Change is never easy.

In fact, the honest truth is many people live their lives simply going through the motions until one day, they stop and ask themselves, “What am I doing? Am I happy with the choices I have made so far? What does my future look like?”

As an online coach, writer, and motivational speaker, Dr. Jessica Turner knows all about this.

Originally a small-town veterinarian who graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Turner traded in her stethoscope to pursue a different path. Now, she helps people from all over the world live happier and healthier lives.

Vet Candy  had the chance to sit down with this busy momma (who just had baby number three!) Today, Dr. Jessica shares the “aha!” moment that changed it all, plus tells us about her exciting People’s Choice Podcast of the Year Nomination.

Ready to feel inspired?

Introducing, the brilliant Dr. Jessica Turner!

Overcoming Dark Times and Making Well-Being a Priority

Did you know?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 529 million Americans – the equivalent of one in five people – live with a mental illness. Of that, anxiety disorders rank highest among adults. There are multiple reasons for this. The stress of everyday life, work demands, family commitments…it’s easy to see why so many folks are more anxious and depressed than ever.   

And among veterinarians, the stats are just as concerning. Research at AMVA shows that one in six veterinarians have contemplated suicide at some point in their career.

For Dr. Jessica Turner, it’s a deeply personal issue.

She herself has overcome disordered eating, anxiety/depression, Postpartum Depression (PPD) and even lost a friend to suicide.

“I always envisioned my life as an adult as this rewarding journey of veterinary medicine intertwined with motherhood and marriage,” she explains. “Each aspect mirroring what we are fed as kids: perfection. But instead, I was finding myself in a career that was slowly killing me, a marriage that was on the brink of breaking, and becoming a mother that was more surrounded by darkness than the joy of being a mom.”

Indeed, there is a severe lack of care for emotional and mental health in the veterinary profession. When the going gets rough (whether personally or professionally) many struggle to admit that actually, no. We don’t always have it all together. Sometimes, we need help.

Luckily, that’s where coaches like Dr. Jessica Turner come in. After leaving veterinary medicine to follow her heart, she discovered how health and fitness can play an important role in healing. The better she got, the more she yearned to help others too. Specifically, moms and other veterinarians.

Her work has been going extraordinarily well! Dr. Turner recently celebrated 7 years of health and wellness coaching.

“It has been an absolute honor to be able to play a role in their lives so they can continue to find joy within veterinary medicine,” she says.   

People's Choice Podcast of the Year Nomination

Since taking on this new role, Dr. Jessica has expanded to reach an even wider audience.

Her inspirational podcast titled “Living Well with Dr. Jessica” is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and other podcast platforms. The show features fun, delightful, and relatable conversations centered around healthy living with the world’s most exciting experts.

It’s been a hit!

So much so, that she just received a People's Choice Podcast of the Year Nomination for the second year in a row. Living Well with Dr. Jessica tackles tough topics, such as: coping with grief, ways to heal yourself, meaningful relationships, living an intentional life, smart money saving tips, parenting, and so on.  

Final Thoughts

Interested in getting to know Dr. Jessica Turner more personally?

Visit her website www.jessicabturner.com

She promises to be “a friend that you can count on to be here for you, whatever that looks like. I’m in your corner. Never forget that.”

 

 

 

Q and A with Dr. Jessica

 

1.    What is your biggest challenge with baby #3 

 

You still have to care for #1 and 2! While my girls are old enough to be self-sufficient in many ways, I still had to arrange for someone to watch them for all the appointments that follow having a newborn as well as see about getting them to and from summer activities. Lots of moving pieces vs getting to focus solely on caring for a newborn. 

 

2.  How to you make sure you are taking care of yourself and why is that important:

 

You always hear you can’t pour from an empty cup well it’s true! When I had my girls back in 2014, I had this picture of what motherhood was supposed to be. You know the one - glowing momma nestled with her precious newborn not a bag under her eyes and as happy as can be. I learned quickly that wasn’t reality. Another misbelief was that “good” moms do it all without the help of others. I fell for that lie and crashed and burned as a result. It took me 7 months of struggling to finally admit I needed to ask for help if I was going to make my own wellness a priority. 

 

3. What steps did you take for your wellbeing to make this time better for you:

For one, I’ve learned to embrace accepting outside help whether that help comes from my husband (no lie, I’m writing this from my tub with a glass of Cabernet in hand while he tends to the baby per his request) or outside friends and family. I no longer see it as a form of weakness. In fact, I see it as a form of strength to be able to let others step in so you can step back from time to time. I also splurged on some products specifically formulated to help me navigate the postpartum season. I would have never done that the first go round! But this time, I get to look forward to a delivery from Anya full of products focused on wellness post-delivery thanks to its healing and energy tonics, multivitamins, nipple balm, scalp serum, and much more! Highly recommend for any soon to be mommas!