Boundaries in vet practice: how to leave on time without the guilt
You know that anxiety when your partner starts texting you "Have you left yet?"
And you have very much NOT left. You are, in fact, elbows deep in a ton of notes still to write, or just helping out holding a dog, or setting up sedation so your colleagues can get a head start...
Staying late once in a while is normal and expected in this profession. We're not just going to slam the door in the face of an owner arriving with a bleeding cat in their arms, or send away a seizure cat in full blown attack "Just try to not shine any light in her eyes or make a lot of noise on your way to the hospital - bye! Happy Easter!"
The problem arises when we're CONSISTENTLY getting home late, because then it's a habit, and it's likely due to you not being able to handle the work load in a sustainable way.
I put the problem on you, and not the clinic, because I see this all the time: In the same clinic, some vets manage to leave on time, and some don't. The main feeling driving the ones to stay longer, is partly guilt (for not doing enough) and part imposter syndrome (I have to work so hard to show I am worthy and belong).
Even if you have no family waiting at home (or pets), you still have got to find a way to work the hours you're supposed to, and not let work eat its way into your private time. Because if not, between having less time off, and likely also spinning in thoughts and worries about work (because if the patterns that will make you leave late, will also make you a worrier), you'll feel like you're drowning and you'll lose yourself.
Let's be honest: There will ALWAYS be more to do at a veterinary clinic. There really is no true end to a shift if you have a tendency to want to tie a bow on everything, and you also don't like your peers to still be working when you leave.
What you've got to realise is that every hour you let work eat into your own time, you lose in relationships, winding down and processing the day, your health (shopping for and make healthy food, working out), and everything that makes you YOU, because you'll lose your creativity and your hobbies.
It's a steep price to pay, and the end victim, as well as you, is ironically the veterinary profession. Because if you can't figure out how to work in a sustainable way, you'll likely join the ranks of burned out vets leaving the profession.
Ok, so now we have determined WHY you want to leave on time. Now you've got to decide to work towards it.
Start looking at what you're doing that makes you leave late. Is it writing notes? Then, why are you leaving them for the end of the shift? How can you start writing on the go? Are you filling out quiet time with other tasks someone else could do? How LONG are your notes? Are you multitasking while writing them?
Is it because you alway get caught up helping with that last consult, or surgeries? How can you remember to plan a bit ahead, and not get involved with cases that inevitably are going to go past your leaving time?
Once you start working on this goal of leaving on time, notice what comes up for you. Maybe you feel strong guilt. Maybe colleagues have noticed the change, and are challenging it since now they're used to you always staying behind. Expect there to be obstacles in the way, and be ok with it not being perfect the first week you try it. It's a habit you've acquired, so just like giving up smoking or getting up late in the morning, it's something that won't come naturally at first.
But it is so, so worth getting this nailed, so you can stay in the profession AND have a full and rich live outside vet med. And - your partner (or your cat!) will appreciate it more than anyone.
In your corner,
Ready to fall back in love with Vet Med?
If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or doubting yourself — I get it. I've been there. Here's how I can help:
- Book a Free 50-Minute Coaching Session — Let's chat about where you are and where you want to be. Book here
- Download the Free Burnout Guide — 10 ways to overcome burnout in the veterinary clinic. Get it here
- Explore the Happy in Vet Med Programme — Beat burnout and imposter syndrome. Learn more
You don't have to do this alone.