, break room, behind the reception desk, and also in client areas to share the team’s values. If you have a mobile practice the words could be posted on your dashboard. Imagine the team cohesiveness this simple but profound exercise could foster, and also the positive impact on practice culture and client relations. Imagine trying this idea!
Summary by: Marilyn Millman, DVM
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AzVMA has compiled resources to help you build your
wellness toolkit in an effort to provide you with a pathway to nurture your well-being.
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You're invited to join the private Facebook group
Live Well, Vet Well. This online community is for veterinarians and staff to support one another, with tips on living a balanced life and self-care ideas.
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Online there is list of
crisis hotlines and health service networks available for those in need. Included is a listing of health professionals who have indicated that they work with veterinarians and veterinary-related issues.
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Arizona Veterinary Medical Association
wellness@azvma.org
www.azvma.org
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