Mental health awareness month is here and today I want to reflect on our mental health experience during the pandemic lockdown.
A little before the COVID-19 pandemic mental health awareness had been increasing. However, after we felt that 2020 paralyzed our lives, we also got to spend a lot more time with ourselves. Some loved the way it felt not to rush everywhere and to have some alone time or time with loved ones. In contrast, others fought the feeling of loneliness or the constant company of our family members all under the same roof!
Many got to see themselves more deeply, even if we did not want to. Spending a lot less time working or going out for meetings, lunches, running errands, or whatever else that we were doing before… it just changed without warning because we were in lockdown.
Many of us did not even know we could be going through mental and emotional problems until we could finally have the time and awareness to notice it.
The veterinary world lost four veterinary professionals in less than ten days. It was devastating for our profession and we could not understand what was happening to them or us. I believe our mental health was affected during the pandemic but it also opened up the way to good things. It taught us to be happy with what we have and truly appreciate the important things in life.
And the mental health awareness wave grew bigger and we noticed that, when everything stops, we’re still here. We developed self-awareness and that there was nothing wrong to seek help from a mental health professional. What matters the most is our mental well-being and emotional stability.
The bravest thing we can do for ourselves and our four-legged patients is to look for help and become the best version of ourselves.
Read more by Maria Estefania,
or learn more about self-care for veterinary professionals.
