Lets talk about sleep…..

You know, that thing we are all supposed to do every night. Well not me! And I bet there are many of you who struggle.

Knit,  Newlook

Hunter wellies, Office shoes

The state of altered consciousness that is supposed to rejuvenate cells and help with cognitive function and mood. Yep….so what happens if you can’t sleep or like me, have struggled getting good enough sleep for years and lately even falling asleep. Let me tell you it drastically affects your day to day life. I hate being the one counting the hours or lacking energy.

I have had numerous blood tests over the years to try and find out why I am so exhausted. They have all come back normal every time and it is only in the last two years we have figured out it is my brain that needs sorting (don’t laugh)!

I am a Veterinary Surgeon and not sleeping does not bode well for this kind of work. When I’m tired, I can’t concentrate and if you can’t function well during a surgery then you’re asking for trouble. Cue the perfect  vicious circle of anxiety and even less sleep.

I also have another anxiety theory for my work, the more you do something the more likely something is to go wrong. Like flying in a plane no? The more you do it the more likely you are to encounter delays or turbulence or…. Well, that’s how I think in work. I have been a vet for 8 years now and I think it gets tougher the older I get.

When I left Uni, I didn’t give a second thought about going to live in Thailand to volunteer with street dogs and cats. I didn’t think twice about hopping on a long haul flight to Australia with a year visa and only two weeks booked in a hostel (albeit I had a job to go to). I just went, and did anything go wrong? nope! I met a girl whilst I was out shopping in Melbourne (of course I was) on the third day, she introduced me to people who I moved in with (in to a converted office I might add, with a gym room and male and female toilets! fab!) and they are all now my friends for life! I stayed in Australia for three years.

Vets are A-grade students that strive for perfection.  That’s not me bigging myself up, that is something I just read. If something doesn’t go to plan or a client isn’t too nice, for me it’s a kick in the teeth. I just did a google search starting with ‘vets are….’ the answers are horrific. Expensive, rip offs, thieves, money grabbers….you get my drift. This is awful for our profession and a thing I write about often and have to listen to every day in work.  If we are in it for the money why have I answered messages about pets from three people in the last three days (my days off)? Don’t get me wrong, I love getting these messages and helping you out but, would you message that doctor you know if you had an aliment? And, I constantly hear ‘they’re asking three grand for an MRI!’……yes, that is how much MRI’s cost, aren’t you glad we have an NHS!

Ultimately, I have to learn to be ok with the fact that I can’t control all of the variables all of the time and that I cannot guarantee the outcomes. I need to be less hard on myself in work and think more positively, like my younger self (cos I’m so old now, jokes).

So, sleeping tips guys…. I’ve tried them all. All the usual sleep hygiene stuff like no phone before bed, no blue lighting (which is bullshit as it’s not the light that keeps you awake, it’s the phone or iPad you’re staring at keeping your brain awake!), clearing clutter, all the herbal tablets/teas and salt lamps. Time to start mindfulness!!! I’ll let you know how it goes.

“You are not a robot”

Sleep well 🙂

Kelly

The Vogue vet

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