Menu

1Nov

How to Use Movement for SLP Stress Management When You are Short on Time: Quick Interval Mindful Movement for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindful Movement Reduce Stress
Comments Off on How to Use Movement for SLP Stress Management When You are Short on Time: Quick Interval Mindful Movement for SLPs

Movement for SLP Stress Management

When you are stressed, as an SLP or otherwise, one of the best things you can do is to get up and move your body. It could be a stretch at your desk, going for a quick walk down the hall, taking a stroll through your neighborhood, following a short fitness video or audio, or taking an hour for a yoga class. Whatever it is, movement is key to helping you reduce and manage your stress and tension, in both your body and mind.

Movement for SLP Stress Management, especially when done mindfully, can help you in a few different ways, including mental and physical tension relief, health benefits, and stepping away from a place of stress.

(Mindful movement for stress management is something that I dive into in much more depth in the SLP Stress Management Course, along with a few audios and videos to help you get moving).

It can also be really difficult to incorporate into your daily routine, or to start doing at all. Movement can be one of the first things you sacrifice when you are stressed, drained and feeling short on time.

Even when you know that movement is one of the key strategies to reducing and managing stress, it is not always easy to fit into your schedule. In fact, sometimes you are likely to not do these stress management techniques, because finding time for them seems like an additional stress that you are not willing to take on.

When this happens, there are a few ways to add in (or tweak) mindful movement without additional stress:

  • Look for spots in your day that you already have available, but might not be aware of at the moment.
  • Have a few short videos bookmarked on your computer for when you have a no-show or cancellation or a quick 10-15 minute opening
  • Plan for 15-30 minutes at the start of your day or at the end of your work day (and build this into your schedule)
  • Do something you enjoy, so you are likely to look forward to it and make it happen
  • Match your movement o your energy levels, so it feels good and you feel better after, not depleted, exhausted or bored.
  • Keep it short and simple – go for something efficient, like an interval practice that targets your entire body and mind.

Using these tips as guidelines to help you decide what to do, and when, can help you to add in a powerful stress management technique, without adding in more stress. If you are still feeling overwhelmed with this idea, you can get even more guidance and learn how to figure out what works best for you, when to practice it, and how to make it a habit, in the SLP Stress Management Course (available for enrollment now).

If time is the biggest issue for you, and you are looking for something that is efficient and guided, you can download the “Quick Interval” Mindful Movement Audio in the SLP Toolbox. It is a 20 minute, full-body movement practice, that just requires you and no other equipment. Each move is done for a minute or so, before you switch to the other side or a new move, so your body and brain are engaged the entire time, which will help reduce some mental and physical tension and stress.

The SLP Toolbox is a FREE subscribers-only resource library for SLPs, full of practical and effective tools to help reduce and manage stress. It is updated bi-monthly with exclusive content, such a meditation and movement audios.

Not a subscriber to the SLP Toolbox? You can sign up below to access this download as well as many more movement, meditation and journaling tools.

Much Love,

Tags:
17Oct

SLPs Need to Rest: Mindfulness Meditation

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Meditation Stress Management
Comments Off on SLPs Need to Rest: Mindfulness Meditation

slps need to rest

Do you ever feel like you are constantly doing something? Like, even when you are not working or working on work, you are trying to be productive by doing more on your endless to-do list? It’s incredibly common, especially for a field and profession that focuses so much on productivity. But, without a doubt, SLPs need rest. Maybe now more than ever.

As a yoga teacher, for nearly a decade now, there is one thing that has remained constant. It is easy for students to come in, stretch, move, and breathe, but when it comes to the end, where it’s time to really relax and get still – not doing – most people have a really hard time. When given the chance to relax, it is difficult to do, because it seems unusual and unproductive.

I think that as an SLP, you might relate to this as well. Even though the thing you might want the most it time to just BE and not DO, it is really difficult when productivity is such a huge part of your work and daily focus.

But it is so important to take rest. And, SLPs need rest too. Not sleeping, or even really doing (like yoga or meditation), but simply resting to recharge and deeply relax. Doing this for a few moments, almost like a timeout, can help you to let go for a moment, reset, and feel less attached to your daily stress.

