Strengthening Resilience Through Social Connections in the Veterinary Profession

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You're listening to the Vet Staff podcast, the place where you, the veterinary professional, can go to get your head screwed on straight, so you can get excited about going to work on Monday mornings and be the most fantabulous version of you you can be. I'm your show host, julie South, and this is episode 168. We're continuing with part 10 on developing one of your secret superpowers your resilience quotient. Today, we're talking about social support. If you've just rolled your eyes or stifled a yawn and are getting ready for me to tell you that you need to go out and get a bit more touchy, fairly, or go out there and play team sports or volunteer at your nearest animal shelter, please bear with me, because that's not what today's episode is about, because there's also tons of research and data that supports being socially and meaningfully connected. That proves that being socially and meaningful connected is a good thing on lots of fronts. If you do want to improve your resilience levels, then please check out this episode page at vetstuffconz, because I'm going to put links to podcasts that I discovered through last year which I think are really worthwhile listening to, as well as links to all the research that I'm going to be referring to today. So go to vetstuffconz forward slash podcast and you can find this episode there. There's a ton of research.

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Now remember, please, that resilience isn't just a one and done fix one thing in your life that might get broken thing. It's a mosaic. It's a jigsaw with lots of interwoven, interconnected cogs, moving parts and components that all fit together to make you stronger Resilience. Let's face it, life works much better when we have it. Fortitude Doesn't matter what you call it, call it whatever you want, but think of it as a muscle, one that lets you flex, bend and bounce forward no matter what life and all work throws at you. For when you have those PS shaped events in your life, it's the nitty gritty grace. Under pressure, it's the inner strength that keeps you steady when the going gets rough. Have you ever wondered what makes some people bounce forward from setbacks stronger than ever before, while others crumble, need medication or fall apart? Or have you ever felt like you're just one stressor away from burning out or melting down? Well, if you have, there's a skill that you can learn and a toolbox that we've been creating together over the last 10 weeks that you can dip into to prevent that. It's called resilience and it can both be learned, strengthened and used whenever you need it. The Vet Staff podcast is proudly powered by vetclinicjobscom, the new and innovative global job board reimagining veterinary recruitment. Connect in veterinary professionals with clinics that shine online. Vetclinicjobscom is your go-to resource for finding the perfect career opportunities and helping vet clinics power up their employer branding game. Visit vetclinicjobscom today to find vet clinics that shine online so veterinary professionals can find them. Vetclinicjobscom.

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Social connection is another part in the big. Life works better when we have resilience jigsaw of life. One of the mental health resources pages that websites, research that I did, actually had resilience with 10 different or went to research pages that I went to, had 10 different jigsaw puzzle pieces. They were communication, compassion and empathy, happiness, hardiness, identifying and managing emotion, mindfulness and flow, optimism, physical health benefits, specific change goals and underlying attitudes and skills. We've covered many of those and maybe not necessarily under those specific headings over the last nine, ten weeks or so, but what I want to do today is I want to look at social connection what it is and what it means Now. According to the Greater Good magazine, which is one of the publication arms of Berkeley University out of the US, with the strap line of science-based insights for a meaningful life.

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Social connection refers to the meaningful relationships and the bonds that us humans share with others. We know we have it because it involves us feeling close, cared for and valued by other people, as well as caring for them in return. For example, some key aspects of social connection include our own relationships, having close quality relationships, whether they are friendships, family bonds, romantic partnerships, co-workers, community ties or anything else that comes under that heading of relationship. When we have got them, we know that we have got it. Also, our communication, and be this verbal or non-verbal interactions, when we open up and exchange thoughts and feelings with others that create a sense of closeness and understanding through support and caring. When we provide emotional, instrumental or financial support to others and or we receive this from others ourselves, it means that our social network gives us a feeling of security. When we have a sense of belonging, having a social group or a community that you're part of and with whom you share common interests, identities, backgrounds, whatever it is, as long as you're part of it, you know that you've got it well.

