Building resilience as a pet professional with Andy Hale

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Do you feel resilient as a pet professional? Are you able to recover from setbacks and keep moving forward?

It can be tough managing your energy and navigating challenges while meeting the demands of caring for animals and their humans.

In the second of a two-part podcast on taking care of your mental health as a pet professional, I’m chatting to Andy Hale on the topic of resilience.

Andy is a dog behaviourist with a background in psychology, and we cover why resilience is crucial for personal and professional growth.

Developing resilience involves recognising and processing emotions, learning from experiences, and developing coping strategies that empower you to bounce back stronger.

We explore how self-awareness, self-compassion, and a clear sense of purpose will enable you to maintain your emotional wellbeing while being your best for your clients.

Whether you’re an established pet professional or just starting out, I hope you find this episode helpful.

Listen in on the player link below, and you’ll find all the places where you can connect with Andy at the end of this post.

Key takeaways:

Resilience vs. robustness: Resilience isn’t about being tough or simply pushing through – it’s about recovery and adaptation.

Emotional awareness: Recognising and processing your emotions is vital in managing the emotional demands of caring for animals and clients.

Boundaries and self-care: Knowing when to step back, set boundaries, and prioritise self-care helps you maintain resilience in emotionally demanding professions.

Purpose-driven work: Focusing on your purpose helps you stay grounded and less affected by external challenges, such as conflicts on social media.

Safe spaces: Creating or finding a “safe space” for emotional reflection and support is essential for personal growth and mental health.

Key quotes:

“Everything we do as professionals is an invitation. We can’t make others think or feel differently, but we can guide them toward awareness, acknowledgement, and acceptance.”

“Boundaries aren’t just about keeping things out; they’re also about what we choose to let out.”

“It’s about finding your purpose. Your purpose keeps you grounded, whether you’re working with a challenging dog or navigating the pressures of social media.”

“It’s important to balance the ‘want to do, need to do, and must dos’ in your life. Creating space for what matters most helps prevent burnout and keeps you grounded.”

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0:20 – What to expect from this episode

2:20 – The difference between robustness and resilience.

5:45 – Why resilience isn’t about being tough and keeping on marching.

8:48 – Coping with issues from our past and how they can impact our daily existence.

12:45 – Stopping to take care of yourself and thinking, ‘how am I?’

13:46 – Understanding yourself and why knowing your support needs will help you support others in terms of your physical and emotional health, and recognising things that may take their toll on you.

15:45 – Why you should be spending more on self-care each month than you are on hot-dog sausages!

20:45 – Understanding your feelings when working online, connecting your reactions to your purpose, and considering whether to respond to what you see online.

23:15 – Why you can’t change people’s opinions and how it can help to step away and spend time in safer online environments rather than being stuck in a conflict cycle.

27:56 – Why you don’t need to get involved in the big stuff to make a difference.

28:15 – The care hierarchy and considering who is a priority for you and your emotional energy.

30:01 – Awareness, Acknowledgement, and Acceptance, and Control, Change, and Choice on social media.

34:20 – Building your professional presence and how this can support you in being resilient so you have a fighting chance of turning up and being less affected by challenges.

38:17 – Why taking a break from animals can be good for you and why having hobbies and interests outside of your pet business is important.

41:01 – The ‘want to do, need to do, and must dos’ – getting the balance right to create space in your life.

45:07 – Why you’re not letting dogs or pets down by not getting involved in big issues on social media; making a difference for one dog you’re working with is enough.

48:27 – How saying no to things is part of being resilient and taking care of yourself.

52:35 – Making time for yourself and why self-care isn’t indulgent.

54:34 – Why your purpose will help you when it comes to self-care.

56:32 – Andy’s mission to create ‘Safe Space’ – a new resource for pet professionals – and his emotional health workshops.

57:47 – How the ‘invitation’ approach can be freeing.

59:00 – Where to find out more about Andy’s work.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about Andy on his website: https://dogcc.org/

Join Andy’s community on Facebook

Dog Centred Care: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcc

Check out his YouTube channel with lots of amazing conversations:

https://www.youtube.com/c/dogcentredcare