Have you ever wondered if the mental stress you felt would ever shift to physical stress?

There are times when stress can really build up and, mentally, you know that it is really difficult. You feel tension in your thoughts, you feel drained and depleted, you might want to cry or scream, and you feel absolutely stuck. And then you just stick with it. Unfortunately, this sounds all too familiar for most SLPs who are working through stress. When it manifests mentally and emotionally, it can often feel like it is not “real” enough to deal with, that it is embarrassing, that it is not worth (and you are not worth) figuring out  – easier to power through and control more, and that it will just go away and be better soon.

FYI – these are all related back to perfectionism, which runs HUGE in our field.

And, these can really backfire. When the stress you are mentally feeling starts to stick around and grow, but is ignored or pushed aside for later, it can start to show up and manifest in other ways – affecting your relationships, your outlook, or even your physical health (I am, obviously, not a medical doctor. Please do not take this as medical advice). 

When I was in burnout, it was when things started to shift to affecting my life outside of work, my relationships, and even my physical health, that led me to really feel like I had to “escape” and leave the field. 

Recently, I had the chance to sit down, virtually, and chat with a fellow SLP, Leanna Vollintine of SpeechWorks Therapy, who has experienced this mental to physical stress firsthand, and is now sharing her story with other SLPs, in order to help spread the awareness of how stress can show up and affect your overall health and wellbeing.

In this episode we talk about:

• Leanna’s journey with stress as an SLP
• The different settings and jobs she tried to reduce stress
• How it started to show up in her physical health
• What she did, and does now, to help reduce stress and support her overall wellbeing

Here is a little more about Leanna:

Leanna Vollintine is a pediatric SLP who has been in the field for 17 years.  In 2016, she started her own private practice, where she serves children in counties west of the DFW area in Texas.  Her passion is helping those she serves to be the best communicators they can be, and helping their families be advocates for their children.  Her motto is “whatever it takes”.

Follow her on Instagram: @speechworkstherapy

Check out here TpT Store: SpeechWorks Therapy

You can tune in to our episode here or in your favorite podcast app:

If you are looking for even more ways to manage your stress, both physical and mental, make sure to check out the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library with everything you need to ditch the stress and overwhelm of being an SLP.

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Much Love,

Jessi