#75 The Importance of Wellness for Veterinary Professionals with Tara Glidden

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:00:03-00:00:08]
In this episode, we’re talking with Tara Glidden, a director of well-being and HR for veterinary professionals.

[SPEAKER 1]
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If you are stressed, if you are overwhelmed, if you are emotional, then those animals that are in your care and around you, they're apprehensive, they're unsure, they're not settled.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:00:22-00:02:00]
Tara Glidden is a passionate advocate for veterinary professionals and their well-being. With 22 years of experience in the veterinary field, Tara has worked in various roles, from veterinary assistant to registered veterinary technician, and their journey led them to Zoetis, where they spent eight years in the companion animal division as an industry specialist and strategic account manager, gaining a deep understanding of both clinical practice and industry support. Now serving as a director of well-being and HR for eight independently owned veterinary practices, Tara is dedicated to creating a workplace culture that supports both personal and professional growth. As a certified yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and breath instructor, they integrate these practices into veterinary medicine to help teams navigate stress and burnout. Beyond work, Tara is a wife, mother of two, an avid music festival goer, and a beach lover. Fully embracing the balance they encourage others to find. This is an excellent episode for those who work in animal support roles and also for horse and animal owners in general to perhaps see things from other perspectives when communicating with their animal support teams. Join us as we dive into their unique perspective on veterinary well-being, leadership, and the evolving landscape of the profession. Tara, welcome to the WeWorks podcast. I'm so excited to chat with you and a little quick backstory for all of our listeners. I've known Tara for years in a completely different environment, in a yoga environment, actually. And it is so fun for me to get to interview you and welcome you to our listeners. So welcome.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:02:01-00:02:04]
Thank you for having me, Danielle. It's a pleasure to be here.

[SPEAKER 2]
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So you work in the veterinarian industry and I'd love to start there. Back at the beginning, what inspired you to work within the industry and then how has your journey evolved over time?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:02:18-00:04:27]
Yes. So from the time I was five, I wanted to be a veterinarian. There's a photo of me as a child with my Fisher-Price stethoscope on our family dog. And that is what I wanted to do. There was a period in time where then I thought I wanted to be a teacher. And I went back to school as a mature student and I started first. taking the veterinary assistant program and then I wanted to continue my education and I really wanted to have the knowledge base of a technician so I went to school for a technician and that's where I really witnessed like both the joys and the challenges of veterinary medicine um So I worked as a veterinary technician for eight years, and then I transitioned into a more corporate role. So I worked as a representative with Zolatus Animal Health in their companion animal side. So all of my... I guess hands-on in my work as more on the companion animal side. And so I worked as a industry specialist and a key account manager with them for eight years. And now I'm a director for wellbeing and HR for multiple independently owned practices. So my focus is on supporting the people behind the medicine. And I, I, Really wanted to, in the beginning, when I started my career, what I found was that, of course, I love animals. That's what started this journey was my love for animals. But the more time I spent within the veterinary profession, I wanted to really extend the well-being to the people who care for the animals. And so now that is more or less what my role is. So making sure that veterinary professionals have resources and support and well-being initiatives.

[SPEAKER 2]
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So important. And that's the main thing that we're going to be discussing today. Can you speak a little bit as to why veterinary professionals need more wellness practices weaved into their professional lives and then just their daily lives in general and why that is? Why is the veterinarian industry important? Such a place of burnout and fatigue and depression, essentially.

[SPEAKER 1]
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Mm-hmm. So there is a mental health crisis within the veterinary profession. It is also seen as the most at-risk profession for suicide. It used to be thought that it was dentists, and unfortunately, now the veterinary profession holds that spot. But veterinary professionals face an immense amount of pressure, so... They have long hours, emotional cases, financial stress, the challenge of client expectations. And working with animals is deeply rewarding, but there is an emotional weight that individuals carry. If it's patient outcomes, euthanasia, difficult client attractions, etc. That's really with patients and externally people, but also there's the workplace itself. And now you have multiple people who are going through emotional days together. And so there's opportunities to come together and support each other. Or there is some situations where people push that down and bottle it up and then it manifests and comes out in other ways. And there's physical demands. So we have repetitive motion. Heavy animals, a lot of lifting, standing for long periods, aggressive animals. So that is another risk and another layer of stress. So then we have that compassion fatigue and burnout that can set in. And that's when there begins to be no divide or no separation between our work and our personal life.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Yeah. I remember when I was boarding my horses and there was a vet that worked. Sorry, she didn't work at the stable. She boarded her horse at the stable as well. And so she's a large animal vet and she would be traveling all around all day long, going to different farms, working with different animals and their owners on whatever issues that they were seeing. And then at the end of the day, she would come and get the opportunity to spend time with her horse. And I remember seeing so many of the other boarders say, hey, can you just can you look at my horse really quick?

