I was recently asked this question by a fellow SLP…
This year has been so overwhelming I’m thinking of taking time off from being an SLP. I know your platform is a lot of stress management and prevention but did you feel some time away gave you a fresh perspective?
When I was in my third year as an SLP, I had worked in 4 different settings; had anywhere from a 15 minute to a full hour commute (before traffic); had been fired, laid off, and quit due to legal issues; and went through 4 different CF supervisors before earning my CCC-SLP. Looking back, it is no wonder I hit burnout hard and found it nearly impossible to recover. Any one of those things would have been overwhelming, while learning to BE an SLP, but all of them combined was a real poo-storm of a few first years.
It wasn;t all terrible. I really enjoyed a lot of the facilities I worked at and had wonderful co-workers. I had people there who supported me in my early career and who believed in me as a clinician. There were a lot of really good times and things I loved and learned so much from. And there was a lot of frustration that built up and became all I could see after a while.
So, I quit in order to teach yoga and swore I would never return (which, of course, I did after 5 years away and some life changes).
This isn’t meant to be some “and look how far I’ve come” story – because it is not that. It is more of would I do it again or do I recommend it to others……..not necessarily.
One question that I get asked a lot, and was asked recently, is if I think a person should leave their SLP (or other Helping Profession) job due to the overwhelming stress, or if they should stay with it. It is one of the toughest questions to answer, so here are my thoughts on it, especially with the extra demands and ongoing stress (and triggered stress response) of the pandemic. Do I recommend it? For some, it is not needed and other things would help, but for some people it is absolutely what is needed. It really depends on a few things that you would know better than me. But there are some ways to figure out which is for you.
Should I take time away from my work as an SLP or Helping Professional?
Here are some things to consider when deciding to step away from work or not:
- Have you really and truly tried to manage or reduce your stress?
- It sounds mean and a little like it’s all on you. That is not quite how it is meant to be. Here is the truth, even when you want to change, it is really hard to undo the patterns and habits you have been using and living with. It doesn’t matter if they are working or good for you. They are familiar and change is hard and it is scary. So, you have to ask yourself, have you really tried? If yes, have you given the tools time to work and time to work through them?
- If you have done that, and have been working to reduce your stress, but it still seems to be on the rise and work is the main source, then it might be time to step away in order to better manage your stress.
- What do you want from stepping away?
- Another big thing to look at is what you want when you step away. If it is to take time to reflect and work through stress, and you are unable to do that with the overwhelming amount of work you face, then taking the time to step back might be exactly what is needed. If you are unable to have a moment throughout your day to pause or breathe or stop working, mentally and physically, then taking a step back might be the best bet.
- If taking a step back is to have the stress instantly go away, it is probably not a realistic thing to do, or at least not the only thing to do.
- If you step away from your work, without managing your stress, it will not go away (exceptions of course for toxic workplaces). Yes, it might feel great to be free from those obligations. That will make the stress feel like it has lifted, and a little bit may have. But it does not help you to turn down the stress response or give you tools to reduce and manage it in the future. It teaches you to keep leaving when things are overwhelming, not what to do when they are. And it will show up quickly in the next setting or when the next stressful thing passes by you. Managing your stress helps you to turn down the stress response, so it doesn’t keep taking over and keep you in overwhelm.
- Do you have a plan for the next step?
- Yes, taking time away usually means time to recharge, regroup, and step away from the productivity hamster wheel you are currently stuck on. But – it can lead to more stress and overwhelm if you do so without some sort of plan or next step.
- Before you step away, if you decide to, ask yourself these questions
- How long will I do this?
- Is this permanent?
- What do I want to try to do instead or for a while?
Now that you have a little more guidance in deciding if you should step away form work or not, start to work through this on your own. Grab a journal or notebook or a blank google doc and ask yourself each of these questions. Write down anything that comes to mind, even if you think it is silly, you’ve never thought it before, or you are unsure of it. Once you get it all out on paper, you can go over it again to help you come up with your plan and next steps.
Want a little more support? Send me an email and we can set up a time to chat, jessi@jessiandricks.com. If you come up with a next step or have a little clarity – share it in the comments or in your IG stories, and tag me @jessiandricks. You can also subscribe here for more free resources: SLP Toolbox
No matter what you decide, it is your decision to make (whether it is the right step for you, for your family, for your future goals and dreams). You’ve got this!
With Love and Light,
Jessi
