Being an SLP is really difficult right now, no matter what setting you are in. If you are heading into your work each day, to the physical building, you might be feeling stress about the logistics of your work, and how to keep yourself and your students healthy and safe, on top of the actually therapy part of your job. And if you are in your home office, you might be dealing with an impossible schedule, longer hours and a lack of support (or movement).
It is already stressful being an SLP – which means the things you could do before to help with stress are things you can turn to now to help as well.
When things get really stressful, one thing I like to do is to take a few deep breaths, letting my inhale and exhale grow steady and lengthen until they grow more even. This calm, steady breath send the signal from my body through the central nervous system and back up into the brain that everything is calm, steady and ok, which helps reduce the stress response the brain sends out.
You can do this by:
- Bring your focus to your breath
- Breathe as deep as you can, in and out
- Count to 4 or 5 for each inhale and each exhale
- Repeat for desired amount of time
Then, when I really want to relax even more, I take it one step further and deepen the exhale, extending it out a little longer. Even with a deep breath, the inhale portion is exciting to the nervous system, while the exhale is more calming and relaxing. By extending the exhale for 1 or 2 counts longer than the inhale, you can not only find a calm breath, but a relaxing one.
- Breathe evenly for 4 or 5 counts on each inhale and exhale
- Breathe in for 5 counts, and out for 6 counts
- Repeat for desired amount of time
Total, this can be a 5 minute meditation or longer if you have the time.
This Calming Exhale meditation practice and more are available in the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library full of meditation, movement, journals, templates and more to help you better manage and reduce your SLP stress. You can subscribe below for access:
Much Love,
