Sir John Kirwan has encouraged veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and allied health professionals to Do One Thing (DOT)
every day that boosts their wellbeing.
Whether it’s surfing, knitting, playing the guitar, cooking or reading - having a mental health plan, and sticking to
it, is essential to build a lasting strategy that will help with stress and anxiety.
Speaking at the 2024 New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) and New Zealand Veterinary Nursing
Association (NZVNA) conference, the rugby legend and mental health advocate challenged his audience to "do a DOT for
your mental health today". Once that’s done, he encouraged people to Do Another Thing (DAT) to help calm the brain and
allow it to recharge.
During the presentations at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre late last week, he acknowledged the long hours,
stress, and workforce pressures experienced by many of our veterinary professionals. "Eighty-five percent of the world
is burnt out," he said. "We have so much information coming into our brains. Our jobs never finish, there’s no work-life
balance anymore, there’s just work. We need to work out a plan to look after ourselves."
Sir John spoke from experience, discussing his personal journey of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and how he
reached out for help and support through family and an All Black’s doctor who told him it was "an illness, not a
weakness". He also highlighted the importance of connecting with a psychologist who is a good fit for you.
Through his experiences, he learned the most important thing we can all do is to have a mental health plan. This
involves knowing the things that are good for your mental wellbeing and putting them into regular practise. "I connect with people and nature every single day," he said. "I’m an active relaxer, so I go for a walk with my wife and
the dog to reconnect; I cook and play guitar. When someone comes into my mind, I text them; and to switch off my brain,
I read. It all helps my brain to recharge."
Sir John told the profession that people need to look after each other and talk about mental health and wellbeing; take
a preventative and community approach; take control back from technology; and discuss having a mental health plan with
young people. He also recommended applying a worry map during stressful times by asking yourself: ‘What can I control?
What can’t I control? What can I do? What can’t I do?’
"If you do a worry map, often only about two out of 100 worries are generally within our control," he said. "Nowadays,
if I start to worry, I have a plan in place. I understand when I’m starting to get burnt out and I can reset quickly. I
just double up on my mental health plan. Every morning, I stand in the shower and wash my worries away rather than
thinking about everything else. Then I have a coffee. You find you start looking forward to the shower and then the
coffee, and in doing so, you’ve already done two things for your mental health."
The 2024 NZVA & NZVNA Conference was attended by 825 delegates from across the country, and featured 81 exhibitor/industry partner
stands.
"Your goal today is to start a mental health plan and do a DOT for your mental health," he told the audience. "How often
at the end of the day do you say, ‘I’m awesome?’ We have to celebrate ourselves every single day."
About Sir John Kirwan
Sir John Kirwan is a globally recognised mental health advocate, author, entrepreneur, and rugby legend. He's also a
co-founder of Groov, the workplace science platform designed to lift people and performance. In 2012, JK was knighted
for his services to mental health - an honour he strives to live up to every day. He’s long been at the forefront of
public campaigns about mental wellbeing. JK was one of the first high profile athletes to help normalise conversations
about mental health, and that vulnerability has paved the way for others to open up about their own experiences. Many
people also know JK as a sporting legend. He played 63 test matches for the All Blacks from 1984 to 1994 and was part of
the winning 1987 Rugby World Cup team. He also played for the Warriors and had success as a rugby coach, including on
the international stage with Italy and Japan. JK's mission for Groov is to deliver performance care to 100 million
employees within their daily flow of work. By integrating into familiar tools like Slack, MS Teams, Office 365 and
Salesforce, Groov surfaces the right support at the right time, helping people feel good and perform better through
their workday. JK is a family man who likes nothing better than to surf, cook, and make a perfect cup of coffee. He
lives in Auckland with his wife, Fiorella. They have three children, now grown and pursuing their dreams throughout the
world.
About NZVA
The New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) is the only membership association representing New Zealand
veterinarians. It has served and supported members since 1923. The NZVA is committed to safeguarding the high skills,
continuing development and ethical standards of the New Zealand veterinary profession, helping veterinarians be better
recognised and valued for the unique role they play in society.