The holidays are often described as “the most wonderful time of the year.” For many Veterinary technicians, however, the holiday season feels less like a festive celebration and more like an overwhelming chore.
Generally speaking, Veterinary professionals are already stretched thin. This time of year brings overbooked schedules, anxious clients, end-of-year emergencies, and the emotional weight that comes with supporting both stressed pets and their stressed people. Add in personal obligations, family expectations, financial strain, and the pressure to maintain holiday cheer, and the season can become overwhelming fast.
Veterinary technicians are the glue that holds clinics (and other clinical and non-clinical workplaces) together year-round, but the holiday season intensifies everything we juggle: the workload, the emotions, the finances, and the expectations placed on us—by others and by ourselves. Surviving this busy season isn’t about pretending everything is merry and bright. It’s about finding realistic ways to protect our well-being while still showing up for the patients, clients, and people in our lives.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re being pulled in all directions this time of year, you’re not alone. Below are practical strategies to support your mental health, maintain work–life balance, and manage holiday expenses—without sacrificing the spirit of the season.
Protecting Your Mental Health During the Holiday Chaos
The Emotional Intensity is Real
Let’s be honest: the holiday season is tough in Veterinary medicine! Clients are stressed, pets are stressed, and that stress spills directly onto us as Veterinary professionals. Emergency appointments spike due to families trying to manage pet illnesses at home to cut costs or before holiday travel or they push medical decisions until “after the holidays.” Sick pet visits may increase since clients are spending more time at home with their pets or a visiting family member or friend may have pointed out differences in a pet’s well-being that were too gradual or subtle for the owners to notice. Pet euthanasia, no matter the reason, feels especially heavy during this season, and moral stress peaks when families face financial limitations during these already expensive few months.
The emotional intensity of these (somewhat seasonal) stressors builds on an already fragile foundation of fatigue or burnout that many Veterinary technicians carry throughout the year. Technicians pour their hearts into their work every day, but during the holidays, that emotional output continues to increase while personal bandwidth decreases.
Mental Health Strategies That Actually Help
You don’t have to overhaul your life or take a spa day (though if you can, go for it!). Small, intentional actions make a bigger difference than we often realize:
- Set emotional boundaries with clients and coworkers. It’s okay to say, “I need a moment,” or delegate when you’re at capacity.
- Use micro-breaks—even two minutes of quiet breathing away from the chaos can help reset your nervous system. Step outside if you need to!
- Have a “holiday buddy.” Pair with a coworker who understands your cues and can check in with you regularly, especially during tough shifts.
- Create a decompression ritual on your drive home: a playlist, a particular podcast, or simply silence may help shake off the stress of the workday. Or take a short walk or sit quietly and enjoy a warm beverage before jumping into your post-work commitments.
- Normalize talking about mental health. If you’re struggling, there is nothing wrong or shameful about saying so. Chances are, several coworkers feel the same way. Acknowledge your feelings and validate the feelings of others. Talk openly, and recognize that it’s okay to ask for help.
- Seek professional help if needed. The best time to find a therapist or another mental health professional is before you need to! However, there are always professionals willing to help at any time! Use your insurance company, online services, or recommendations from family or friends as a starting point for seeking out professional help. (If you need immediate help, please reach out to a crisis hotline such as 988 or dial 911, and they’ll get you the help you need. For an aggregated list of mental health resources tailored toward Veterinary professionals, please visit the new mental health initiative at stickwithus.vet.)
Work–Life Balance When Life Gets Chaotic
Managing Expectations at Home
Between school events, family dinners, travel, shopping, gift exchanges, and last-minute holiday chaos, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Many Veterinary technicians report feeling guilty during the holidays for missing events or being too exhausted to be fully present or to enjoy the ones they do attend.
Try reframing! Remind yourself that your job is emotionally difficult, physically demanding, and vitally important. Your capacity for events outside of work will likely differ from others, even if they clocked the same number of hours. You are allowed to set limits on your time, your energy, and your availability.
(Taylor Swift said it best on the August 13, 2025 episode of the New Heights Podcast:”You should think of your energy as if it’s expensive, as if it’s a luxury item. Not everyone can afford it.”)
Balancing Your Time and Energy
A few simple strategies can make this season feel more manageable:
- Communicate schedules early and clearly with partners, children, extended family, and friends. It prevents misunderstandings and avoids last-minute pressure.
- Give yourself permission to say no. Not every gathering requires your attendance. Protect your energy. Forgo events that will overload you.
- Identify one or two “priority events” that mean the most to you and plan to attend those. Let the rest be optional or opt out of them all together.
- Schedule downtime around long shifts or emotionally heavy days. Taking time to reset and recharge is time well-spent!
- Coordinate with coworkers and management. Have open discussions on how best to distribute holiday responsibilities equitably.
Work–life balance is not about achieving perfection. It’s about creating enough space in your life so that neither work life nor home life drains you completely.
