Silver linings in a blue January

With altered plans and festivities limited to just one day in England, it feels like Christmas came and went even more swiftly than usual this year – so perhaps the post-Christmas blues may not be so noticeable.

However, it is these – together with the poor weather, failure to stick to New Year’s resolutions and financial circumstances – that contribute to the third Monday of the year being labelled the most depressing day of the year – also known as “Blue Monday”.

This year, the melancholy feels even heavier and longer-lasting – a blue January, if you will.

With the country in lockdown three, it feels like there’s nothing to distract us from the doom and gloom: most of us are separated in some way from family and friends, cinemas are shut, restaurants are offering takeaway only and bars are a ghost town, ski holidays and weekend winter breaks are a no go – even the limited freedom of outdoor daily exercise seems less inviting in such miserable weather.

Business (not) as usual

And the veterinary profession continues to muddle its way through business “not as usual”. Practices are as busy as ever, staff shortages continue to pile the pressure on and car park consulting in the snow is less than ideal.

The puppy pandemic rages on (surely everyone in the country has bought a puppy by now?!) and, with it, the quality of the poor specimens are plummeting. Morale is at an all time low and, despite the ongoing vaccine news, it doesn’t feel like there’s an end in sight.

Different boats

By no means is everyone in the same boat – we are all facing different challenges because of COVID, but undoubtedly, life is more difficult in some way for all of us.

Dinosaur or snowflake; millennial or boomer vet, nobody has experienced anything like this before and we are all feeling the strain because of it. Poor mental health is prevalent in the the vet profession in “normal” times, and while there is much more awareness and support available in recent years, it is extremely worrying how much the pandemic will have amplified this.

Silver linings

Try to turn Blue January into an opportunity to check in with yourself and with others. It is easy to feel alone in your struggles – especially with the isolation that lockdown brings. But many others around you will be feeling similarly.

Ask yourself, what went well today? What am I thankful for? Try to find the silver lining in these darkest of clouds. For me, although work is stressful presently, I am grateful to be working, and to be able to get out and about on visits, which gives a sense of normality and routine.

Driving on a crisp sunny winter’s morning to stitch up a sheep, I thought about this. It didn’t last long as, inevitably, my afternoon then descended into chaos. But for one moment I felt content – a rarity in the current situation.