MMI sponsors webinar for students on looking after mental wellbeing during the pandemic

The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative is sponsoring a webinar this month that will look at how veterinary students and student veterinary nurses can stay healthy and look after their mental wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The one-hour webinar, titled ‘Calm in the Corona’ takes place between 11am and 12 noon on Saturday 25 April and is being led by the VetKind team, a collaboration between the Association of Veterinary Students of UK and Ireland and SkillsTree Training, and supported by Mind Matters.

The session will look at some of the common responses to uncertainty during the pandemic, with an emphasis on how to recognise and nurture more adaptive or helpful responses that do not lead to heightened anxiety or distress. Key topics will include creating routines, setting boundaries and how to seek social support despite quarantine measures.

Building on the interactive approach from previous VetKind conferences, student veterinary nurses and veterinary students will be invited to share their COVID-19 experiences, ideas and successes with their colleagues.

Jenny Moffett, Managing Director of SkillsTree and VetKind facilitator says: “Although we’re all talking about social distancing right now, it’s more accurate to think of it as physical distancing. Social support is more important than ever, and webinars can be a really effective way to connect, and work together on a common challenge.

“We know that many students may be facing heightened stress and anxiety right now as they worry about the impact the pandemic may have on their own and their family’s health, their education, their finances, their housing and so on. We hope that this webinar will provide some effective coping strategies and an opportunity to share fears and worries and find constructive solutions to them.”

Those that wish to take part in the webinar should email [email protected]. An automatic reply with the link to participate in the webinar will then be emailed back.