What’s draining your energy at work? A survey for veterinary professionals

Veterinary medicine is often described in terms of workload and burnout, but some of the profession’s most persistent strains may have more to do with how work is interpreted, moment to moment, than hours or caseloads.

In the day-to-day of veterinary practice, small, repeated mental habits can accumulate into a steady drain on focus and energy. These 3 common mental roadblocks, or “energy blocks,” as described by Jennifer Edwards, DVM, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP, in the latest episode of The Resilient Vet: Mind and Body Strategies for Success, can drain energy and leave veterinary professionals feeling trapped, stressed, and discouraged:

1. Having unspoken expectations. This is defined by Edwards as “generational expectations that are passed down [within the veterinary profession] over time,” leading veterinary professionals to feel like they are constantly trying to meet them and potentially feeling like they are always falling short.

2. Having assumptions and mental stories about others. These, Edwards explains, are the meanings people attach to events or other people—versions of reality that feel true to them, even when they don’t fully reflect what’s actually happening.

3. Self-judgement. Persistent self-doubt, such as Am I good enough? Am I explaining this well enough to clients? and the running loop of internal critique are common experiences among veterinary professionals, according to Edwards. Left unchecked, these thoughts can quietly undermine confidence and add to the mental load of clinical work.

These patterns rarely announce themselves, yet they shape how veterinarians, technicians, and other staff experience their days as much as any medical outcome. When energy starts to waver or negative feelings surface, Edwards suggests pausing to examine the thought behind the feeling.

Edwards explores these themes further in the full podcast episode, available now. For a quicker read, a companion slideshow highlights the episode’s most practical takeaways, one idea at a time.

The survey below is anonymous and is designed to help you reflect on how these thought patterns show up in your daily work life and how they may influence your energy, focus, and overall well-being.