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12Jun

Stop Waiting for Summer to Happen and Manage Stress Better All Year

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Career Advice Reduce Stress
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Manage Stress Better PinterestThere is a common saying and feeling in the Speech Therapy world: I just need to make it through until Summer. It is often heard and seen, especially once the second part of the year and Spring Break rolls around. This is usually due to the “IEP season”, where you are having to not only complete all the IEPs for your huge caseload, but also attend and hold the meetings, as well as provide therapy for your kiddos. It is also progress report time, again, and time to wrap things up for the end of the year. If there was any small glimmer of stress earlier in the year that you were able to push aside, this is the time of year it will ooze out and saturate your day.

It is not a saying that I particularly care for, since it is seems more hopeless than hopeful, but it was one I found myself repeating over and over again in the last few months of the school year. (more…)

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5Jun

How to Really Reduce Stress this Summer Vacation

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Career Advice Reduce Stress
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How to Reduce Stress PinterestIn all honesty, the last quarter of this year was very difficult for me to get through. I had felt some burn out in the middle of the year, but I knew a lot of it was from outside of work circumstances related to our recent move, renovating a house, and not really having the time I needed and wanted to recharge and connect to some of my passions. The end of the year was much different. I didn’t just feel burn out, I felt stuck and disconnected at times from my work. I felt like there was an overwhelming amount of pressure (not from anyone) and I wasn’t sure how to manage the stress at times or make it seem less. I was doing the thing I hated – pushing through until Summer Break. (more…)

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10Apr

Are You Feeling Bitter About Your SLP Job?

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Journal Techniques for SLPs Self Care
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Are You Feeling Bitter Pinterest

What is the first thing that floats through your mind when you hear “It’s time to go to work?”. Are you filled with purpose, albeit a little exhaustion, or are you filled with dread, stress and, even, bitterness?

If you used to be really excited about your career and the changes you would make in people’s lives, or the difference you could make in the world, but now you just think about how there are only 5 more days until Friday, you are starting to experience bitterness. This bitter attitude towards your work and job can start out small, but, if not recognized and managed, can be the thing that makes you dream about quitting your job and leaves you feeling unfulfilled in your life.

A few years ago, bitter was all I felt about my work. It was like I was trapped each day and living a life I wasn’t happy in and my job was the thing to blame for it. Going into the same place each day with no flexibility to my schedule, no fresh air, and no freedom left me feeling drained. I grew so bitter each day that I really didn’t find any enjoyment out of the work, even when I had colleagues who were in the same field or other professions who were stressed and overwhelmed too. I felt like maybe I was in the wrong career. No matter what, I just felt bitter and eventually quit.

After I quit, I started doing mindfulness practices and learned about self-care, coaching, meditation and more. I taught yoga and mind-body fitness classes, and blogged about eating healthy and feeling good in your body. It wasn’t until after I cam back that I realized all fo that work was simply me trying to heal my bitterness. And it was only then that I realized my bitterness was caused by burn out. (more…)

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13Mar

Are Your Weekends Contributing to SLP Your Stress?

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Self Care
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SLP Weekend Stress Pinterest

As a Speech Therapist, not matter how many years you have into the field, you are probably really, really busy. You are either trying to juggle a full caseload, piles of paperwork, productivity standards or trying to keep up with your CEUs and education. This can all lead to a huge, exhausting amount of stress. When you are constantly stressed at work, the weekends can seem like the light at the end of the tunnel.

The weekends are there for you to take a break from work, relax and unwind, and perhaps even dabble in some hobbies or non-work related interests. They are time for you to recharge your brain and take care of your needs. The weekends are a time to decompress and fill up before the week begins again. (more…)

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20Feb

3 Simple Ways to Reduce SLP Job Burn Out

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Career Advice
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Reduce SLP Job Burn Out Pinterest

In any field or lifestyle where you are primarily putting the needs of others before yours, there is a possibility of Compassion Fatigue and Burn Out. This is due to the fact that is can be exhausting and stressful to have someone’s needs, and sometimes life, depend on your skills and abilities. You constantly have to be focused, thinking and keeping them engaged in what you are doing. As SLP’s, this can be even harder because you are caring for people of ALL ages in so many different settings, where you are sometimes responsible for their ability to think and communicate effectively or perhaps even to nourish their bodies safely. It can be beautiful but draining work, that comes with the additional stress of productivity levels, paperwork and a lack of understanding from those around you. It can be extremely stressful and, when that stress becomes chronic or daily, it can become serious and turn into Burn Out.

