19/12/2025
It's that time of year again! Christmas, Kitten season and financial pressures leading to higher surrender intakes.
When shelter work ramps up, it’s often the basics that get lost first.
Meals are skipped.
Sleep is shortened.
Self-care feels impossible—or even selfish.
Staff over commit.
But nutrition, rest, and care are not extras. They are what allow our teams to keep showing up with compassion, clarity, and resilience.
Why the basics matter during peak periods:
Nutrition
Busy shifts and high stress burn energy fast. Regular meals and hydration support focus, mood, and immune health. It’s easy to rely on takeaway during long days—if ordering food, consider healthier options where possible to better support your body.
Sleep
Sleep is where emotional processing and recovery happen. Without it, fatigue compounds, decision-making suffers, and burnout accelerates. Good sleep hygiene matters—turning off work notifications at a consistent time, reducing screen use, doing a body scan before bed, or creating a simple nighttime routine can make a real difference.
Self-care
Self-care doesn’t have to be big or perfect. Small, consistent moments of care protect mental health and reduce compassion fatigue. These moments matter just as much as the bigger ones—mindfulness practices, a walk in the garden, listening to a favourite playlist, crafting, or making time for a hobby instead of skipping it.
Limit
Know your limit and honor your boundaries! If you need help communicating these, ask a team mate to support you. You're not alone.
We can support each other throughout the day by encouraging these small measures—they truly can have a big impact.
You cannot pour from an empty cup.
Looking after our teams’ wellbeing is part of ethical animal care.
This Christmas, let’s make rest, nourishment, and self-care part of the plan—not an after though.