Financial Survival: A Budget-Friendly Holiday for Veterinary Technicians
The Financial Reality
Veterinary technicians are passionate, highly skilled professionals—but many of us work with a salary that doesn’t stretch very far, especially around the holidays. Between travel, gift-giving, food, and celebrations, costs add up quickly, and the financial stress often becomes one more burden on top of the already challenging season.
A budget-friendly holiday doesn’t mean a less meaningful one. It simply means being intentional–and creative–about where your time and money go.
Practical, Budget-Conscious Strategies
Here are realistic ways to celebrate the holidays without adding to the financial stress:
- Be honest with close family and friends. Have conversations ahead of the holiday and set clear expectations on your gift giving (and receiving). Inform them that you’re keeping things simple this year and allow them to participate in the conversation. (For example: discuss options. Would it be best to eliminate gifts for adult family members and only purchase gifts for the children in the family? Would drawing names be a good option so that you’re only purchasing a gift for one family member?)
- Set a firm holiday spending limit before the season starts (and before you start spending money!). It may help to break it down into categories such as: gifts, food, travel, etc. If you’ve already started spending this season, take a few moments to track your current spending and create a budget that encompasses your total holiday funds, making sure to deduct what’s already been spent to avoid going over budget.
- Use cash envelopes, a prepaid card, or a similar system for your holiday shopping and bills so you physically cannot overspend.
- Assign holiday-shift pay a purpose. If you work an extra shift or earn holiday pay, assign those extra dollars for one specific goal—travel, one meaningful gift, or a bill—so they don’t vanish into everyday expenses.
- Plan potluck-style gatherings so the financial burden doesn’t fall on one person. Stay as organized as possible while planning. Create a shared spreadsheet or assign certain dishes or supplies so that all of the essentials are covered (and you don’t end up with everyone bringing desserts or chips and dips!)
- Suggest a “Secret Santa” or other gift exchange with a maximum spend limit. This can cut costs significantly since you’re only responsible for one gift, and it can be a lot of fun! These types of exchanges work well with coworkers, family, and friends! Draw names or opt for a surprise gift exchange.
- Make homemade gifts—Homemade cookies, pet treats, or crafts make thoughtful, intentional gifts. You don’t need special skills to create something thoughtfu . . . but if you have skills, put them to good use creating gifts to give for the holidays.
- Give group gifts—This can be done several ways! For families, opt for one gift for the entire family (bonus if it involves spending quality time together, such as a family board game or tickets to a local escape room.) Or have several family members contribute to one large gift, saving everyone money and allowing the recipient to receive a gift that might have been too expensive otherwise.
- Spread out your spending—Shop for the holidays year-round. This can allow more flexibility in your budget since you’re spreading out those extra purchases over the course of a year rather than packing them all into a few months. It also leaves more time for bargain shopping! Clearance sales are great for picking up gifts for next year, as long as you keep track of your purchases.
- Shop intentionally, not impulsively. Create a list of potential gift items you’d love to give to those you’re shopping for. This will keep you on track so you don’t over-purchase. And remember that discount stores, local markets, and thrift shops often have better and more unique items than big-box retailers. If you’re not into second-hand items (or your recipient isn’t), you can often find new items—still in their packaging, with tags—at thrift stores, yard sales, or other secondhand stores. You just have to have more time and patience.
- Offer experiences or services instead of items—Create budget-friendly experiences such as a family movie night with themed snacks and drinks, or a home-cooked meal/meal prepping for a busy family member, and give the experiences as a gift. Or offer your services for things such as babysitting, dog walking, pet sitting, gift wrapping, house cleaning, or party planning. Often, these things mean more to family and close friends than any store-bought gift!
- Scout out local free or low-cost events: Follow community pages on social media, peruse flyers at local venues, and check with local community centers or organizations. Oftentimes, there are a plethora of events during the holiday season that are free of charge or cost very little to attend. Make a day of it and turn the outing into a gift for the family! Some public libraries offer a “borrow an experience” program, which can include tickets to local plays, zoos, museums, and other events near you, at no cost to you as long as you have a (free) public library card!
Keeping the holidays affordable doesn’t diminish the magic. It reduces stress and allows you to enjoy what truly matters. Remember that thoughtfulness and connection are not tied to your bank account!
Giving Yourself Grace
As Veterinary technicians, we excel at caring for others—our patients, our coworkers, our families, and our friends. But during the holidays, we often forget to extend that same compassion to ourselves. Surviving this season isn’t about perfection. It’s about recognizing your limits, honoring your needs, and letting go of the pressure to be everything to everyone.
Give yourself permission to rest. Permission to simplify. Permission to enjoy whatever parts of the season feel good and permission to let the rest go. Remember to honor your needs, protect your energy, and choose a version of the holiday season that supports your well-being—not one that drains it.
The holidays will always be a busy time in Veterinary medicine, but with careful planning, intentional choices, and realistic expectations, they don’t have to be overwhelming. Above all, remember that you matter and your work matters, not just during the holidays, but all through the year. Find a good balance and give yourself grace.
This holiday season, I hope you find moments of rest, relaxation, connection, and joy—no matter how small. You deserve a holiday season that includes not just giving, but receiving—rest, respect, happiness, and the space to breathe.