Holiday Burnout Is Real for Vets And Here’s How to Fight Back

Dec 11

The holiday season is supposed to be magical. Twinkling lights, family gatherings, joy and gratitude all around. But if you're a veterinarian staring at your December schedule—packed with emergencies, euthanasias, and clients who can't afford treatment right before Christmas, the holidays might feel more exhausting than enchanting.

You're not alone. And you're not being ungrateful or cynical. The veterinary profession faces unique holiday challenges that make this time of year particularly difficult, and it's okay to acknowledge that the sparkle feels dimmed when you're the one working Christmas Eve while everyone else is opening presents.

Why Veterinarians Get the Holiday Blues

Let's be honest about what makes the holidays tough for veterinary professionals:

You're working while everyone else celebrates. Emergency clinics don't close for Thanksgiving. Pets get sick on Christmas morning. While your family is gathering for holiday meals, you're intubating a dog that ate tinsel or euthanizing a beloved cat whose family can't afford emergency surgery. The cognitive dissonance between "most wonderful time of the year" and your actual experience is real.

Financial stress hits harder. You're watching clients make heartbreaking decisions based on money—decisions you might be making yourself. Student loans don't take holiday breaks, and veterinary salaries often don't match the emotional and educational investment. When everyone around you is buying gifts and planning trips, financial anxiety intensifies.

Compassion fatigue peaks. You've spent the entire year absorbing other people's grief, making life-and-death decisions, and advocating for animals who can't speak for themselves. By December, your empathy reserves are depleted. You have nothing left to give, but the holidays demand emotional availability you simply don't have.

Isolation increases. Your friends don't understand why you can't just "take time off." Your family is frustrated you're missing another gathering. Other veterinarians are just as exhausted as you are, so there's no energy for mutual support. You feel alone in a season that's supposed to be about connection.

Grief is everywhere. The holidays amplify loss. Every euthanasia feels heavier when families are saying goodbye during what should be their happiest memories. If you've lost colleagues to suicide—a tragically common experience in veterinary medicine—the holidays intensify that grief too.

Practical Strategies That Actually Help

Acknowledging the problem is important, but let's talk about what actually makes a difference when you're struggling through the holiday blues:

Redefine what "holidays" means for you. If you're working December 25th, your holiday doesn't have to be December 25th. Celebrate on your day off. Have your "Thanksgiving" dinner on a Tuesday in January if that's when you have energy. Remove the arbitrary calendar pressure. Your celebration is valid whenever you have the capacity for it.

Set boundaries without guilt. You don't have to attend every gathering, buy elaborate gifts, or maintain traditions that drain you. "I'm not available that day" is a complete sentence. The people who love you will understand. The people who don't understand aren't entitled to your depleted energy.

Micro-moments of joy matter. You might not have bandwidth for a full holiday experience, but small moments count. A good coffee. Five minutes watching snow fall. Your favorite song on the drive home. These aren't consolation prizes—they're legitimate sources of well-being when larger celebrations feel impossible.

Connect with veterinary colleagues who get it. Other veterinarians understand the unique exhaustion you're experiencing. Text a colleague: "Today was brutal. I'm tired." You don't need solutions—you need validation that your feelings are normal given the circumstances. Online veterinary communities can provide that connection when you're too tired to socialize in person.

Schedule post-holiday recovery time. If you're working through the holidays, block off recovery time in January. Don't jump straight into New Year productivity culture. Your body and mind need time to decompress after surviving high-stress weeks. Protect that recovery time as fiercely as you'd protect a surgical appointment.

Address compassion fatigue directly. Compassion fatigue isn't weakness—it's a predictable consequence of caring deeply while working in impossible conditions. Resources like the Not One More Vet support line (1-833-NOMV-911) provide confidential support from people who understand veterinary-specific challenges. Therapy isn't a last resort; it's preventive maintenance for professionals in high-stress fields.

Acknowledge financial stress. If money is tight, that's a systemic problem, not a personal failure. The veterinary profession's compensation doesn't match the education required or emotional labor demanded. Acknowledge the injustice of that reality. Consider low-cost or free holiday activities. Suggest "no-gift" agreements with friends and family. Your worth isn't measured by your gift-giving budget.

Give yourself permission to feel however you feel. Some days you'll feel okay. Some days you'll cry in the supply closet. Some days you'll feel nothing at all. All of these are normal responses to chronic stress and compassion fatigue. Stop judging yourself for not feeling "holiday spirit." You're surviving a difficult season in a difficult profession—that's enough.

Create your own meaning. Maybe traditional holidays don't resonate anymore. Maybe you need to create new traditions that honor where you are right now. A quiet evening alone might be more healing than forcing yourself into social situations. Pizza and a movie might be your perfect holiday. There's no wrong way to observe this season as long as it serves your well-being.

When Professional Help Is Needed

If you're experiencing persistent hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, substance use to cope, or inability to function at work or home, please reach out for professional support. The NOMV Crisis Line (1-833-NOMV-911) connects veterinary professionals with counselors who understand our profession's unique challenges. The AVMA PLIT Veterinary Care Line (1-800-621-6360) also provides confidential support.

Asking for help isn't failure—it's recognizing that you deserve the same quality care you provide to animals and their families every day.

You're Not Failing at the Holidays

If this season feels heavy, you're not doing it wrong. You're navigating a profession with one of the highest suicide rates while working through holidays, absorbing others' grief, making impossible decisions with limited resources, and somehow supposed to feel festive about all of it.

The holiday blues aren't a character flaw. They're a rational response to irrational circumstances. Be gentle with yourself. Connect where you can. Rest when possible. Survive this season however you need to survive it.

And remember: January is coming. The pressure will ease. You'll have space to breathe again.

Until then, take it one shift at a time. You're doing better than you think.

If you're struggling, please reach out: