Risky Business. Staying in balance. Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital 332 Windsor Rd Baulkham Hills NSW 2153

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1 Risky Business Staying in balance BVSc, MVS, MACVSc, AIMM Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital 332 Windsor Rd Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 My previous presentation on burnout at this conference (Hay 2007) suggested that the achieving of a balance in life is a very important tool to reduce the risks of burnout and other stress related problems. Work life balance has become a bit of a cliché that can mean what ever you want it to for example a workaholic may be quite convinced that they have reached a balance in their life that others may regard quite differently. It is clear however that without some balance in our lives we are vulnerable to very real health and emotional problems that can threaten our health, our career and our relationships. It is clear however that the balancing act is a fluid rather than a fixed state that will change as our lives change the desires and priorities of a single new graduate veterinary associate will probably be very different to those of a middle aged practice owner with children at high school. What are we balancing? Ross Gittens (2006) believes that we are striving to balance our activities at work with our career, our family and with leisure. People who achieve this balance are happier and healthier for doing so. These activities do overlap of course but it is important to look at each component of our lives specifically as well. David Foote (2006) also suggests that we need to look to internal balance as well between our emotional and intellectual life and how we deal with anger, conflict, frustration and grief. The adage No-one lies on their deathbed wishing they had spent more time at work has a certain truth about it! Where do we start? There is no point in looking at our life balance until we look at ourselves and what we really want for our lives. Covey (1990) suggests that the best place to start is to determine what is important to you individually before you establish your goals in effect a personal statement of vision, values and mission. This then allows you to apportion your time and efforts where they will be the most satisfying and productive. The balance you then wish to achieve can be planned around what is important to you. A good way to envision these important and unchangeable values is to imagine what you would like people to say about you at your funeral or in a testimonial speech. Think about the big picture! - 1 -

2 Richard Eckersley (1999) makes the point this way (citing Australian researchers Headey and Wearing): Psychological well-being is closely related to meaning in life, with positive life meaning being related to strong religious beliefs, selftranscendent values, membership in groups, dedication to a cause and clear life goals. Bruce Headey and Alex Wearing, in their book, Understanding Happiness, note that: A sense of meaning and purpose is the single attitude most strongly associated with life satisfaction. Psychologist, Martin Seligman, argues that one necessary condition for meaning is the attachment to something larger than the self, and the larger that entity, the more meaning people can derive: The self, to put it another way, is a very poor site for meaning. Time management Time management skills are important to help prioritise our activities, to work and play more effectively and to avoid wasting time. Covey (1990) suggests that we use our values and vision to provide the framework for our plans and our time management. He argues that it is best to spend our time on things that are important to us and that we should direct as much time as possible to important non urgent activities. Judy Tier (2006) offers four principles for effective time management: Simplify your life Invest in what you value most Plan your future Learn to say NO I would add delegation and a commitment to change to this list as important ways of keeping focussed on the important things and of freeing up time to spend on balancing your life. There is an excellent summary of time management skills and tools at Looking at life balance Judy Tier (2006) offers a series of statements that provide an inventory of lifestyle balance: I eat at least one balanced meal a day I get seven or eight hours sleep at least four nights a week I take quiet time for myself during the day I am able to organise my time effectively I do something for fun at least once a week I get strength from my religious beliefs or meaning system I am the appropriate weight for my height I take fewer than eight alcoholic drinks a week - 2 -

3 I give and receive affection regularly I regularly attend club or social activities I exercise to the point of perspiration at least three times a week I have an income adequate to meet basic expenses I have a network of friends and acquaintances I have one or more friends to confide in about personal matters I am in good health I am able to speak openly about my feelings when angry or worried I have regular conversations with people I live with about domestic issues I drink fewer than three cups of coffee or cola a day The more strongly you can agree with these statements then the closer you are to achieving balance in your life. The healthy lifestyle The benefits of a healthy lifestyle are enormous and an integral part of the balance. The basic components are: Exercise the more the better Diet both what we eat and how much we eat Moderate limits to alcohol intake Sleep and relaxation No smoking Even small amounts of exercise are beneficial and within reason benefits will accrue as you exercise more. The more the better and the more strenuous the better but this must be matched to your general health and a full health assessment. There is much evidence now linking moderate exercise to a longer, healthier life with less stress, better sleep and better weight management. There is significant benefit from including resistance (weight) training as part of an exercise program. I would recommend establishing a relationship with a gym if possible and making regular exercise part of your lifestyle. Sensible eating and drinking is a well recognised part of a healthy balanced life. Simple guidelines include: Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (seven servings a day) Make your grains and breads wholegrain Include lean meat, fish, poultry or alternatives Include reduced-fat dairy foods or alternatives Drink plenty of water Limit saturated fat and be careful with all fats Choose foods low in salt and use salt sparingly Limit your intake of alcohol maximum daily four standard drinks for men and two for women with two alcohol free days per week Be moderate with sugar and sugary foods Maintain a healthy weight (copyright Good Health Solutions 2005) - 3 -

4 Two other rules I like are to not eat anything with more than three or four ingredients listed on the pack and to avoid processed foods with ingredients that you can t pronounce! The non smoking rule requires no further explanation of course. Apart from regular effective sleeping habits at night a good practice is to develop the skill to power nap (Scott 2007). This is a short (fifteen to thirty minutes) light sleep normally taken in the afternoon and it has been shown to have many benefits for general health and productivity. A very useful and powerful alternative is to develop meditation and relaxation skills (Foote 2006). It is also really important to set aside time to be alone. Professional balance Working as a veterinarian is more than just turning up at work each day. It is important to be a veterinarian who is a committed member of our profession with all the privileges and responsibilities that implies. There are ways to get the most out of being a veterinarian and achieving balance within our professional lives: Embrace life long learning including a commitment to continuing professional development Embrace and celebrate the human animal bond and our role in promoting and sustaining it Become animal advocates and put animal welfare first Join and become in involved in our professional associations Develop networking skills and make professional friends Take our profession to the wider community in an altruistic way Treat other veterinarians and veterinary practice staff with respect Embrace excellent veterinary practice management procedures Embrace good stress management strategies particularly grief management and conflict resolution (Hay 2007) Personal balance It is very important to also have a life away from work. Strategies include: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle (see above) Setting aside time for leisure, recreation and family life Developing hobbies and other recreational activities, particularly if they involve the outdoors is very useful (Gittens 2006). Nurturing and supporting family and other relationships Joining and contributing to community organisations Practicing good relaxation techniques Finding someone to talk to one on one Life balance is a critical part of how we live and is at the core of our success at work and in the rest of our lives. We must keep our balance under review and change our plans and activities in response to changes in stage of life and our priorities. The key is to have fun and be happy and the outcome is a longer, more productive and more satisfying life

5 References Hay L (2007) Avoiding burnout: the biggest risk in veterinary practice. AVPMA Management Stream Proceedings AVA Conference Melbourne 2007 Gittens R (2006) How to be happy. Sydney Morning Herald January p25 Foote D (2006) Stress Management. AVPMA Conference Stream Proceedings at AVA Conference Hobart 2006 p79 Covey S (1990) Seven habits of highly effective people. Franklin Covey Press Tier J (2006) Managing time. AVPMA Management Stream Proceedings AVA Conference Hobart 2006 Eckersley R (1999) Measuring well-being: Material progress and quality of life. Keynote address to Made to Measure Conference Council of Social Service of NSW Sydney, 27 October Good Health Solutions (2005) Ten tips for healthy eating. Scott E (2007) Power napping for increased productivity, stress management and health