Tshidi Gardiner is a small animal vet, wellness transformation and leadership coach, and speaker. In this blog, she opens up about her personal journey through burnout and offers practical steps for recognising and managing it.
For weeks, I’d been feeling unwell, often vomiting and waking up each morning tired and then driving to work only to sit hyperventilating in my car, crying from extreme exhaustion. Despite these alarming symptoms, I was oblivious to their significance. I felt distant and detached from my job, a role that once filled me with passion and purpose now replaced by anxiety, stress, and cynicism. Worst of all, I felt ineffective and invisible, too embarrassed to share my struggles with anyone. It wasn’t until I squeezed in a lunchtime doctor’s visit that the word “burnout” was officially attached to my relentless fatigue and growing disillusionment with my job. I was completely unaware that these were classic signs of burnout. In a state of sheer denial, I returned to work after the diagnosis of chronic stress & burnout. I finished my shift, driven by guilt and a profound sense of duty, ignoring the personal risks and the potential liability should I make a mistake while under this mental duress.
A cycle of stress
Reflecting on that day, it’s clear that I was caught in a dangerous cycle with no apparent escape. There was no ‘them’ to turn to—only ‘me,’ and as a leader, the buck stopped squarely at my desk. This experience isn’t unique in our field, yet it’s seldom discussed openly. We face a mental health crisis in veterinary medicine, fueled by poor stress management and blurred work-life boundaries. It’s time we address the myths, signs, and strategies surrounding burnout, not just for our emotional and mental health but for the safety and wellbeing of the patients and clients we serve.
Debunking the Myths of Burnout
I had always thought that burnout was a sign of weakness and inability to hack the job. This is a myth and the reality is that burnout is a sign of sustained chronic stress, not a personal failing. It reflects the intense demands of our roles, not our inability to handle them.
In the months leading to my diagnosis, I had been led to believe that my poor time management was causing me stress and would cause me to burnout. The truth is burnout can stem from a variety of factors, including lack of control over work, unclear job expectations, and dysfunctional workplace dynamics, not just how we manage time.
The road to recovery
Taking a bit of time off or having a 2 week holiday should be enough to recover from burnout, right? Nope! My example is (somewhat extreme) as I was signed off for 2 weeks, the vomiting I mentioned earlier persisted, violently so I was hospitalised before the 2 weeks were up. I was in and out of hospital 4 times over 6 months due to the physical manifestation of my chronic stress. So, while breaks are important, true recovery requires a significant break and addressing the root causes, which often include systemic workplace issues or unreasonable personal expectations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes burnout as stemming from chronic workplace stress and categorises it into three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativity or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy. Recognising these signs early is the first critical step in addressing the issue.
My own ordeal led me to understand that I was not alone in experiencing burnout. As I journaled my way through recovery, it became clear that the insights gained could serve as valuable lessons for others. To offer support and guidance, I distilled my actions into a concise six-step process. This framework was designed to help me and my colleagues in the veterinary profession effectively manage and overcome burnout.
1) Recognise the Signs of Burnout: Pay attention to the warning signals—exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy can all indicate that burnout is taking hold.
2) Reset Your Mindset: Challenge your current perceptions of work and your role within it. Reflect on what brings you joy and satisfaction in your profession and focus on these elements.
3) Reverse the Damage: Take proactive steps to heal both physically and emotionally. This might mean seeking professional help, such as talking therapy or counseling, to work through the underlying issues.
4) Mindful Resilience: Strengthen your emotional and physical resilience through regular exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, and mindfulness practices.
5) Set Up Recovery Rituals: Establish daily or weekly rituals that promote wellbeing and provide a buffer against the stresses of work. This could be as simple as a daily walk or a weekly yoga class. I slip up sometimes and need to go back and check if my mindset is allowing me to drift back to my old ways but that’s normal.
6) Have Resources & Tools to Support You: Equip yourself with resources and tools that can help manage stress and workload, such as delegating tasks, setting clearer boundaries, or using technology to streamline processes.
By sharing my journey and these steps, I hope to lift the veil on the true nature of burnout within our profession. It is not a sign of individual weakness; rather, it represents a systemic issue that we must tackle collectively. Through open discussions, shared strategies, and meaningful systemic changes, we can reshape our workplaces into thriving environments where veterinary professionals can prosper.
Let’s embark on this path together to reignite our passion for veterinary medicine and elevate the wellbeing of our community. Wellbeing isn’t just a luxury—it’s the cornerstone of a long and fulfilling career. Together, we can stand committed to leading change, prioritising mental health, and creating a supportive professional environment where everyone can succeed—free from burnout, free from fear, and fully supported.
