OPINION: Calling in sick – an act of self-compassion and contextualised care

I’m not sure if you know that I am part of the Veterinary Humanities group who published on contextualised care (CC) in 2021. I’ve added the two articles at the bottom of this article in case you want to check them out. But back to my 2025 ponderings on CC and how it’s fitting in with my year of self-compassion.

Yes, I try and have a focus for the year, a loose idea or thought that might help me. So far my annual self-compassion tasks have included:

• Refusing to use the word “sorry”
• Never starting an email “with apologies for the delay in replying”

But on to this year. After an avalanche of illness last year I am dedicated to ensuring that my self-care is as good as I can make it. My self-care isn’t just about food and sleep, but about everything that occurs in my life.

If the context of 2024 resulted in such poor health then I need to change my context.

And here is one way that CC can impact on your self-care and self-compassion. We struggle with presenteeism in the profession as we feel guilty about letting our colleagues down.

We are an industry that finds it difficult to provide reasonable adjustments for those with chronic or acute needs. So maybe CC is a place to start to consider what is your context for your professional abilities today? For the next shift? Or the next on call duty?

Firstly let’s start with your daily context and things that are not your responsibility as a vet team member:

• Being short staffed is not your responsibility
• Fixing all the patients is not your responsibility

Things that are your responsibility:

• Ensuring you are well enough to work your shift
• Taking breaks/staying hydrated
• Communicating your context with the team

This is a simplistic way to approach CC and self-compassion but hopefully one that is flexible enough to use in most circumstances. Self-compassion is key, make it your priority and see your life change for the better.

References

Skipper A, Gray C, Serlin R, O’Neill D, Elwood C and Davidson J (2021). “Gold standard care” is an unhelpful term, Veterinary Record 189(8): 331.

Skipper A, Gray C, Serlin R, O’Neill D, Elwood C and Davidson J. (2021). Contextualised care: faddish or foundational?,  Veterinary Record 3(10): 117.