Combating Veterinary Perfectionism: The Practice of Self-Compassion
I can’t believe I missed that diagnosis.
How could I have forgotten to send that medication home?
I am a horrible veterinarian.
We are often our own worst critics. How frequently do you say hurtful things to yourself like the statements above? Would you speak to a close friend in this same way? Perfectionism and self-criticism are extremely common among veterinarians and can result in poor wellbeing. To address perfectionism, we must recognize that it is occurring, and choose to decrease our perfectionist tendencies. One tool to combat perfectionism is the practice of self-compassion.
Perfectionism in the Veterinary Profession
Perfectionism can be defined as having unrealistic expectations of yourself and/or others, and increased levels of perfectionism have been correlated with anxiety and depression. Perfectionism appears to be extremely common within the veterinary profession, and perfectionist tendencies are often rewarded or encouraged even as early as the pre-veterinary stage.
Consider the entrance into veterinary school. Veterinary schools are extremely competitive so to achieve acceptance into veterinary school, students may feel the need and desire to be perfect in their coursework or standardized testing. The rigorous veterinary curriculum often demands perfectionism, and a big mistake could mean the end of your veterinary career.
Recently, I was speaking with several veterinary students who acknowledged some of the poor mental health outcomes of perfectionism but stated that they would rather continue being perfectionists because it was the only way to succeed in veterinary school. They perceived that failure was not accepted or tolerated.
Upon entering practice, veterinarians might feel the need to be perfect in treating their patients as a mistake could be life-threatening. Every step of the way, perfectionism often feels necessary, but is it healthy and sustainable for the veterinarian?
Veterinary Wellbeing and Perfectionism
Perfectionist tendencies have the potential to create a lot of stress for veterinarians. Crane et al. (2015) performed a study measuring perfectionism in veterinarians in Australia and found that those who had higher levels of perfectionism were at a higher risk for distress from moral dilemmas. High levels of work-related stress has the potential to cause veterinary burnout. In this study, veterinarians who had low levels of perfectionism did not report an increase in their stress after experiencing morally significant events.
In a study done in the U.K., mistakes were often perceived as extremely stressful for new veterinary graduates, and several veterinarians even considered changing careers after a mistake was made. With the elevated suicide rate within the veterinary profession compared to the general population, it is important to assess what factors may be contributing to this issue. A meta-analysis on the relationship between suicide and perfectionism found that there may be an association between perfectionism and suicide.
Perfectionism that is directed at others also has the potential to create stress and conflict in the veterinary practice. If a client does not follow through perfectly on treatment recommendations or if a veterinary team member is not meeting the unrealistically high expectations of the veterinarian, a perfectionist vet may feel frustrated, stressed, or angry.
To promote veterinary wellbeing, it is vital that we begin to address perfectionism within the profession.
Red Flags of Perfectionist Thinking
The first step of addressing perfectionism is to recognize that it is occurring. By monitoring the words that you say to yourself, you may notice a few red flags for perfectionism. Individuals who are perfectionists may often find themselves saying words like:
Should
Shouldn’t
Have to
Must
Supposed to
Can’t
Often perfectionists have very black and white thinking which can lead to difficulty when circumstances don’t meet expectations that you have set for yourself or others. Here are some other red flags suggested by Vetlife that indicate that you may be a perfectionist:
Even after achieving a goal, you feel unfulfilled
You feel like you are not good enough
You have to do everything perfect, good is not enough
You feel that your self-worth is measured by what you achieve
Self-Compassion: An Antidote to Perfectionism
Kristen Neff, an expert on self-compassion, describes self-compassion as a way of treating yourself kindly like you would a close friend or loved one instead of criticizing yourself for mistakes or inadequacies. A large body of research in self-compassion suggests that self-compassion may promote mental health and well-being. The practice of self-compassion can be extremely helpful for veterinarians. Self-compassion consists of three components: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.
1. Self-kindness
Self-kindness is the ability to be kind to yourself even in the face of mistakes, failures, or imperfections. When practicing self-kindness, try to talk to yourself and console yourself like you would a close friend. You wouldn’t say to a close friend, “I can’t believe you messed up again.” Instead of self-judgment, offering kind words to yourself can help you work through difficult experiences.
A few phrases that you might say to yourself include:
It’s going to be ok.
May I be free from shame.
I am a good veterinarian.
2. Common humanity
Common humanity means that you are able to realize that you are not suffering alone. There are many others that go through similar experiences or challenges. By being able to shift your perspective out of feelings of isolation, you will begin to recognize that difficulties, imperfections, and suffering are a part of a normal human life and many others may be having shared experiences.
Here are a few phrases that you might say to yourself to cultivate a sense of common humanity:
I am human, humans make mistakes.
May I know that others are experiencing similar challenges.
It’s okay, a lot of other vets have made this same mistake.
3. Mindfulness
The third component of self-compassion is cultivating mindfulness. Mindfulness is considered being aware in the present moment without judgment. Kristen Neff suggests that you should allow yourself to be mindful of feelings and thoughts you may be experiencing in the moment without trying to suppress, judge, or over-identify with the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing.
A few mindfulness practices that may be helpful during times of stress include:
A short body scan practice
Square-breathing
Other Resources for Recovering Veterinary Perfectionists
In addition to self-compassion, it is important to note that there are many additional tools available to individuals wanting to work on their perfectionism. Here are a few additional resources to consider:
Seek professional help from a mental health professional: Mental health professionals will be able to help you identify the root cause of your perfectionism and can also give you individualized tips and recommendations on recovering from perfectionism.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction: Mindfulness-based stress reduction courses are amazing and can teach you how to become more mindful in your daily living. Mindfulness can be extremely helpful to those with perfectionism.
Seeking a vet mentor: A veterinary mentor can be a good supporter and advocate for you if you are struggling with perfectionism. Promoting wellbeing is one of the many benefits of having a vet mentor!
Joining a vet mentorship program: Structured mentorship programs can allow you to connect with others who may be experiencing similar feelings which can cultivate a sense of common humanity. This could help decrease your feelings of isolation.
Conclusion
Perfectionism, having unrealistically high expectations of yourself or others, is very common within the veterinary profession. Perfectionist veterinarians may have higher levels of stress and lower levels of well-being, especially when faced with the inevitable challenges of practice — heavy workload, mistakes, unexpected outcomes, and ethical dilemmas.
Self-compassion including self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness can all be beneficial tools to help perfectionist vets. Self-compassion is just one tool that can be used to help perfectionists. There are many other tools available including seeking help from a mental health professional and veterinary mentorship programs.
By recognizing perfectionism as an issue within the vet profession, we can begin to take steps to address perfectionism not only at the individual level but within our industry as a whole including at our veterinary practices and veterinary schools. Creating systemic change is key to promoting wellbeing in the veterinary profession.