[SPEAKER 1]
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Can you see what's going on here?

[SPEAKER 2]
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What do you think about this? And I just always remember thinking. She is just here to enjoy her time. Can we speak a little bit to the idea of boundary for the, you know, the veterinarians, how to set boundaries for clients? Yeah. What does that look like?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:07:44-00:12:09]
Just to build on what you're sharing, I have veterinarians in this organization that have told me that when they go to social functions, they don't even say what profession they're in. So they're very proud of their profession, and they're absolutely proud of what they do, as they should be, but... public facing or even social situations, they don't really hold that as a badge of honor because they know that that's going to just come with questions and unsolicited Facebook messages. And I know it's a Sunday, but do you mind? Yeah. And You know, everybody has professional and personal lives. And because you're a veterinary professional, that is not your only identity. These individuals are partners. They're somebody's parent, maybe. They have their own family. They have their own family. Their own hobbies, their own things that they enjoy outside of work. And everybody needs to be able to hit pause on what their job is. And I imagine if you're an accountant and it was all the time people asking you about their taxes, it would just... be really draining and you would want to isolate almost and not be social. So boundaries are really important in both like your mental and emotional well-being. And it's critical for preventing burnout. And so clear expectations about availability is very important. So just saying like, these are my working hours. Or if somebody sends that message outside of those hours, that's a really great question. I can answer it at this time. Or in practices where it's emergency medicine isn't something that you do necessarily. Like, I'm not at work right now, but this clinic, this person is on call. This person would be able to help you with that emergency. Yeah. or just not engaging at all. So, and not personalizing, I think for the veterinary professional, not personalizing client frustrations and knowing when to say no. So boundaries protect both professionals within the industry and then the quality of care they can provide. Because if you are burning the candle at both ends, then you are not going to be able to be your best self in your job as well. And this is where mistakes happen. This is where fatigue happens. So it's important that we don't overextend our veterinary professionals outside of, you know, their 40 hours a week. And in some cases, large animal veterinarians, it's not 40 hours a week. When you look at Calving season, the spring, is extremely busy. And I know large animal veterinarians have a big geography that they cover because there's very few of them. And I can speak to where we live in Atlantic Canada. There's very few of them, and they cover a really big radius. Yeah. And that means that they are driving a lot. That means that in the spring in particular, when all of our horses and our cattle are having babies, if there's any problems, they're being called to that. And that could be any hour of the night. Like they don't have a nine to five schedule. So I can just be mindful. Like, what are you asking? Is it, is it fair? You wouldn't go to a mechanic and say, Hey, I think there's something wrong with my oil. Do you mind checking that? And can I get that for free? But it was just an oil change. That's all you did. So I think just really bringing it back to you wouldn't say to your dentist, I think I have a cavity. Can you just take a look and tell me if I need to make an appointment for that? Yeah. It just doesn't happen in any other profession.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:12:10-00:13:19]
Yeah, absolutely. I... I'm also just, I want to speak a little bit to myself as a horse owner, as an animal owner, looking at the way that we communicate with our animal care professionals as well, whether that is veterinarians, whether that's saddle fitters, body workers, farriers, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Just really being mindful about if I send this message to Like, what is the purpose of me sending this? I remember there was one time, it was last winter, and I had booked an appointment. It was like two weeks out for one of my horses to get radiographs. And so I had the appointment and the day of the appointment, the vet texted me and he said, hey, Danielle, I'm about 30 minutes out, just giving you a heads up. I appreciated that so much, that heads up. And also I then had his phone number. And it was one of those things where I thought, like, me being conscious of that, I'm not going, like, I don't do things that way.

[SPEAKER 1]
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Don't abuse it.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Exactly, because I wouldn't want the same thing. I also have had in the past clients messaging me evenings, weekends, early in the morning, things like that. And I've understood, hey, there needs to be a boundary here in the way that we communicate with each other. And so almost looking at, okay, what's the software? You know, and I know that software can be expensive and can be clunky and it can, you know, have a learning curve and all of those different things. But just looking at, Do we allow Facebook messages? And if you if you don't want people to be messaging you on Facebook, setting that boundary immediately and saying, hey, that's I actually don't use this for business purposes. If you want to get a hold of me, here's my email. You know, and then I respond to Friday, something like that. Maybe not handing out your phone number or those sorts of things or having some sort of like a client only business only form of communication. It's just those little things, and I think a lot of people maybe don't think of it, whether it's the professional or the client. They don't really think anything of it. Maybe it's seen as a way of being really kind or really...

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:14:30-00:15:28]
you know, just compassionate. If anything happens, give me a call. And the, you know, the couple of times you say, if anything happens, give me a call. And then that becomes something that you overextend to people. Now you've opened yourself up to just, you know, an onslaught of messages. And sometimes, you know, People, individuals can look at other resources, right? Just because somebody that we know has knowledge in a certain field. My son's best friend, he's 13. His dad's an emergency, an ER doctor, right? I could message his wife. I could message him. I could, but I don't.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:15:28-00:15:29]
Exactly. Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
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Out of respect.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Yeah. It's like the consideration.

[SPEAKER 1]
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Yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Like that quote, like treat others how you would want to be treated. It's the exact same way. Like if I don't want my boundaries crossed, if I don't want, you know, anything like that, then I need to stop and ask myself why, would I do this to somebody else? Like, is sending this message going to be the kindest thing for me as a client or, or should I follow clinic protocol and call and book an appointment? You know, like.

[SPEAKER 1]
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And is this person going to give me what I need?

[SPEAKER 2]
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Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
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Like if the end result is going to be, you need to go and see a doctor, you need to go to the emergency clinic, go to the emergency clinic. If, it's a concern enough that you're going to reach out to somebody. Then if you have that sense that something is wrong, like absolutely explore it and make sure that you get the care that you need for your animal. Um, but go about it through the proper channels.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:16:36-00:16:58]
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Flipping back to looking at the veterinary professional themselves rather than whether than just the clients, um, What are some early signs of burnout or compassion fatigue that vets and animal care workers can look in themselves and watch out for in themselves?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:16:59-00:19:34]
Yeah. And to add on to that, I wouldn't just say themselves, but their colleagues. Yeah. Like it's also really important that as a community we look out for each other. And sometimes when you're in it, you can't see the trees through the forest and you do need somebody else to say, hey, you know, these are the things that I'm noticing. These are the changes that I'm observing. It's not like you. But, yeah, some early signs could be exhaustion that doesn't go away. So, and this is burnout in general for anybody, not just veterinary professionals. Yeah. It doesn't discriminate. So, yeah, rest that doesn't, or exhaustion that doesn't go away with rest. A sense of detachment. A cynicism. I've really seen that one. Difficulty finding joy in work. Kind of like that sense of numb. You're just numb. Irritability. Sometimes you'll see people that typically are happy-go-lucky, go with the flow, don't take things personal. And now they're very irritable. They're on edge. Maybe they're oversensitive or more sensitive than normal and feeling overwhelmed by even small tasks. I've seen this as well in people. you know, asking somebody if they could make a checklist, let's say, and it's like, I can't make a checklist. Like I, I, all these things. And really, if you take a step back and you piecemeal it out, like there might be two things that are very minimal, but it's just, again, the sense of overwhelm, little things are overwhelming. Um, and then physically, um, headaches muscle tension um trouble sleeping so that's the biggest red flag would be if somebody starts to question their career choice yeah if it's something that you loved and you've done it for a long time um or even not, and it's something that you loved and dreamed about, then, you know, if you're questioning your career choice, then, you know, in some cases, it's not the career. In some cases, it could just, it could be the environment that you're in, the clinic that you're working at, the culture that exists there as well.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:19:35-00:20:10]
Yeah, absolutely. And that's a very good point to make as well, that it's, you know, having those support systems and having that, you know, that setting that may be different in a different setting. Yeah, that's a great point to make as well. So I know you have a vast background in yoga and meditation and mindfulness in general. How does practices like that, modalities like that, mindfulness, yoga, breathwork, meditation, et cetera, how do they help with the physical and emotional demands of veterinarian work?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:20:14-00:22:01]
Physiologically, they help to regulate the nervous system. So it helps to move us from that fight or flight state or high cortisol, and it helps to bring us towards rest and digest. So breath work in particular, deep breathing exercises directly stimulate the vagus nerve. So that helps to bring us out of our head and our emotions and ground us, kind of bring us back to reality and out of our head so much. And so it makes it easier to manage stress and emotional strain. So the breath work in particular is, immediate relief. And I think it's underrated and underutilized because it's in all of us. You don't need a special tool. You don't need a special training. We breathe daily. However, we typically only use the first two-thirds of our diaphragm. Because we are in that fight or flight state. And so when we go and do that abdominal breathing, then that's what stimulates that vagus nerve. And I've said to veterinary professionals, and the same would be true for your audience, is that it's actually, with the exception of human beings, it's all of the animals and nature around us, they show us how to breathe. Because they're not sucking their gut in. They're not consistently in fight or flight. And if you look at any animal in your home around you, you will see them use the full extent of their diaphragm.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:22:03-00:22:21]
