Traveling with a dog: Self Care

It’s no secret that healthcare burnout is an enormous problem since the pandemic. Travel therapy rates are through the roof. While we LOVE to take advantage of these 13 week gigs, what steps can we do to prevent burnout on the road? I am NO expert on this, just an occupational therapist who has been there. Honestly, I’m feeling the burn at this very moment. So let me share some steps I’ve been taking to do my best at taking care of myself- with the lovely and constant support of Chloe Rue.

Embrace the Breaks

Do you actually take a lunch break at work? I’ll be honest, when I’m working home health, it is a rare day that I just stop for a minute to let my mind rest.

How about those long weekends? Are you documenting the whole time or actually resting?

I’ve learned recently that my mind is one that just doesn’t like to stop. It certainly helps me to learn a lot, but it also is not the healthiest for burn out prevention. Actually stepping away from work for a break within my day, makes a wild difference for how I function throughout a day.

I’ve also found that stepping out of cell reception, or turning my phone off for a while on weekends really helps me embrace my breaks. It gives my mind time to unwind with doggy playtime with Chloe.

What’s your favorite way to embrace your breaks from work? Personally, backpacking or hiking with my Chloe girl takes the cake.

Dog Friendly Exercise

Am I absolutely crazy for including Chloe in everything- even my exercise routine? Maybe. But there are so many ways to take care of ourselves together! And Chloe is the BEST motivation. We love:

Doggy Yoga
Biking together
Running
Walking
Skijoring
Training Time

Doggy Yoga might sound like it’s above and beyond your dog’s ability. But trust me, Chloe is NOT doing downward facing dog with me! She is mostly there for her own little massage, stretches, and pets. Whenever I have to reach for a pose, I try to keep Chloe in my reach so she can feel included. We have SO much fun doing doggy yoga together! As we train for the Pacific Crest Trail, biking and running are becoming significantly more frequent for Chloe. She LOVES her time exercising and it makes me that much more motivated to get those workout clothes on, and get moving. If you are struggling with motivation, including your dog in exercise is an amazing way to get back into a routine.

Meditation

Have you ever heard or the app, Headspace? How about Calm? These apps, despite costing more than I wish they did, are absolutely life changing in how they facilitate meditation so well. Don’t worry, neither of them are paying me to write this about them.

I use meditation each morning to start my day, and each evening to help me fall asleep. I also find myself using the SOS meditations if I’m feeling overwhelmed or frustrated for any reason. Even pausing for 3 minutes in the middle of a day can make a world of difference for how I feel the rest of the day.

As someone who travels solo with her dog frequently, I’ve found using meditation helps for any anxiety I might experience. Instead of dwelling on all of the “what if’s”, my mind is present and clear. Instead of worrying about every little noise, I’m connected with myself and my gut which helps me to know what I’m hearing. Meditation for solo traveling is a game changer, that’s for sure.

As someone who loves to be outside and hike, forest bathing meditation is not only fun and great for photography, but it’s an amazing way to connect with nature.

Forest bathing is not taking a bath under a waterfall, though we all know I’ve been there. It’s following a meditative prompt while walking in a nature space. For example, a common prompt is to observe nature using ALL of your senses. When you inhale, notice the smell of pine trees. As you exhale, notice the sounds around you. The wind against the leafs might rustle or crunch under your feet. Use your eyes, taste, and touch; and think about how your body interacts with the earth. That is an awesome example of forest bathing! Chloe likes to sit at my feet and watch our surroundings attentively when I do this- perhaps enjoing her own forest bathing meditation. More likely, Chloe Rue is on the hunt for squirrels. Either way, we do enjoy this time to let our mind rest.

Being Social

This is both the HARDEST but the MOST important part of being a traveling therapist or nurse (or any other type of traveler). It’s not about the Instagram reels my friends, (even though I have to admit I’ve been a bit obsessed having fun making those lately) it’s about the people you get to meet! It can be so hard to meet people. This is what I like to try:

Dog Training classes or groups
Meetup.com
Puppy Parades or fundraisers
Dog Parks or Sniff Spot
Facebook Groups like the Traveling Traveler or your local town’s Facebook group
Intramural teams/ clubs for writing or dancing, gyms

If you make a friend, keep them! It’s so much fun to have friends scattered all around the United States. I love using Chloe to socialize and make friends! I’m so lucky to have found an amazing friend group in Oregon, and an incredible partner who has a group of friends I’m adopting as mine too.

Get Outside

On my opinion, the best way to take care of ourselves is to get outside with our adventure dogs. You might spend a weekend hunting waterfalls, or hiking local hot spots; or driving to the tallest mountain/hill in the state. Or you might spend a morning riding your bike around the local national forest roads, and evenings playing fetch in the backyard. Either way, nature is the best at healing our tired minds and bodies.

So go climb a mountain! Schedule a weekend to camp for free somewhere. Play tag or fetch or hide and go-seek with your dog. Sit and watch the sunset, or explore somewhere new. It’s so easy to fall into a routine of the same thing day after day: why not challenge yourself to break that routine every so often by going somewhere totally new.

I’m writing this post with some inspiration behind my words, because I’m also there struggling with the exhaustion that is healthcare right now. Understaffed is such a real word, all around the world right now. However, we all are also tired of watching people we are working so hard to save, lose the battle. For me, that’s the hardest part. For many, these steps won’t help and the only way to heal is to step away from healthcare for a while. But do you know what the best part of being a traveling healthcare worker is? You absolutely have no commitments beyond the 13 week contract. Step away and let yourself heal! Then come back when you’ve recovered. All of these steps have one thing in common (other than including your dog, of course)- they involve listening to yourself and remembering your importance. Believe me, your adventure dog knows the importance of listening to their human. Now it’s time for their human to listen to themselves too.

And that’s a wrap! What do you all do for self care on the road? How do you manage burnout while including your adventure dog? Did anyone learn something new that they want to try from reading this post? I hope you all are staying healthy and taking care of yourself, as well as your adventure dog. Have many happy trails and happy tails until next time.

Barking Embarkers