You know that moment when you finally sit down after a 12-hour shift, and instead of feeling relief, you feel... anxious? Your mind races to tomorrow's surgery schedule. Your hands itch to check your phone for messages from work. The thought of simply being still feels almost unbearable.
This might hit close to home. Maybe too close.
Perhaps you've found yourself volunteering for extra shifts despite promising your family you'd be home more. Or catching up on medical records at 11 PM because "at least it's quiet now." Or feeling a twisted sense of pride when colleagues comment on how much you can handle, even as exhaustion seeps into your bones.
This isn't just about being dedicated to your patients. This isn't about being a "good" vet professional. This is about something deeper – a pattern we see every day in our profession, where being busy has become more than a state of doing. It's become a state of being.
When Busy Becomes Your Baseline
As somatic coaches at Vet Empowered working with veterinary professionals, we've observed a pattern that might feel familiar: Many of us have become addicted to being busy.
This isn't just about being a hard worker or being dedicated to animal care. It's about how our nervous systems have adapted to a constant state of activation, making the intense pace of veterinary work feel not just normal, but necessary.
Think about your typical day. Are you:
Constantly moving from task to task, feeling antsy when things slow down?
Finding it hard to sit still during lunch breaks?
Checking your phone or thinking about work during your time off?
Signing up to the extra qualification as soon as the last one that you didn't have time for either finishes?
Taking on additional responsibilities even when you're overwhelmed?
These aren't just habits – they're often signs that your nervous system has adapted to expect and seek out high levels of activation.
Understanding the Neurobiology of Busy
Here's what's happening beneath the surface: When we consistently operate in high-stress environments (like busy veterinary practices), our bodies become accustomed to elevated levels of stress hormones. The fight-or-flight response, which should be a temporary state, becomes our new normal.
What we often see in our coaching practice is that this state can become oddly comfortable. Just like a fish doesn't notice the water it swims in, we might not notice how accustomed we've become to this heightened state of arousal. In fact, when we do get a chance to rest, it might feel uncomfortable or even anxiety-inducing.
The Veterinary Connection
Our profession presents unique challenges that can reinforce this pattern. Emergency cases, difficult clients, emotional intensity, and the constant juggling of cases create a perfect environment for maintaining this high-alert state. We're trained to be ready for anything, to handle multiple critical cases simultaneously, and to maintain composure under pressure.
These are valuable skills, but they can make it particularly challenging to step out of that heightened state when we're off the clock.
Recognising Your Own Patterns
Take a moment now to check in with yourself. As you read this, what sensations do you notice in your body?
Is there tension in your shoulders or jaw?
Is your breathing shallow or deep?
Are you feeling an urge to move on to the next task?
Does the thought of taking a real break make you anxious?
These physical sensations and emotional responses can be important clues about your relationship with busy-ness.
The Cost of Constant Activation
While being able to handle high-stress situations is crucial in veterinary medicine, staying in this state continuously comes with significant costs:
Physical impacts: Chronic stress affects immune function, digestion, sleep quality, and hormonal balance.
Emotional toll: We might find ourselves more irritable, less patient with colleagues or clients, or struggling to connect with loved ones during our time off.
Professional consequences: Despite feeling constantly busy, we might actually be less effective as our ability to focus and make clear decisions becomes compromised.
Finding Your Way Back to Rest
The path to breaking this cycle isn't about dramatically changing your life overnight. Instead, it's about gradually reintroducing your nervous system to the safety and benefit of rest. Here are some gentle ways to begin:
Start With Micro-Moments
Instead of trying to transform your entire schedule, begin with tiny moments of pause throughout your day. During your next hand-washing between patients, take three conscious, slower breaths. Feel your feet on the floor while waiting for lab results. These small moments help your nervous system remember that pause is possible.
Practice Noticing Without Judgement
When you catch yourself automatically filling free time with tasks, simply notice this tendency with curiosity rather than criticism. What sensations or emotions arise when you have unstructured time? What thoughts come up when you consider not filling that time?
Experiment With Boundaries
Choose one small boundary to experiment with this week. Maybe it's actually taking your full lunch break, or waiting 30 minutes after waking up before checking emails. Notice what comes up when you maintain this boundary.
Invite in the Unfamiliar
Rest might feel uncomfortable at first – that's normal. Your nervous system needs time to recognise that slowing down is safe. Start with forms of rest that feel manageable. This might mean active rest like gardening or gentle walking before trying meditation or complete stillness.
A Compassionate Path Forward
Remember that if being busy has become your safety zone, it's not because there's something wrong with you. Your nervous system adapted to meet the demands of a challenging profession. This adaptation helped you succeed in many ways, but now you might be ready for a different relationship with activity and rest.
Reflection Questions
As you consider your own relationship with busy-ness, here are some questions to explore:
What would become possible in your life if you were less activated?
What small moments of rest already exist in your day that you might not be noticing?
What support do you need to begin exploring a different pace?
What's one tiny experiment with rest you could try this week?
Moving Forward
Change doesn't happen overnight, and that's okay. Your nervous system has spent years learning to stay activated – it deserves patience and compassion as it learns new patterns. Start small, notice what you notice, and remember that learning to rest is as valuable a skill as any medical procedure you've mastered.
If you're reading this and feeling both drawn to and resistant to the idea of changing your relationship with busy-ness, know that this too is normal. You're not alone in this journey, and every small step toward finding your way back to rest is meaningful.
Remember: You deserve rest not because of what you accomplish, but because you exist. Your value isn't measured by your productivity, even in a profession as demanding as veterinary medicine.
What one small thing might you do today to begin exploring your relationship with rest?