Burn Out is recognized by the World Health Organization and is real. It is also manageable and treatable. If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety, and think you might be heading toward burn out, there are things you can do to help reduce it. I’ve partnered with the ASHA Leader Blog today to share 3 simple, but hugely effective, things you can do to help reduce and prevent Burn Out as an SLP. (more…)

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30Jan

5 Ways to Practice Self Care as an SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Self Care
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SLP Self Care Pinterest
Lately I have been making an extra effort to really dig deep and take care of myself. I used to be pretty darn good at this, but got off track since pregnancy, becoming a mom, career changes and a big move. I have been so focused on self care and mindfulness, and really thought I had a handle on it, but I began to see that I was taking shortcuts in my self care. I would go on a walk or a hike, but bring my dogs with me or push the stroller with my daughter in it. I would practice yoga, but in short spurts and never at a studio. I would enjoy coffee several times a day, when I really needed proper fuel for my body. (more…)

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23Jan

3 Ways to Face Your SLP Stress

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Reduce Stress
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Face SLP Stress Pinterest

I recently had a talk with some people about stress. The conversation was about feeling stressed by others stress and walking away from it. It was about how to avoid feeling stressed by work and life. It was about how hearing stories form others about how much they are struggling is too much, and makes you want to turn away. It was a conversation about daily stress. Mostly, about running away from it.

It is a conversation that I have had come up more than once over the last few months.

In the Stressed Out SLPs Facebook group, we often share the things at work that leave us feeling the most stressed. Then other people can comment, give you a boost or help you figure out a solution. I often share some of the tips and tricks that I write about here, as well as do LIVE videos and leave additional information or share articles. It is place that is meant to lift you up, not by constantly making you laugh (which is a good thing at times), but by helping you to really take charge and make changes to your schedule, job, caseload, etc, or at least to let you know that you are not alone in the struggle. (more…)

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17Jan

How To Create A Vision Board

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Goal Setting Reduce Stress Self Care
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Vision Board Pinterest (1)

Each year, I like to set an intention for the year – whether it is something small, like going to the beach more often, or something big, like paying off debt or starting a new training/school. Sometimes it is a simple mantra, like “expand” or “create joy”. This helps me to focus on where I want to go in the year, rather than what let me down or what I need to change from the year before. The intention is to bring in something more positive, so there are more positive shifts happening in my life throughout the year.

Similar to setting a goal, it helps me to make better decisions and gives me something to lean back on. With my intention in mind during decision making, I can make sure I ask myself “Is this moving me towards my intention for the year, or taking me further from it?”.  This strategy can work for new continuing education, certification or degrees; a new job or setting; or perhaps even a change in your lifestyle outside of work.

As January moves ahead, it is a good time to reflect on the goals and intentions you may have set for the year. You can start to see if you have been able to make shifts towards that intention you’ve set, or if that goal isn’t quite what you intended it to be. You can also see if your goals are already pushed back into the far corners of your mind as you make space for all of the “must-do’s” that are part of everyday life.

This happens really easily, and is one of the reasons why most of us either forget our intentions or just give up on them after a month or so. If you are feeling like your goals are already slipping away from you, or you are looking for a way to be more aware of them each day, you can try making them visual.

One way that I like to do this is to create a vision board. A vision board is a visual means of having your goals on display, around you, to see every day. These goals come as pictures, images, quotes, trinkets or anything that is meaningful to you. Having these items on display helps you to remember your intention, connect to it more often and feel as if you are really working towards it each day. It also helps give you more input to use when you ask yourself “Is this bringing me closer to my intention?”.

In the past, my vision boards have represented where I wanted my yoga practice and teaching to lead me, what I wanted to learn, how I wanted to develop my coaching practice and even what I wanted to do with our house once we moved. My boards usually focus on my career and personal goals or hobbies, as these are the areas I need the most clarity in, but they can really represent anything that you wish to work on.

Here are some examples of my boards in the past:

2012 Visions2013 Vision Board

A vision board is very simple to make and can be made for very little expense. It can be a fun project to do as part of your self-care on evening, or could even be a family night activity or part of a date night. If you run a business, this could be part of your business strategy sessions and planning for the year ahead.

How to create a vision board:

  • Grab some magazine or newspapers or flyers
  • Print out images or quotes that are meaningful to you
  • Find photos, pictures or even cards around your home
  • Paste or thumbtack them into your board
  • Place your board somewhere you see every day. If it is focused on your career, place it in your office. If it is focused on personal development, place it somewhere you work or attend to often. If it is relationship focused, or perhaps you made a board with your partner or family, hang it in your room or family space.
  • Each year, look back at your board and swap out things that aren’t meaningful or you have moved beyond with things for the new year.

That really is all there is to it. Once you create your board you are ready for it to work its “magic” and help you reach your intentions throughout the year.

Have you ever created a vision board before? If so, leave your tips in the comments below or in the FB group. If you want even more useful tools to help combat stress and burn out, make sure to sign up below for the SLP Toolbox.


You can also check out more on goal setting here. If you’d like to dive deeper in setting your goals and decreasing your overall stress, I’d love to work with you this year. You can email me any questions you might have to jessi@jessiandricks.com or schedule a phone/skype chat here. 

Much Love,

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