Wellness

22 April

Healthy mind platter – supporting mental wellness as part of thriving

wsvma   |   Wellness

When we consider our healthiest selves, daily investment of love, attention, and energy investment are required.  There are 8 dimensions in the holistic wellness wheel (reference….).  Depending upon our needs and available resources, the amount of time and care focused on these 8 dimensions varies from day to day. As part of fortifying the Mental Wellness realm in this ‘wellness wheel’, we are going to explore utilizing the “healthy mind platter.” In 2011, the USDA replaced the healthy nutrition food pyramid into a...

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18 March

WSVMA member publishes wellbeing book for the veterinary profession

wsvma   |   Wellness

Dr. Sonja Olson, Vancouver, clinician health and wellbeing trainer for Blue Pearl has published a new book specifically for the veterinary profession. Dr. Olson is the author of Creating Wellbeing and Building Resilience in the Veterinary Profession, A Call to Life, which aims to help veterinary caregivers increase self-efficacy, decrease suffering, and increase sustainability in their mission to support animal health. The book was released on March 17. Dr. Sonja Olson graduated from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine with a...

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16 July

WSVMA extends member benefit for coaching, career counseling and support

wsvma   |   COVID-19, Wellness

The WSVMA is extending the personal- and professional support member benefit originally established last year to support WSVMA members in navigating COVID-19-related stressors. Dr. Carrie La Jeunesse, DVM, CT, CFE is offering discounted 50-minute coaching, career counseling, and personal/professional support sessions tailored to individual WSVMA members. Sessions are first-come, first served. Discounted fees are on a sliding scale of $65 to $95 per hour. Individuals may choose the fee that best fits their current personal financial circumstances; that fee will be...

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07 May

President’s Message: Habit #4 – Win-Win

wsvma   |   Wellness

Greetings and good wishes to all of our WSVMA colleagues. I hope this edition of the newsletter finds you well and thriving. With the arrival of spring, the relaxation of Covid mitigation protocols, increasing rates of vaccine distribution, and the return of longer daylight hours with the promise of warm sunshine, it’s easy to feel optimistic about the future. Since my last column, the board and our WSVMA organizational team has been pushing forward to position our organization for excellence as...

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09 April

Self-compassion: a courageous act of self-care

wsvma   |   Wellness

As time goes on, this pandemic is more of a marathon than a sprint. When looking forward, it’s important that we use our marathon-running skills, rather than our sprinting skills, to ensure that we’re able to bounce back and flourish when life gets back to normal. Self-compassion is a great tool to help you thrive during challenging times. Compassion is a sensitivity to or awareness of the suffering of others and a desire to ameliorate it. Self-compassion is focusing that awareness...

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26 March

Free to the profession: Suicide prevention training

wsvma   |   Professional News, Wellness

Veterinary medicine is a community, and a community supports its members. For that reason, the AVMA is pleased to begin offering free training in suicide prevention to all veterinary professionals. The free training – known as QPR gatekeeper training, short for “question, persuade, refer” – has been available to AVMA and SAVMA members for several years as a pilot program. More than 2,500 members have completed or begun the training, and their positive feedback fueled the decision to expand the program to the...

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12 March

Joint Statement from AAVMC/AVMA Regarding Mental Health and Suicide in the Veterinary Profession

wsvma   |   Wellness

  This has been a difficult year for many, and in the past week, we have heard reports of veterinary colleagues who have died by suicide. Mental health concerns are complex and multi-faceted, and although we may not fully understand what an individual is experiencing, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) know that our profession can work to offer hope and help save lives. There are supports and resources available for those...

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17 December

COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for veterinary professionals

wsvma   |   COVID-19, Wellness

As reported last month, the WSVMA has been advocating with Gov. Inslee’s office and with the Wash. Dept. of Health for veterinarians and their teams to be included in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccination distribution plan. In late October, we sent a letter and have followed up with them again to reiterate the important reasons why veterinary professionals qualify for early vaccinations. Veterinarians and veterinary teams contribute directly to supporting the food and agriculture industries, providing services that are...

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06 November

Healing and preventing burnout by creating conditions for health

wsvma   |   Wellness

The daily, grinding stress so often experienced by people in the helping professions is what causes the psychological injury we know as burnout. Burnout is a state of depletion – mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion – that leaves us feeling drained and overwhelmed, unable to meet the constant demands that created the problem in the first place. Like any other injury, burnout is best prevented. The good self-care that helps us heal from psychological injury also helps us prevent it. Healing...

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09 October

Top Suicide Prevention and Veterinary Medical Organizations create post-suicide guide for veterinary workplaces 

wsvma   |   Wellness

A colleague’s suicide affects everyone. When someone you know or care about takes their life, it’s not uncommon to experience significant grief, and even physical and mental health impacts. In these circumstances, critical support is needed to help those left behind. A new guide offers that critical support for veterinary team members. This free resource, After a Suicide: A Guide for Veterinary Workplaces, was created by the AVMA and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and released in partnership with the...

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