And they also, like, know how to properly release as well. It's like the shake. You see a dog shake. You see a horse shake. You know, they're like... And then it's like, oh, OK, I'm safe. Let me shake that off and then go about the rest of my day. And whereas humans were like, oh, and then we just stay like that. Like we don't properly release it.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:22:22-00:23:40]
Yeah. So I find that the animals that surround us can be really great examples of how we could enhance how we move through life. And so breathwork can give you that immediate relief in high stress moments and then mindfulness can help us stay present. So staying present is really important. Sometimes we can get lost in either past cases or future worries, and that can be very consuming and dangerous for our mental health. So the more that we can really be here now and focus on what's in front of us, I think that is also helpful in finding joy in our life and decreasing the amount of stress. If we can only control what we can control, what we can control is this present moment. We're not going to change what we've done in the past, and we're not going to have any impact on what's going to happen next. So I think the other thing, too, that I've said to the teams that I work with is any animal that you interact with, they feel your energy. You know this.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:23:40-00:23:40]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:23:41-00:24:17]
Oh, yeah, absolutely. So if you as a professional within the veterinary industry or like or animal husbandry or whatever, if you are stressed, if you are overwhelmed, if you are emotional, then. Those animals that are in your care and around you, they're apprehensive. They're unsure. They're not settled. It's those people that have a sense of calm about them. that you will see those animals gravitate towards.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:24:18-00:24:19]
Absolutely.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:24:20-00:26:45]
You know, it's the same as when you go into somebody's house and if there is a dog that's reactive, I know people want to be like, oh, hi, and all excited. But that frequency is off-putting to them. If you can be calm and ignore them. Same with children, children who are shy, let's say, or characterized as shy. If you pay more attention to them, they're going to hide even further in the corner. But if you just are calm, present and not forceful, then they are going to eventually come around. Yeah. So, yeah, I think that that's worth saying, too, is like any of your energy and your high emotion and your stress, especially in a profession where you're interacting with animals, that is also comes through with them as well. Going back to how can yoga and breathwork and mindfulness help? Physically, yoga helps to counteract that physical strength. hmm so there is repetitive movement um and they're depending on your height now those counters are not they don't move up and they don't move down so myself i'm six feet tall when i was working as a technician i constantly had like my legs were more than hip width apart so that i could be ergonomically standing and restraining an animal now it'd be great if it was a newfoundland dog On a table, I'd be able to stand up straight and hold that dog. But if I have an itty bitty kitty on the same counter, you know, my posture is not going to look great. So yoga will help with your posture, your flexibility, core, resilience. And core is important for your lower back. So a lot of back injuries happen because you're holding an animal on an x-ray table to take an x-ray. You're holding an animal, restraining an animal, again, like on a countertop surface. You have an animal that's sedated and very heavy and you have to carry it into the surgery suite. So that core and having a strong core also helps to protect your lower back. So all of these tools can help you to reset and recharge rather than carry the stress of the day with you.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:26:46-00:28:22]
Absolutely. And I know that. You were speaking a lot to small animals as well. And I think to the large animal vets, I mean, the exact same principles apply. Like you might not be lifting, you know, the horse or the other, you know, large farm animal onto anything, so to speak, but there's still heavy load. There's still, if you are doing, let's say like a flexion test and you're picking up hooves, like there's still, you're still bent over. The horse may not, have a lot of foot handling and so you're not only trying to do the flex test but you've got a horse that doesn't really want you to pick up its foot and do the flex test you know there's a lot of those things that come into play um also proprioception as well like knowing where your body is um A horse may quickly move its foot and you've got to know to move your foot out of the way or something like that. There's a lot of that that can come into play as well, that yoga. And then just the mindfulness aspect because you're not in your fight or flight, so you're not reactive, you're responsive. And so you have that almost just like that calmer, more relaxed state to make, like you had said, make those decisions from a place of like intention and calm rather than reaction. Yeah, there's so many things that come into play, especially with working with, you know, the fight or flight animals.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:28:24-00:28:37]
Yeah, definitely. I think that Yoga is beneficial in the sense that it gives you an idea of alignment.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:28:37-00:29:27]
So I can speak from my own personal, like I started yoga 15 years ago and I had a new awareness about about like my posture my body and how I was holding it and so I was more conscientious in how I was standing when I was and what I my alignment looked like when I was at work to help minimize any potential injury yeah yeah absolutely you know bend with your knees don't lift with your back I'm laughing because the amount of times I say that to my husband, I'm like, uh-uh. Don't put your back out because I need your help with work around the farm.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:29:27-00:29:41]
Yeah. And when you're 20, you might not think about that so much. But as you get into your 30s and you realize, like, this is a physical career. And if you want to do it and have longevity in it, then you need to take care of your body. You need to take care of your mind.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:29:41-00:29:43]
Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:29:43-00:29:46]
So there may be some animal professionals.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:29:46-00:30:37]
And the reason why I'm saying animal professionals and not just vets is because all of these things that we're speaking to apply to body workers, farriers, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. The list goes on for the way that these can apply to people in terms of boundaries, physical well-being, mental well-being, et cetera. A lot of people may be listening to this and thinking, okay, great. That all sounds perfect, but I'm really busy. So I've got like a crazy workload and I've got kids or I've got a horse, you know, that I have to tend to after work, et cetera, et cetera. We've all got things going on in our lives. What are some practical ways to incorporate that? these practices or other self-care practices into a busy, often unpredictable schedule.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:30:38-00:30:57]
I met somebody last week and she was talking about she wanted to start meditation and she was starting meditation. And I think that there's a big misconception that things have to be rigid and they don't have to be rigid and they don't have to take a lot of time.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:30:57-00:30:58]
Mm-hmm.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:30:59-00:31:06]
So micro breaks, even 30 seconds of deep breathing between appointments can reset your nervous system.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:31:07-00:31:07]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:31:08-00:32:17]
Three deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Three of those with intention, you've done it. You've reset your nervous system. And then you build on it. And I think I often go back to like, If you want something to be sustainable, you don't eat the elephant in one bite. you break it down into manageable, bite-sized, digestible pieces. And if you want to create a healthy habit, if you want it to be sustainable, then it has to be something that isn't going to take five minutes. Five minutes doesn't sound very long, but the person I was speaking to about meditation, she was like, I heard that you have to start at five minutes, it has to be in the morning, and then you do this other thing at night. And I was like, One minute of breathing first thing in the morning or when you can. That's the other thing is, OK, you know, does it have to be first thing in the morning? Could it not be sometime where middle of the day or before you go to bed at night? I think people tried or gets too prescriptive.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:32:17-00:32:17]
Yeah. Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:32:19-00:33:01]
You want to form a habit and you should take a time each day to do it, but it doesn't, it has to be a time that works for you or else it's not going to be something that you're going to do. So micro breaks, 30 seconds of deep breathing movement. So a few stretches at lunch or a short walk, you know, just helping to decrease your tension in our body and, Boundaries. So that would be setting limits on after hours communication, taking real lunch breaks. Real lunch breaks. I know. It is a foreign thing.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:33:01-00:33:02]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:33:03-00:34:36]
But really just being mindful, especially now the weather is getting nice. You know, if you pack a lunch, go sit outside for 10, 15 minutes and eat your lunch. Listen to the birds. Look at the sights around you. Take in the smells. Just be present with your, like, eat your food and chew your food and taste your food. Take a hot cup of coffee outside or a cup of tea with you. Feel the warmth in your hands, the steam on your face, like how it tastes in your mouth. Like, just take it back. These things are not costly. This costs nothing. A gratitude practice, so just taking a moment to reflect on a positive interaction each day can help to shift perspective. So, yeah. Even if you want to build further on that, you could do a gratitude journal or you could just write down three things at the end of your day that were positive. And again, that's that shift in bringing like attracts like. So really creating that energy and that positivity, that gratitude and then your community support. So checking in with, you know, trusted colleagues. And really acknowledging, too, if you've had a tough case or a tough day or a tough client, talk about it. And that can help process the emotions instead of having them build up. So those are just a few practical ways that anybody could really bring self-care into a busy, unpredictable schedule.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:34:36-00:36:59]
Yeah. I love all of those suggestions and I really love the like little mindful breaks because that's the first thing that's the easiest thing to get started with, you know, like start there and then relisten to this podcast or write down, you know, the other practices and be like, okay, now I feel like I've gotten this, you know, it's quite habitual for me now in between clients or in between sessions. Now I'm going to start to weave in the other ones as well. Because I think too, you know, whether you are a large animal vet, or you're a small animal vet, or you're a farrier or a body worker or anything like that, like, you're going in between clients, you're going in between sessions before you go into the next clinic room before you pull into the or after you pull into the driveway, like take a second before you get out of your vehicle, you know, something like that, you can just do three breaths, it can look like you're just Checking your phone, you know, or something like that to somebody else. If you're like, I don't want them to think that I'm just sitting in my vehicle when I should be going in. Like it can be an easy way to weave into your into your day. I used to always anytime I'd have like a farrier or a vet or, you know, body worker or anything like that come and work on my horses. I would always go out, I'd see them pull in and I'd go out to meet them at their vehicle and be like, hey, what can I help you carry? You know, sometimes they're bringing in a lot of gear and stuff like that. And I would go out and help them bring in things to carry. And now I wait until I see them get out. And sometimes they sit in their vehicle for like five minutes before they get out. And they could easily be just checking some messages. you know, or something like that. I'm sure that they are, but that's a perfect time to just take a sec. And for me to honor that, to say, I see you sitting there taking your breaths, you know, and then coming into the barn where let's say my horses are feeling a little up that day. Maybe there's something going on where I'm feeling a little up that day, you know, and if, and if somebody comes in with a grounded presence, it's going to help to ground me as the horse owner. which can really disrupt the energy if the owner is, you know, feeling a little whatever.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:36:59-00:37:00]
