Dr Bert Mohr - The Mindful Vet

18/08/2025

14/08/2025

Seagulls rise above the waves, seeing the bigger picture before deciding where to land. Mindfulness gives us that same gift — the ability to step back and see more clearly.

When work challenges or team tensions pull you in, pause and ask:
1️⃣ Can I change this? If the answer is no, recognise that pouring your energy into it will only drain you. Shift your focus to what is within your control, and let the rest pass without claiming your peace.
2️⃣ Will this matter later? Remember the impermanence of all things — even the most intense moment will change. “This too shall pass” is a gentle reminder not to magnify its weight in your mind.

Like the Seagull View, rise above for a moment, take in the wider horizon, and then choose your next move with clarity and calm. This week, give it a try — notice how perspective changes your emotional weather.

💚 Join our animal care wellbeing community for weekly guided mindfulness sessions, practical stress-reduction tools, and support from people who truly understand your journey.

https://bertmohr.com/wellbeing-of-animal-carers-community

07/08/2025

🥛 You cannot pour from an empty vessel

We all know it — but how often do we actually live it?

In the animal care world, we’re trained to prioritise others: our patients, students, colleagues, families. It’s noble, yes — but unsustainable if we’re running on empty.

I’ve learned that putting your own wellbeing first isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation for everything else. It’s what allows us to show up with clarity, strength, and compassion — without becoming a statistic.

I’m no longer surviving this profession. I’m thriving in it. Not because the challenges disappeared, but because I stopped abandoning myself to meet everyone else’s needs.

Even small acts of self-care can refill your vessel:
✨ A few mindful breaths between patients
✨ Time in nature to reset your nervous system
✨ A quiet check-in: “What do I need right now?”

Your wellbeing isn’t optional. It’s essential — for you and the animals and people who count on you.

💚 You don’t have to do it alone.
Join our wellbeing community for animal carers — weekly guided mindfulness, practical tools, and real conversations with people who get it.

📅 Wednesdays @ 5:30 AM
🌐 Free access: https://bertmohr.com/wellbeing-of-animal-carers-community

👇 What helps you refill your vessel?

01/08/2025

Happy vets 🧑🏼‍⚕️ for happy animals! 🐾
I really do love being in this space.

As vets we are taught how to care for animals, not so much for ourselves...
And the stats tell us that almost half of our community is clinically depressed.

So I love sharing mindfulness practices as a way to regain calm, clarity and joy!

So many vets came to me today after my presentation to share their personal journeys of mental-emotional challenges in the animal care industries.

As a community we can shift the topic -- .. from stigma to support.. from emptiness to fullness.. not coping but thriving!

If you're a veterinarian or animal care professional, and interested in regaining joy by practical mindfulness, please join us for free guided online meditations.

More info here: https://bertmohr.com/wellbeing-of-animal-carers-community

Thank you to the South African Veterinary Association SAVA for hosting the Western Cape Congress in Stellenbosch, and the amazing team at Vetlink.

28/07/2025

⏸️ The Tactical Pause: Your 5-Second Reset for Overwhelming Moments

When stress hits hard or anxiety rises:
1️⃣ STOP what you're doing
2️⃣ BREATHE deeply (slow inhale, even slower exhale)
3️⃣ FOCUS on what's actually in front of you

This simple technique instantly activates your parasympathetic nervous system, dropping your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones. Military pilots use it. Medical professionals swear by it.

But here's the thing — mindfulness techniques like this were key to my shift from breakdown to breakthrough, and they work best when practiced regularly with support.

That's why we've created an online community specifically for people who care for animals. Inside, you'll find:
✨ Weekly guided mindfulness sessions (Wednesdays 5:30 AM)
✨ Short how-to videos for busy schedules
✨ Practical strategies to increase joy and calm
✨ Tools to lower stress, improve sleep, and find contentment

We've reserved open-access spots to make this more accessible because our animal care community deserves support.

Ready to move beyond just surviving stressful moments?

Join us here: https://bertmohr.com/wellbeing-of-animal-carers-community

Mindfulness is best understood through direct experience. Here's to a happier, healthier animal care community.

15/07/2025

Wolves demonstrate remarkable balance between individual strength and pack cooperation. They instinctively know when to rely on the collective and when to restore themselves through solitude.

In veterinary practice, we often struggle with this natural balance—either isolated in our challenges or completely depleted by constant team demands without adequate self-restoration.

Like wolves, we can honor both our deep interconnection with colleagues and our essential need for restoration. The key is developing awareness of our energy patterns and learning to communicate our needs clearly—whether that's seeking connection when we're struggling or requesting space when we need to recharge.

This balance isn't selfish; it's sustainable. When we restore ourselves intentionally, we return to our pack stronger and more capable of supporting others.

This week, notice your own energy patterns. Are you someone who tends to isolate when stressed, or do you give constantly without replenishing? How might honoring both your need for connection and solitude affect your resilience?

10/07/2025

🐭 The Mouse Hole Exercise: Discovering Your Busy Mind 🐭
Did you know we have 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day? And we touch our phones about 6,000 times daily! No wonder our minds feel so busy.

Try this simple awareness exercise:
🎯 Focus on one simple thing (like a dot on your screen)
⏰ Try to keep your attention there for just 15 seconds
🧠 Notice how many thoughts pop up

You might be surprised! Some people notice 3 thoughts in 15 seconds, others notice 20. It's completely normal - our minds are constantly chattering.
The beautiful thing is, once we become aware of this mental "noise," we can start to choose which thoughts deserve our attention and which ones we can simply let pass by.

