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Owned by Aaron

Vetspan Collective™

253 members • Free

Real talk, real tools, and the Durable Vet Team Blueprint™ for building stronger, healthier veterinary teams.

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Vet Med Central

30 members • $7/month

Skoolers

181.2k members • Free

32 contributions to Vetspan Collective™
Hi
Hey all, new to the app. CVT worked GP, LCHV, shelter, and academia. Along with my career, I'm a wife and mom.
0 likes • 23h
Welcome @Joslyn Bebout - I'm glad you are here. What's the secret to balancing work and family AND your health? Will you share what works (and doesn't work) for you?
Welcome to the Vetspan Collective™!
👉 Here’s how to get started: 1. PLEASE introduce yourself — who you are, what you do, and one area you most want to improve. 2. Pick one tool and use it this week. 3. Share your score, insight, or takeaway from a resource. You’re here because you care about protecting your health, your team, and your clinic — and you’re in the right place. This community is about action, not lip service. Inside the Classroom you’ll find FREE resources you can start using today, including: Durable Clinic Scorecard™ → see where your clinic is strong or at risk Fuel Up Fast snack kit guide → boost energy without the crash Sleep for Recovery & Energy → small steps to recharge better Micro-Breaks That Save Your Body → protect your body during shifts 21-Day Kickstart→ simple exercise & nutrition plan with video demos This is a judgment-free zone with 100% support. We’re here to stop burnout before it happens, extend careers, and help veterinary professionals stay stronger and healthier in the work they love.Glad you’re here. Let’s get started. 💪🐾 Come for the tools, stay for the community.
0 likes • 4d
@Joslyn Bebout Thanks for being here! What got you into the profession?
0 likes • 23h
@Bri Etherington welcome Bri (and Bluey)! We recently started a 7-day Kickstart (thread linked here) and you should join in. We're investing in ourselves with 1 action per day to reduce stress, build resilience, and ultimately thrive in vet med. Take a look and let me know what you think. This is a safe place to explore new ways to resist burnout!
🎯 7-Day Holiday Vetspan Kickstart (Starts…today)
December is nuts. Clinics are slammed, everyone’s tired, and “starting a full 21-day program” probably feels impossible. So let’s NOT do 21 days right now. Instead, let’s do 7 days together using the 21-Day Vetspan Kickstart that’s already waiting for you in the Classroom. You’ll find: - 📄 The 21-Day Exercise & Nutrition Kickstart for Vet Pros (downloadable PDF) - 🎥 A 15-minute explainer video where I walk through how to use it without burning yourself out How this 7-Day Kickstart will work For the next 7 days (must start by end of the week!): 1. Go to the Classroom and open the👉 “21-Day Vetspan Kickstart” lesson(PDF + explainer video are there) 2. Each day I’ll post a quick thread here in VC: ➡️ I’ll tell you exactly what to focus on for that day (movement or fuel) ➡️ You choose what’s realistic based on your schedule and energy 3. Your only “requirement” to play: ➡️ Try the day’s action (or your best attempt at it) ➡️ Then comment on that day’s post with a quick check-in e.g., “DONE,” “Half-done but tried,” or “Total miss, here’s what got in the way” No guilt. No perfection. Just tiny, real-life actions layered onto the week you’re already living. Why join in? This next week is about: - Feeling a little less wrecked by the end of your shift - Getting back in touch with your body (strength, movement, energy) - Testing whether this 21-day framework could support you heading into January Even if you only hit 2–3 days, you’ll still walk away with: - A few go-to workouts that actually fit vet life - A couple of realistic dinner + snack ideas you can repeat 🔥 Bonus: Free 30-Min Health Consult in January To make this a bit more fun: 🩺 Anyone who checks in on 5 out of the 7 daily posts (attempts count – this is about effort, not perfection) 👉 Will win a free 30-minute health consult with me We’ll look at: - Your current stress / energy / pain profile - What’s realistic with your schedule - A simple plan to roll into 2026 feeling more durable, not more burned out
🎯 7-Day Holiday Vetspan Kickstart (Starts…today)
1 like • 2d
Day 2: Nutrition! Protein first. The building block of muscle and the slow consistent energy source. If you can start the day resisting the carb forward breads / muffins and instead hit the cottage cheese, eggs, greek yogurt (plain - add your own berries), you'll be demonstrating real self-care. You are in the business of providing skilled and loving care. You have to make very impactful decisions and have your "A" game on at all times. Can you do that when you are coming off a sugar crash or hangry because you didn't fuel your brain? That's not good for anyone. Check out the meals suggested in the PDF (linked in first post) and try one of them out. It may take a little planning, but you can make enough for dinner and leftovers! You are worth it!!!!!
0 likes • 23h
Day 3: Cardio. Better cardio = better stress regulation. - Aerobic exercise reduces baseline cortisol and improves heart rate variability (HRV), a known marker of stress resilience. - A single cardio session can boost mood and cognitive performance for 2–4 hours afterward. Why it matters for vet med: When your nervous system is under chronic load, even small stressors hit harder. Cardio literally trains your heart and nervous system to stay calmer under pressure—busy days, difficult clients, emergencies. Try the cardio session described in the Kickstart document. The goal is to invest 30 min or more, break a sweat, get the heart rate up, and build stress resistance! Key takeaway: Cardio-trained individuals literally mount a smaller cortisol response to the same stressor. (Study: Rimmele et al., 2007, Psychoneuroendocrinology)
LAUGH AT STRESS!
I’m not talking about “toxic positivity” or pretending things aren’t hard. I’m talking about deliberately giving your nervous system a break with something that actually moves the needle physiologically. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis on laughter and cortisol (the stress hormone) found that: - Laughter-based interventions led to about a 32% reduction in cortisol (the "stress hormone") compared to control conditions. - Even a single laughter session (9–60 minutes) dropped cortisol by roughly 37%! That means a carefully chosen comedy special, funny movie, or “laugh-until-you-snort” video with a friend isn’t just entertainment – it’s a legitimate Recharge tool. How to use this over the holidays: - Schedule a 20–30 minute “laughter break” on the days you know will be stressful. - Make a short “go-to” playlist of videos or shows that reliably make you laugh (don’t wait until you’re fried to find them). - If you’re working in clinic, consider a shared “funny clip of the day” in the break room or group chat. You don’t need a perfect routine to benefit from this. Even one intentional laughter session can give your stress system a measurable reset. (Article attached if you want to dig into the science.) 🤣
0 likes • 2d
@Ashley Hopkins
Are Vet Professionals Athletes?
I say "yes". I spent yesterday morning with an equine vet team, observing their unique physical and emotional demands. Veterinary athletes all around! It's akin to practicing medicine while playing in an NFL game simultaneously. The key takeaway for me was the importance of integrating a human durability program into the academic and work environments of veterinary professionals (for both large and small animals). What are your thoughts on this?
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Are Vet Professionals Athletes?
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Aaron Shaw
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17points to level up
@aaron-shaw-3231
Founder of Project Vetspan and the Vetspan Collective™ | OT, coach & speaker focused on resilience, wellbeing, and extending veterinary careers.

Active 16m ago
Joined Aug 19, 2025
Fort Collins, CO
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