Worried, concerned.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:37:01-00:37:20]
Exactly. It can be disruptive to the professional. It can be disruptive to the animal. And it can also just help to ground the animal as well. It's like there's so much benefit, not only to the professional to just take those three deep breaths, but it can have a trickle effect for every single other living being that they come in contact with. So I love that.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:37:21-00:37:21]
Thank you.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:37:23-00:38:05]
You mentioned briefly about also like the working environments and having a support system. So, for example, maybe the clinic that you work at is a really healthy environment. Maybe it's a not so healthy environment. Maybe you notice burnout in your colleagues and you have a conversation with them. There's so much support within the industry and in some cases lack of support within the industry. So speaking directly towards that, what are some effective ways to handle things like workplace conflict or miscommunication amongst the teams so that there can be the foster of more support?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:38:07-00:41:28]
Yes, I think so. In any facet of life, open, direct, and respectful communication is key. And creating a culture where team members feel safe expressing concerns helps to prevent small issues from escalating. Now, Sometimes if that's not been the culture, then you have to get back down. You really have to flush out what the big issues are and have some courageous conversations about some deep-seated things that maybe have never been explored or discussed directly. And a part of what I've seen that works very well is monthly one-on-ones. So our managers do monthly one-on-ones with their team. And that really helps keep things at bay. And you're also looking for trends. So if you're seeing common themes, common trends, it's, you know, it's coming up. Well- When the receptionist comes out back with a dog or when they announce the next appointment, nobody responds. So then it's simple. We have a staff meeting because we also have staff meetings monthly and it's saying, hey, just a reminder, we need to make sure that we acknowledge one another. So when our team members from out front are coming and giving us information and Please acknowledge. I've got that. I'll pass on that message because nobody wants to feel ignored. Right. Yeah. And also then they know that that information is going to get transferred. So I have found that one on one monthly followed by staff meetings monthly really helps because. And I think two staff meetings are important to make your team feel as though they are a part of it because it is for them. So it's not a top-down approach. It really should be bottom-up. So you should be getting what is working, what is not working, what needs to be changed. Let's have a conversation about that. Pick a topic. Yeah. You know, I've noticed that check-ins for surgeries are taking a lot longer. Let's talk about ways that we might be able to streamline this, make it more efficient. What should we add? What should we take away? What's missing? Okay, that's great. Who wants to take that project on and clean this up? Great. Thank you so much for taking the initiative. That's fantastic. Like, this is how you move things along. And that's how... People, when they feel as though they're a part of something and that their voice is heard and that it matters, then they contribute. And I say it to the teams that I'm involved with, you know, my goal is that they feel seen, heard, and supported. And I think that if you're showing up in that way for your team or as a part of a team, then... there's a much more openness to having conversations and also they're much more receptive to receiving feedback.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:41:29-00:41:30]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:41:31-00:41:39]
There was a horse trainer that I remember I was working with once and she said clear is kind and, It is Brene Browncoat. Yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:41:40-00:42:12]
Yeah. And I've I have carried that with me and I've used it time and time again, not just with horses, but in every touch point of my life. Clear is kind. The more clear that I am, it's kinder to me because I know you you're hearing what it is that I'm saying. Right. And being clear and it's kinder to you. because I'm being clear. You're not thinking, what does she mean by that? Or, like, she wants me to, what? Like, I'm confused here. I have to figure this out. Like, it's just kinder all around.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:42:13-00:42:23]
And, yeah. I say that to my managers. It is one of my favorite quotes as well, and it's Brene Brown, being clear is being kind.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:42:23-00:42:25]
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:42:26-00:44:30]
And I think that means that, yeah, People aren't left making up stories. Yeah. Like, this is the way that it is. I think what I'm learning more now with communication, and I think that it is also helping within the organization I'm a part of, is really going back to sex, not feelings. This is a very big feeling profession. Anybody who works with animals are big feeling people. They're caring, they're compassionate, they're kind. They want to help those that don't have a voice. It is a very honorable profession. I have so much respect for people who are helpers at heart. And it does extend beyond animal health. But I think that if... We can really, when we're in our head, take a moment and look at the facts. Like what has really happened? How often has it really happened? What is the data to support that? That helps kind of take us back to like, okay, that's actually, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. It's not, it doesn't always happen. It also doesn't never happen. Here's the frequency that it happens. And I think sometimes in conversations where we're talking about absenteeism, I find that that is something that is very helpful because everybody's perspective and reality of a situation is different. But if you can go to facts and say, I'm seeing a trend. You call in sick every Friday. I've pulled the report and this is what it looks like for the past three months. This isn't, I don't have feelings about this. These are the facts. Yeah. Let's have a conversation about this. And then people are very open to like, yeah, like numbers don't lie. Numbers don't have emotions.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:44:31-00:44:47]