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Through intimate intimacy and self-disclosure. This is when we share personal information with others. We don't just have this superficial. You know how are you Find things, find things, that kind of connection. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about going a bit deeper. When we share personal information, our thoughts and our experience with others, it helps build deeper social bonds and it strengthens the social bonds that we have. And then we have the reciprocity and mutual understanding. Where connections are reciprocated, it is a two-way thing. Both people, both sides of the equation, of the party, of the group, of the relationship, give and receive support. They both parties understand and they care. So what this means is that social connections form part of a of the web of social relationships and interactions, interactions, interactions that provide us humans with meaning, support, integration and affirmation of our own sense of self and belonging. This, in turn, meets one of our fundamental human needs.

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Social connection plays an important role, a critical role, in strengthening our resilience, and this is because it affects many different areas of our lives. For example, it affects and impacts our well-being, our mental health and our ability to cope with challenges. There's plenty of research, like I said earlier, to show that when we're socially connected, overall we live longer, healthier lives. Now, I'm not sure about you, but I really like my life and I would love to have for it to be long, and I would love to be healthy while I'm doing that. So therefore, social connection, I know, is important.

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Here are some reasons why having strong social connections is important in building resilience. Now just to clarify before I get there when we're talking about social connections, I'm not talking about being connected in a superficial way so that you can name drop because that person's good for your ego or because they can help you climb your career ladder. That's not what I'm talking about here. What I'm talking about with social connections is the relationships where you can actually let down and be yourself. For example, they provide support for you in difficult times when you're up to your neck and alligators, going through one of life's pear shaped events. Having people around you who you can call on for support is crucial in helping you bounce forward faster. You'll have developed enhanced coping mechanisms, whether you realize it or not you will.

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Having meaningful social connections means that you can share your thoughts and feelings with others. You're not bottling it all up inside. This level of depth and communication helps not only reduce your stress levels, but also gives you an opportunity to have and receive different perspectives on challenges. In turn, this means that you have access to a wider range of tools in your toolbox, which has to be good for you. You also have an increased sense of belonging. We all want to be valued by others. It's one of our basic human needs.

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When we're socially connected and part of a community, we have a greater sense of identity and purpose, which, in turn, contributes to our overall resilience and it helps us promote healthy choices. When we are socially connected individuals, we're more likely to make healthier choices in our lives, because it includes having healthy habits. Participating and engaging in things like physical activity, exercise, sports teams, whatever, means that we have a bit more of a balanced lifestyle. These choices help contribute to our overall well-being and our overall resilience. It also social connection, obviously as a truism reduces isolation and loneliness, as I'm sure you can remember through the various lockdowns that we had during the pandemic. When we're socially isolated and feeling lonely, these negative emotions have been linked to negative health outcomes. Surprise, surprise. I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that those negative health outcomes include increased risk of depression, anxiety and physical illnesses.

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Social connection, on the other hand, helps us combat these feelings of isolation, and that connection with other human beings gives us and provides us a support system which reduces helps reduce, the negative impact on mental and physical health. We also have a sense of a greater sense of security, because security goes hand in hand with feeling more secure. Funny that when we know that there are people who care about us and who will be there for us during those pear-shaped events, it actually increases our resilience and our ability to face adversity. And then, finally, it expands our social network. Social connection allows us to broaden our social circles. The more diverse our connections are, the more likely we are to have doors open up to new opportunities, not necessarily professional opportunities, but all sorts of opportunities, resources and perspectives. Having a diverse and a varied network of relationships gives us a much broader support system, which naturally surprise, surprise increases our resilience.

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I want to touch on one aspect of social connections, and that's around support systems and mentoring or mentorship. How do they slot together to enhance resiliency? Well, research suggests that mentoring programs are highly effective at creating connection and value for everyone involved, not just the mentee, but the mentor as well. And this is because having a mentor allows individuals you, me, other people to discuss their goals, to seek guidance and then to collaborate on problem solving. This shared connection and problem solving oriented approach helps promote resiliency as support and encouragement and motivation is provided. These in turn help overcome obstacles, those pear-shaped events that we have when you're someone's mentor you're there for them, I hope. I hope you know it's not doing it because it looks good on your CV, but you're there for them. It also strengthens your resilience. Resiliency as the act of supporting others helps provide a sense of purpose and personal growth.

