Relentlessly long hours, complaints, toxic perfectionism and performing emotionally draining procedures such as euthanasia inevitably take it its toll. With that in mind, its important to take breaks and make sure that you are looking after yourself. So how can events help with all this? Why should you attend for the sake of your mental health?

- They help you to socialise with the community: Despite dealing with the needs of animals every day, remember that you are a human being, and human beings are social creatures. At the Vet Shows, one of the most positive elements of feedback we hear is that delegates have run into old friends. At vocational events you’ll be surrounded by your peers, who can relate to the difficulties faced by practice life. It’s a great place to find an ear and blow off some steam!

- They help you to help yourself: Vet Shows have dedicated Business, Careers, Leadership and Wellbeing streams that don’t deal with science but rather with the profession as whole. Sessions go over best practices in keeping your sanity in check while under pressure and sustaining a positive relationship between your mind and your work.

- They teach you quick mental health win: Just like keeping yourself physically you need a host of weapons in your arsenal to stay on top of your mental health – and practice really does make perfect. Vet Shows all have a wellbeing zone that will teach you practical skills to improve mental health. Even if you only have 5 minutes in between consultations, you can learn something that could greatly improve your mindset.

- They make your life easier: If you really want to strip down the reasons to attend events to the bare bones, it makes getting a big chunk of your CPD hours done and out of the way. We’ve already outlined the mountain of demanding responsibilities faced by veterinary professionals, so why make life harder for yourself by doing your CPD at the last minute?

Events can be the perfect place to recharge and remind yourself why you chose this profession (if that’s something you need). So register for BVA Live on 23-24th of June at NEC Birmingham, by clicking here.