Yeah, absolutely. I love that. Apart from things like communication, are there other ways that teams and workplaces can create a culture of wellness and support for their staff?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:44:50-00:47:45]
I firmly believe that it does start with leadership setting a tone. And so we can go back to boundaries. As a leader, and I have nine managers that... I manage and I ask them every two weeks. I hope they listen to this podcast. Um, and I will ask them, what do your hours look like? And I want to know that they are not working one hour over 80 hours. Hmm. And I want to make sure that they know that I support that as their manager and that they might have an internal dialogue where they feel like they should and they're shooting all over themselves. But that is not the expectation. And that's an outlier. That's not sustainable long term. And I, in turn, try to model that. And I just recently got back from vacation and I'm on vacation and I'll get back to you when I get back. And these are the people, if it's urgent and you can't wait, these are the people to reach out to. And I happen to be in Mexico and I couldn't access my emails if I wanted to. But, you know, I think if you get out of that fight or flight really feeling, cortisol that you always have to be checking, always have to be like what's coming in, what's coming in. And when you distance yourself from that and then you come back from your vacation and you realize things are still standing, people are okay, they figured it out. None of these are like critical. And I'm talking more from like a management standpoint, but also when you look at the team that you support, they can't handle it. And sometimes there's a little bit of learned helplessness here where you have to take more of an approach. You're like, okay, like, what don't you know how to do? Well, I will show you. And then the next time I'll have you show me. And so this is that support, that safe space. So I think leaders setting a tone is really important. Um, Initiatives like recognizing staff achievements, encouraging breaks. I definitely want our team to be encouraging each other like, hey, we've got 15 minutes before the first lunch happens. Who's going first? And them taking care of that themselves and really making it important that they're championing that for each other instead of it being like, you know, I think of the Flintstones. I'm probably dating myself, but like when they pull the cord and like the whistle blows, like nobody's going to.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:47:45-00:47:46]
And it was the bird.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:47:46-00:47:48]
It was the bird, yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:47:48-00:47:48]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:47:50-00:50:08]
Exactly. That's not going to happen. We have to monitor this ourselves. We have to encourage it and champion each other. We all deserve a break. We all deserve to take our lunch. And there are going to be days that that's not going to happen because that's just not going to be how the day goes and being okay with that too. Normalizing conversations around mental health can make a big difference. I've made a conscious effort for every team member to know that we have an employee assistance program. for them to know what that is. We have laminated sheets that sit on the fridge at all of our practices that show the team, the managers. We have conversations, and if somebody is having a difficult time or something has been noted, one of the first questions I'll ask them is, did you give them the EAP? And yes, I let them know that. So I think that makes a big difference. And then I have some resources that are available. I went and I found some simple stretches, like five to 10 minute stretches. I took QR codes to the YouTube links. So I made a handout that and I made a yoga wellness kit for not I say yoga, but a wellness kit for all of their staff rooms. So I had a yoga mat and a block, some stress, stress, like squishy things like tactile sensory things that they could use. And then I went and I laminated everything. One sheet that had QR codes for simple stretches that they could do. Some even for our team members that are more seated for most of the day. Things that they could do from seated at their desk. And then I did... Another sheet that had like five minute breathing exercises, anything from de-stress, decreasing anxiety, calming, and then a short little two minute video on mindfulness. So that's something that everybody has access to. But I like to remind the team quarterly or when I'm in like, oh, remember, this exists and this is for you and whatever. not just shoved in a corner.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:50:10-00:51:21]
That is just so cool. I mean, like, I hope people listening can like just take note of that. And if you're in charge of any teams or, you know, a leader in any capacity can think, how can I bring something like that in for my teams as well? Because that is just, it is so cool that you're offering that and that you've created those resources for your teams. And the other thing too, that I really, really loved um was at the very beginning when you said about the hours and I want to speak to that for a second because you're flipping the traditional script there is that right away when I heard you say what are your hours my my body immediately went to like the corporate past and thinking oh my gosh like have I been doing enough work this week like immediately goes like um She's going to get after me. Have I been doing enough? And it's and that's the traditional way that we look at workplaces is that the manager, the boss, you know, in quotations, anything like that is always looking at people being like, what are you bringing in?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:51:21-00:51:23]
How are you know, how hard are you working?

