Longevity in Animal Sheltering
Longevity in Animal Sheltering
By Meaghan Colville, Shelter Director, Cincinnati Animal CARE (Best Friends Executive Leadership Certification Graduate, Cohort 2)
It’s no secret to those in the field: animal services as a profession is hard. It can be heartbreaking, and emotional, and question our faith in humanity. On the other hand, it can be rewarding, and inspiring, and bolster our faith in humanity; which is why we keep showing up.
Through the ups and downs of working full-time hours in animal sheltering over the last 14 years, I have seen it, or better yet, felt it all. As much as I love what I do, I have struggled with difficult days, weeks, and even months. Even on our best days, it can sometimes feel that all it takes is a tough end of life decision, a critical social media comment, or a crying person in the lobby to precipitate a downward spiral.
Over the last decade, I’ve thought about quitting more times than I can count. Sometimes it sounds nice to work somewhere that doesn’t require live and death decisions or doesn’t attract such levels of scrutiny from the public. But whenever I think of going somewhere else, I know that I wouldn’t be happy. This job is hard but it’s the “hard” that I love. Animal sheltering challenges me in ways nothing else can so day after day, I keep coming back.
In order to keep coming back, I’ve prioritized taking care of myself. Through trial and error and the maturity that experience provides, I’ve become more attune to what helps me through bad days and what helps my mind recover and maintain a higher level of balance. I know that my longevity in the animal services profession is directly tied to how well I take care of myself holistically. Some people call it ‘self-care’, but I prefer personal wellness.
A good personal wellness plan is intentional, fosters resiliency, increases energy, and provides perspective. The following are 10 personal wellness strategies I have implemented into my daily life that help keep me balanced and ready to go day after day.
- Get active.
Find time to move every day. This can be walking, gardening, or working around the house, but anything counts as long as you are moving. I go to the gym five days a week before work at 5:45am. I hate waking up so early so this habit took some time to build but I feel so much better every day when I do.
- Find hobbies or activities away from work.
Hobbies or activities can be anything you enjoy that makes you focus on something other than the shelter. I’ve been playing tennis again (I played in college) and reading more. I love doing things around the house like home improvement, spending time with my cats and dogs, or taking care of my chickens.
- Take time off.
This includes establishing hard start and hard stop times on work days. I’ll admit, taking time off has historically been difficult for me, especially when I’m doing something I love. Making sure I take a two-day weekend every week, not taking work home at night or on the weekend, and taking full weeks away on vacation or to stay at home have been very impactful for me.
- Set boundaries around all of life’s responsibilities.
We all have responsibilities and obligations but saying “no” can make a big difference to the quality of your life. Give yourself permission to say no to the things outside of work that don’t bring you energy or happiness. This might mean skipping dinner with friends if you are exhausted or that dinner is bringing you more dread than excitement.
- While at work, make time for the things you love.
Think about what got you into animal services to begin with. Think about your favorite part of the day or your favorite job position you held in the profession. Identify what energizes you and make time for it. Keep in mind that what you love about animal sheltering may evolve over time but if hanging with cats is something you like to do, or you find peace in writing SOPs, find time to do it.
- Stay off social media or at least minimize animal-related stuff.
If you’re like me, your social media is filled with animals in need of help, people bashing pet owners looking to rehome their pets, and at worst, complaints about you or your organization. Even seeing the positive stuff can put me back in “work mode”, which is what I need a break from. A couple of years ago, I unfriended all local animal sheltering people (no offense to them, I just needed to be less engaged with work outside of work!) and removed email alerts from my phone. For networking and leadership purposes, I kept national friends and partners on my friend list. If you’re worried about missing something important when you remove your access to local social media, don’t worry- your team will let you know!
- Get sleep! 7+ hours a night but more if possible.
Research shows that your body needs 7+ hours of sleep a night to benefit from recovery. Recovery relates to your body and brain being able to rest and reset for the next day. This resonated with me because all of us in this profession live in a high-stress environment and need that recovery time. I try to wind down by 9pm or so and be in bed by 10pm at the latest.
- Cut back on substances that alter cognitive functioning.
Alcohol of any amount makes waking up for the gym much more difficult for me. I haven’t cut alcohol out of my life completely, but tend to reserve it for special occasions (like Ohio State football- Go Bucks!). Any substances or coping mechanisms that are present in our lives to numb emotions should be looked at closely to ensure we’re managing a balanced approach.
- Find Quiet.
I tend to radiate at a high frequency. I am passionate, intense, and was a competitive college athlete. I also grew up in Toronto and lived in other major cities of Atlanta and Los Angeles before settling in mid-size Cincinnati. I’ve always considered myself someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment. However, a couple years ago, I felt like I ran out of gas. I had a sudden craving for quiet. Within a year, I sold my house, moved 30 minutes outside the city and got chickens. I now look for opportunities to quiet my brain and have found it helps me immensely. I’ve started to meditate and most days I drive home with the radio off because the silence recharges me after a day of complete stimulation leading a county animal shelter.
- Journal. “`
Getting my thoughts out has assisted with my pursuit of quiet. It’s a great way to blow off steam in a private way as well as process experiences that I have had throughout the day or week. I find journaling to also help with emotional regulation. When stressed or consumed by negative thoughts, it’s difficult to view my situation objectively. Writing in a journal can help me create the space and distance needed to reflect on what has happened, where I am, and what is ahead more clearly.
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None of these strategies are groundbreaking and many of them you may have heard before, however, it’s their simplicity and accessibility that I hope will inspire action in others. It doesn’t matter what you do for personal wellness as long as it adds value and energy to your life. Creating time for ourselves to recharge can be challenging, but it must be considered non-negotiable if you intend to be in this profession for a long time. If you work in animal services and are reading this blog, know that we need you! The animals, your team, your family, and your community need you to be at your best every day. Nothing should be of a higher priority.
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