💭 "We lose out on a lot in life if we are not present. Our attention is stolen by our own thoughts."

Being present - whether with our patients, our families, or even just with ourselves - is one of the greatest gifts we can give.
Your turn: Try this exercise and share - how many thoughts did you notice? No judgment, just curiosity!

07/07/2025

Owls embody patient observation before decisive action. They watch silently from their perch, gathering information before making their move—a stark contrast to our often reactive daily behaviors.

In life's many decisions, the pressure to act quickly can lead to premature conclusions. True wisdom comes from balancing efficiency with observational clarity.

Try the "Owl Eyes" practice:
Pause and take 30 seconds of silence. Observe and look at your situation with fresh eyes. Widen and expand your awareness to include subtle details. Listen and notice what is being communicated, and integrate by allowing observations to inform your next step.

This practice enhances decision-making by creating space between observation and action. Like owls, we can cultivate the wisdom that comes from patient attention.

This week, use "Owl Eyes" before responding to challenging situations. Notice how this brief observational pause affects your clarity and choices.

20/06/2025

🇿🇦 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 — 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂! 🐾

Did you know that 40% of South African vets are clinically depressed, and 25% feel so low that they contemplate su***de?

These aren’t just numbers. They reflect real people — our colleagues, our friends — and maybe even ourselves.

But what if I told you..
You don’t have to stay in that place.
You can become a 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗿 — instead of a statistic.

I’m Dr Bert Mohr, a veterinary specialist and CEO. From the outside, I may seem successful and happy — and today, I am — I live with joy, peace of mind, purpose, and deep fulfilment.

But it wasn’t always that way...

For many years, I was stuck in the same cycle so many of us know too well — a low mood, relentless stress, a mind that never switched off, and very little real joy.
I was barely coping… not really alive.

Eventually, I hit full burnout.
A complete mental and emotional crash!

That breakdown was the turning point.

I had to take a serious look at how I was approaching life — and what I truly needed to be well — in a sustainable way.

And through that process, I discovered proven practical tools and practices — grounded in modern neuroscience — that helped me rebuild from the inside out.

I found my way back to calm.
To clarity.
To compassion.
To contentment.
And ultimately — to a life filled with joy and meaning again!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, here’s a quick tip to help you to reconnect to joy:

👉 Think back to why you became a vet in the first place.
Can you remember that specific moment? That calling? When and where were you?
Sometimes reconnecting with the “why” is the first spark to help us remember why we do what we do — and what we love and gain energy from, if we can refocus our attention.

Now imagine this: ...
You feel 50% happier than you do today.
You sleep better.
Your stress and anxiety drop significantly.
Your mind is calm.
And you feel more connected — to yourself, to your work, and to something bigger than you.

That’s what’s possible!

👇 If you’d like to learn more about how I made that shift — like many before me — and how you can too — 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 “𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆” 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄, and I’ll send you something to get you started.

15/05/2025

🐳 Whales experience remarkable breath awareness — surfacing for a deep, conscious breath — before diving into the ocean depths. This powerful inhalation sustains them throughout any challenges beneath the surface.

As animal care professionals, our breathing often becomes shallow and rapid, as part of stress responses that cloud our judgment. Conscious breathing is our most accessible tool for maintaining calm, focused presence.

Try the "Whale Breath" reset — by noticing when stress is escalating, consciously take three seconds to stop. Breathe deeply into your belly for four counts, retain the breath briefly, and release more slowly for six counts.

This technique immediately engages our parasympathetic nervous system, physiologically reducing stress. Like whales, we can use conscious breathing to navigate challenging depths — on a daily basis — with greater ease.

This week, practice the "Whale Breath" during stressful moments. Notice how three slow breaths affect your rational decision-making, focus and presence.

02/05/2025

Water flows continuously, adapting to obstacles and connecting shores. This natural fluidity mirrors how connection works within animal care teams—not as a structured exercise, but as an ever-present possibility.

In the rush of daily demands, we often forget that our resilience is woven through moments of genuine connection with people, animals and nature. The pressure to complete tasks a can create isolation even when not alone. Yet our wellbeing depends on these connections as surely as a river depends on its tributaries.

Consider the river of connection that runs through your workplace today. Sometimes it flows strong—those moments when understanding passes between colleagues without words, or when laughter erupts spontaneously. Other times, it narrows when stress creates invisible barriers.

Nurturing this river requires intention. Throughout your day, look for opportunities to strengthen the flow: eye contact during conversations, appreciation for a colleague's insight, or being in companionable silence during a break. These are a conscious choice to remain open to connection within the rhythm of your day.

This week, notice where connection already flows naturally and where it seems stagnant. Gently encourage those moments of authentic connection. Like a river gradually reshaping its banks, these small shifts create lasting changes in team cohesion and wellbeing. Let the river guide you!

30/04/2025

🦦 Otters are champions of play and connection, often seen holding hands while floating, sharing food, and engaging in playful activities.

Their social bonds provide security and joy even in challenging environments.

For animal care professionals, connection and moments of lightness are not luxuries—they're essential for resilience.

Daily demands can isolate us from colleagues and friends, yet our wellbeing depends on meaningful connections.

Try some "Otter Play" this week by setting aside 5 minutes for human connection where you can exchange a brief positive story or gratitude.

Incorporate a small element of fun in routine tasks and consciously make eye contact and truly listen to colleagues.

Notice how these small moments of support and holding space for each other — like otters holding hands — affect your inner joy, workplace atmosphere and personal resilience. 🤝