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:51:23-00:51:54]
What are your objectives? You know, how are you meeting them? Like, basically, what are you doing for me? And you're completely flipping that traditional script and saying, hey, how are you showing up for yourself? Because at the end of the day, but the more that somebody shows up for themselves, the more they are likely to show up for the business. But they're putting themselves for it's like that filling the cup, putting the oxygen mask on all of those different things. Now, sorry, please, please continue.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:51:55-00:53:15]
No, I was just going to add, like, and this is a real experience that I had last week. I was at, so I do travel. There's eight veterinary practices and I travel to the mall every four to six weeks. So they see me in person and everything. I was at one last week and it was payroll and I was in the office with the manager and she rolls her seat over and she's like, I just really want to show this to you. And she showed me the number and she's like, I just knew that you would be so happy when you saw this because she... was somebody that was like usually 82, 84 hours when I first started. And I should add that I've been in this role now for a year. So this is relatively new, but yeah, she rolled her feet over to me and she's like, see, like, good job. And yeah, that's what I want to encourage because I don't, I know my team works hard. I don't question the work that they're doing. I see the work that they're doing. But yeah, I do want them to take care of themselves. Because I want them to be our managers for a long time. I want them to have sustainability and longevity. And, you know, I want to work with them. So, yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:53:17-00:53:30]
It's just such a healthier workplace environment. I love it. I love that you know, that you're bringing that in. And like I said, I really hope that more workplaces start to move in that direction as well.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:53:30-00:53:31]
I'm hopeful.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:53:32-00:53:46]
Yeah, yeah. So I have one more question for you, Tara. And then we do have a rapid fire questions, but one more question related to this. And that is, if you could share one message with veterinarians and animal care workers about prioritizing their own well-being, what would it be?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:53:47-00:54:22]
I think you just alluded to it and I echo those sentiments and that is, you know, you need to put your own oxygen mask on first or you can't pour from an empty cup. This is really saying the same thing and taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's necessary. It's necessary to continue doing the work that you love in a sustainable way. And it's not a marathon. It's not a sprint. And the more you invest in your well-being, the more you'll be able to give to your patients and to your clients and to your team and really to yourself.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:54:23-00:54:35]
Absolutely. Yeah. All right. A couple of rapid fire questions that we ask our podcast guests. It's just like the first thing that pops into your mind. OK. The first one is, do you have a motto or favorite saying?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:54:36-00:54:60]
My dad used to say it's only a mistake if you don't learn from it. So I really feel like there's a lesson in everything. And if you keep doing the same thing over and over again, that's a different conversation. But I tell my children and I tell my team, you know, it's only a mistake if you don't learn from it. Like I'm not looking for perfection.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:55:03-00:55:06]
Who has been the most influential person in your animal care journey?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:55:09-00:55:55]
I have a lot. I do. I have a lot. But I couldn't think of one technician that when I was an assistant, she took me under her wing. And she really encouraged me to go on to be a technician. And then when I went to tech school... I worked with her again as a student, as a student tech. And then her and I ended up working together when I was done school. And she's now a teacher at the tech school. And she just had such a ripple effect and impact on so many people in this profession. But yeah, I definitely would say her for sure.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:55:55-00:56:02]
Yeah. And the final one, if you could give horse owners or animal owners in general, one piece of advice, what would it be?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:56:05-00:56:31]
Be patient. I think, you know, animals are incredibly intuitive and they really do respond to the energy around them. And so calmness and consistency and with patience. I think if you notice that you're getting frustrated, then that's a really good indication that it's time to hit pause.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:56:33-00:56:34]
Absolutely.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:56:35-00:56:39]
Absolutely. Have somebody else in, move on to another skill. Yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:56:42-00:57:20]
Yeah. I can't thank you enough for being here with us and sharing all of this. Like I said, I think this is going to be a really important episode for not only the professionals that work in the animal care industry, like I said, whether it's veterinarians or whether it is body workers, farriers, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, but also for those of us who are the guardians of animals and are in charge of their daily care and in bringing these professionals in and working with them in a collaborative environment. So I think that it's just a really important episode overall. So thank you so much, Tara.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:57:20-00:57:40]
I really appreciate it. It's been an absolute pleasure. And as much as we're talking about those that work with animals, self-care is important for everyone. So I'm hoping that there's something that everyone can take away and maybe implement for themselves. So it's been a pleasure and I really appreciate the opportunity. Thanks, Danielle.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:57:42-00:58:15]
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Equestrian Connection podcast by WeHorse. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean the world to us if you could leave us a rating and review, as well as share us on social media. You can find us on Instagram at WeHorse underscore USA and check out our free seven-day trial on WeHorse.com where you can access over 175 courses with top trainers from around the world in a variety of topics and disciplines. Until next time, be kind to yourself, your horses, and others.

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