Although self-care is sometimes associated with selfishness, self-indulgence and self-centeredness, that perception is far from true, especially in the case of veterinary team members, who dedicate their lives to caring for others.
That message is at the heart of the CommuniVET™ “15-Minute Refresh Break” challenge, a campaign that promotes the importance of “selfless self-care” and discusses simple ways veterinary professionals can take better care of themselves.
Between September 1 and 27, veterinary team members are invited to carve out at least 15 minutes from their busy schedules, in order to engage in an activity of their choice that gets their heart pumping, reduces their stress, and brings them a sense of joy. Participants are invited to snap a selfie, share it on the CommuniVET™ Facebook page, and are also encouraged to tag veterinary colleagues and co-workers, to inspire them to follow suit.
To further demonstrate how self-care can help improve the capacity to care for others, CommuniVET™’s campaign partner, Merck Animal Health, will make a donation to Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB) Canada, based on the total number of submissions received. The more selfies posted, the larger the donation amount!
“We thought it would be fun to give self-care selfie submitters one more reason to smile – which is why we will automatically enter the names of all participants in a draw for a chance to win one of three $250 Lululemon gift cards,” adds Ms. Desforges.
The “15-Minute Refresh Break” challenge draw will take place on Sept. 28. Fittingly, that date also marks World Rabies Day, a global day of awareness and advocacy focused on achieving the goal of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by the year 2030.