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Although not relevant for veterinary professionals, there's research identifying that mentoring has been found to be particularly beneficial in promoting resiliency in high risk youth. For vulnerable individuals who are facing challenges like poverty, abuse or neglect, having a mentor gives them a stable and supportive relationship that helps build their capacity to adapt and navigate difficult circumstances. I just want to go back to the high risk youth. I read an article in the newspaper online just recently at the weekend and it talked about how it was in Northland in New Zealand, maori kids that are up before the courts. They've actually got like a Maori youth court and the recidivism that word that has lowered because the kids are getting mentors, which is really good. It's helping their resiliency. They are feeling valued and understood as well. Now because mentoring I'll put a link to that as well in the show notes, because mentoring relationships are characterized by consistent emotional support, positive role modeling and the sharing of personal experiences.

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All of these factors contribute to the mentees sense of belonging and acceptance, and these are all essential aspects of social connection. That's why people go to gangs, why kids go to gangs because they want to be socially accepted. When we are feeling accepted and appreciated for our best qualities, rather than being tolerated or ignored, our self-esteem is understandably enhanced. Our own personal belief and our ability to climb over our own hurdles and overcome challenges is also strengthened, so our self-efficacy is improved. In addition to the emotional support and guidance mentors usually provide, mentoring can also help raise and strengthen resiliency by promoting positive social connections and networks. Mentoring allows people to expand their social circles, develop new relationships and gain exposure to diverse, different obviously diverse social interactions and contexts that they wouldn't probably otherwise have or be exposed to. In turn, these expanded social connections provide additional sources and resources for support that help contribute to people's resilience. There's a whole bunch of research, of links. I will please go to vetstaffconz forward slash podcast and check this episode out, which is episode 168.

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Social connectedness also plays an important role in mentorship and building resilience. Having strong and supportive relationships provides several benefits. Mentorship thrives when there's a solid social connection between the mentor and the mentee, and this relationship and bond in turn creates a foundation of trust, a foundation of care and a foundation of mutual understanding. It enables more open communication, it enhances and strengthens vulnerability and it enables meaningful learning. The social support empowers the mentee to keep developing their skills and resilience. Likewise, social ties help strengthen resilience by providing emotional support during difficult times. Having people you can count on and talk to mitigates the feelings of loneliness and isolation when you feel like you're up to your neck in alligators, when you're facing all of this adversity by yourself, and that's not a good space to be in. So you want to have people in your life that know you, that support you and want to support you. When that happens, when you have emotional support during difficult times, it means that it's a reminder that you're cared for and you're loved, and that is helped there if needed.

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When we have strong social networks, we're exposed, as I said before, to diverse ideas, perspectives and resources. These all give us different ways, different tools and skills that we can pull from to help us navigate those challenges, to jump those hurdles. We're opened up to new ways of thinking and new ways of having potential solutions created. Access to being able to draw on this social capital helps build mental resilience and the capacity to problem solve. We've talked about problem solving as another piece in this resiliency jigsaw puzzle, so please check out episode 164 if you'd like to know more. Also, being integrated into a community creates a sense of meaning and self-worth, which are key pillars of resilience. Support of social bonds reinforce our identities and they give us a sense of purpose. So, in short, quality relationships form the basis for mutual understanding and support between mentors and mentees, while they also enable the vulnerability and the growth that they give the space for that to happen. A safe space that strengthens resilience over time. Investing in social connectedness and mentorship pays dividends.

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Ok, so that's all well and good. Julie, you might be thinking. So what? What can I do to enhance my social connectedness? Great question, and I'm so pleased you asked.

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If you're a parent, especially a mother, the chances are high that when your child or your children were young, you were part of a small group of other mothers who were all giving birth about the same time. You might have met at antenatal classes, or maybe later, when your children were a bit older Maybe you were part of a candy parent group. You may have found yourself on the sideline at sports games or dance classes together. If those connections were strong and you intentionally maintained them, you've probably gone through all sorts of trials and tribulations together. You have strong social connections.

