In times of uncertainty and swift upheaval, it is absolutely normal to feel stressed out. You are most likely trying to figure out what your career looks like now, since you are either out of a job, working from home with family at home, or having to go into work, which can feel unusually dangerous. Being an SLP has suddenly become a completely different way of being an SLP.

If you’re feeling stressed and downright ungrounded by all of this, you are not alone. Having to stay at home, and simultaneously start working from home with your family present, possibly homeschooling your kids, or just being by yourself – or having to go into work each day still – can be really unsettling right now. When we feel this way, our brain likes to focus on the stressful, ruminate in it, and try to find more of it – all in an effort to protect you from the stress around you, but causing you to continually feel more and more stressed. 

If you are worrying about your stress levels as you work through this new Social Distancing as an SLP, there are a few things that can help. As with all Stress management techniques, they seem so simple, but, once you practice them, you can see how powerful they really are. 

Here are a few ways to help you manage your stress in this somewhat hectic and strange time: 

Take a break from the media:

The first thing to help you reduce stress is to step away from the media – news and social. The news can be stressful and also tends to focus on the negative and salacious. It can easily cause you to go from ok to panicked in a moment’s notice. If the news is stressing you out, put down your phone or turn off the tv. Instead, go out and move your body, listen to a podcast or read a book. Do something that isn’t just soaking up all of the information, which can sometimes be even scarier than it needs to be.
SOcial media can be a respite in these times, BUT it can also cause stress too. If you are feeling stressed by not doing enough, doing too much, or not thinking or saying the right thing. If this is happening, turn it off as well. Or only follow accounts or focus on groups that are uplifting for you. 

Decide if you are an Introvert or Extrovert:
If you are drained/energized from spending time around people or having quiet time, you might be having a difficult time staying at home – either because you are alone or because there are people at home.
If you are introverted, you tend to feel more drained from social situations and need downtime and quiet to re-energize. This can make it SOUND like your current quarantine is easy for you, but you might be at home with a LOT of people – ALL. DAY. EVERY. DAY. For you it will be important, to find somewhere to be alone and quiet for a few minutes a day at least. GO on a solo walk outside, take some time to read a book in a room alone, or maybe meditate for a few minutes. 

Extroverted people might be having a hard time with not being able to go out or socialize. THe trick is to find ways to socialize while being at home. Maybe go outside on a walk or in your yard with your family, instead of staying inside, This cna make it feel more “social” or more of an event. You can also schedule some social activities online – try facetiming your other family members or friends, schedule a happy hour via skype or zoom, or even try to attend a concert or church or book reading online, so you feel like you are “going out”. 

Focus on what is working:

It’s really, really easy to get caught up in all that is going wrong, all that you are NOT able to do anymore, and all the things that are truly devastating in the world. But there are also good things still happening, and things that you CAN still do. It’s challenging, and it doesn’t mean you don’t notice the harder things, but that you also make sure to notice there are still good things in the world happening around you too. 

• There are people singing through windows in Italy. 
• A man led rooftop fitness classes so his apartment complex could move their bodies together. 
• SO many educational sites are offering free things to help parents who are homeschooling or who have small children at home. 
• Disney+ shared movies WAY earlier than they intended
• The SLP community has rallied around each other to help those starting to use teletherapy for the first time. 
• Actors and authors are reading books online and building community

There is still good in the world, but you have to shift your brain to look for it. 

A few things you can do that will reduce stress, bring in more positivity and help you feel better: 

• Show gratitude – it shifts your mindset and changes what your brain focuses on
• Get up and move – it will help you clear your head, step away from stress and reduce tension
• Go outside – fresh air is good for you, and it helps you feel less stuck and isolated (but PLEASE continue practicing social distancing)
• Meditate – it will help you find more calm and peace during this time
• Journal – practice gratitude for 3 positive things each day, or try just writing to get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page

Make sure your work day has an end

You are probably working (and possibly homeschooling) from home, which may be pretty new to you. And it most likely happened overnight. One thing is to make sure that you have a clear stopping point for your work and school day, so that you are not constantly working and feeling more overwhelmed and burned out.
Set a stopping time and then do something that helps your brain and body know it is time for work to end and home life to begin. You could try a walk, meditate, make a cup of tea/coffee, read a book – really anything that you want. 

Practice these simple things during times of stress, to help you better manage the stress, and in times of less stress, to help build resiliency. You can find more tools to help you, including meditation and movement audios and journal templates in the SLP Toolbox. You can sign up for this free resource below.

And if you want more info on stress management, make sure to check out these CEU/CMH courses. 

• Rethinking Your Daily Routines to Reduce Stress on SpeechPathology.com (1 ASHA CEU Hour .10 units)
• 3 Common SLP Stressors and How to Manage Them on Xceptional ED (1.5 CMH Hours)
• Managing Common SLP Stressors before Burn Out Occurs on Northern Speech Services (2.5 ASHA CEU hours .025 units)
• 3 Biggest Stressors for SLPs and What to do About Them on SpeechPathology.com (1.5 ASHA CEU hours .15 units)
• SLP Stress Management: Using Mindfulness to Reduce and Manage Stress on SHAV Webinars (1 ASHA CEU)

For more personal or specific questions, or to learn about SLP Stress Management Coaching, please don’t hesitate to send me an email at jessi@jessiandricks.com

Much Love,