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One of my friends has a group she calls KINDY MUMMS. All their kids are now fully grown and graduated adults. Some of them have families of their own, but she and the KINDY MUMMS still get together regularly once a month. They've changed the focus of their get togethers over the years. Right now they're on a thing called the DISH OF THE MONTH DINNER and that's where they all take it in turns to host a dinner at their place. They all subscribe to the same foodie magazine. Here in New Zealand there's a magazine called DISH and each month they each get responsibility for a different part of the dinner creation Someone's on entrees, someone's on mains, someone has desserts, someone has vegetables, someone has drinks whatever they have so that the whole dinner is created. Many of these KINDY MUMMS have gone through their own kinds of hell. My friend is a widow. The KINDY MUMMS wrapped themselves around her when she was nursing her dying husband. Another of the KINDY dads because they're part of the group as well got a really rare, highly dangerous bacterial infection a few years back, where the medecos told them that the angels would be preparing his bed soon. Fortunately, he survived, but the KINDY MUMMS and dads wrapped themselves around his family at the time as well, which helped strengthen their resilience.

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Maybe this year 2024, could be the year that you reconnect with friends or take up interests that you want. Re-pick up interests that you once had, but let life get in the way of. I said at the beginning of this episode that I wouldn't suggest you pick up volunteering as a way to enhance your social connectedness, but for you maybe that's perfect and maybe it's not. However, I do believe that forming professional social connections is a good thing. It doesn't necessarily have to be via a shelter, though. One way could be by joining any of your country's vet association special interest groups. Your local vet association will thank you for it. Maybe you could put your hand up and enter a formal mentoring arrangement to share your skills with new or recent grads. Maybe you have a musical talent, maybe you play a musical instrument and you could mentor somebody learning their musical instrument, whatever it is. Perhaps you could connect with others who have similar spiritual alignment to you at a church, your temple, at a synagogue, at a mosque or even via meditation groups.

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What's the common theme? The common theme in that is spirituality. Maybe you've been promising yourself one day that you'll learn to do something. Perhaps it's play the piano, ride a bike, learn to swim, do an event you know, an endurance event, perhaps run a 10k, run a marathon. Join your local operatic society or dance troupe. Maybe this year could be the year that you do that, provided you're joining a group because you're interested in the topic, not because you necessarily want to meet new people. That will be the byproduct. There is a difference. So make sure that you choose a group that you are so totally interested in the topic. What have you always wanted to do to learn or to experience?

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There's a myriad of things that you could do to strengthen your social connections and connectedness Different ethnic food, cooking classes, perhaps musical instruments, sporting, dancing, martial arts, flower arrangement, meditation, whatever. When you form social, meaningful social connections, your resilience will naturally strengthen. It's one of those auto magical byproducts. I hope you found this helpful. If you did, can I ask you to do me a favor. Please Can you help me spread the Vet Staff podcast word by telling three of your friends and colleagues about how this show helps veterinary professionals get their heads screwed on straight so you can get excited about going to work on Monday mornings.

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If you enjoyed today's podcast, today's episode, then please hit that follow button wherever you're listening to this right now, because that means that you'll automatically receive next week's episode direct to your audio feed and you won't miss out. I look forward to spending time again with you next week. Thank you for getting this far in this week's episode. Next week, we'll be continuing the series of how to strengthen your resilience equation and we're going to look at the power of reflection and how to turn setbacks into growth. This is Julie South signing off and inviting you to go out there and be the most fantabulous resilient version of you and socially connected version of you that you can be, so that you can screw your head on straight and get excited about going to work on Monday mornings.

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The Vet Staff podcast is proudly powered by vetclinicjobscom, the new and innovative global job board. Reimagining veterinary recruitment, connecting veterinary professionals with clinics that shine online. Vetclinicjobscom is your go-to resource for finding the perfect career opportunities and helping vet clinics power up their employer branding game. Visit vetclinicjobscom today to find vet clinics that shine online, so veterinary professionals can find them Vetclinicjobscom.