A great way to do this is with a yoga “savasana”. If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, this is the part at the end where you just rest, flat on your mat. And it is the part that can be so difficult. But, when you let go and just rest on your mat, it can give you the balance you need from the hectic, productive pace of your daily routine and work.

You can do this by resting on a yoga mat for a few minutes, maybe listening to some music or just being still. If you want a little guidance, you can follow along with the “Savasana Meditation” in the SLP Toolbox. This meditation of sorts will focus on helping you get some rest and relaxation, to help balance out the rest of your day.

You can access the SLP Toolbox, and all the other meditations and tools with it, by subscribing below (if you are already an email subscriber, you can click here).

If you are ready to dive even deeper into managing and reducing your stress, by adding in tools to your daily routine, make sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Course, now available! It also comes with several bonus meditations and movement audios and videos to help you get started right away. You can check it out here: SLP Stress Management Course+Meditation Bundle

Much Love,

Jessi

Tags:
10Oct

How to stop second guessing yourself as an SLP: SLP Stress Management Podcast Interview with Hallie Sherman

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice Stress Management
Comments Off on How to stop second guessing yourself as an SLP: SLP Stress Management Podcast Interview with Hallie Sherman

second guessing yourself as an slp

One of the main reasons I decided to quit being an SLP (for nearly 5 years!) was because I didn’t feel like I was doing anything. I would go to work each day, but didn’t feel connected to what I was doing, didn’t feel like it was making a difference, and started to believe that being an SLP didn’t really mean much or do much. It was a TERRIBLE way to think and feel, and is absolutely untrue. SLPs make a huge difference in big and little ways, but at the time, it was difficult to see, until it was impossible.

Many SLPs that are stressed and nearing burnout can feel this way, or feel that they are heading in this direction. You might be familiar with this too.

It is often when you are a brand new SLP or starting in a new setting or with a new therapy protocol. You might feel like you aren’t sure what you are doing, or if it is effective, or if you are doing it “right”, and, then, you start second guessing yourself as an SLP. From there, it can be a quick trip to disconnect from your work and wondering if it was the right decision.

But it can also be a launching pad for bringing you to more connection and growth as an SLP. It can be the moment that helps you to figure out new ways to approach your work, connect with your students/clients/patients and feel that your work is truly meaningful (and sustainable).

How to recognize this moment, use it to reshape your mindset around your SLP work, and stop second guessing yourself as an SLP is what Hallie Sherman, from Speech Time Fun and the SLP Coffee Talk Podcast, shares in the this episode of the SLP Stress Management Podcast.

In her words “Hi! I am Hallie Sherman, M.S. CCC-SLP and I am a full time, school-based SLP from NY. I have experience working with students preschool through high school. I realized early on in my career that I had to find ways to make lesson planning easier so that I can leave work at work, spend more time with my children, yet still execute fun and engaging lessons that will help my students work towards their IEP goals. I am here to help you realize that you too can plan with ease and have your students always wondering what awesomeness you will present them each and every day! “

For even more ways to help you manage stress and ditch the second guessing that comes with it, check out the SLP Stress Management Self-Guided Course, now available!

This 8-week online course will help you to understand stress and where it comes from, learn evidence-based tools to better manage and reduce it, and create ways to implement these practices in your daily routines and schedule. You can find out more and sign up here: SLP Stress Management Course.

Much Love,

Tags:
16Sep

How to Use Journaling to Enhance Self-Awareness with Devin Roscillo: SLP Stress Management Podcast

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Journal Techniques for SLPs Podcast
Comments Off on How to Use Journaling to Enhance Self-Awareness with Devin Roscillo: SLP Stress Management Podcast

journaling to enhance self-awareness

One of the best tools for stress management is also one that I use the least – journaling. Meditate regularly? Sure thing, as much as I can. Move daily? You betcha. Journal practice?….?

I guess, in a way, I do journal through blogs and social media posts – kind of. Having that creative outlet and connection really does a lot for my stress levels. But really, it is more that I am writing than journaling. I rarely sit down with my pen and paper and do the work of journaling. I love writing, but this is the one that I make a lot of excuses not to do.

  • I don’t have the “right” journal
  • I don’t have my journal near me
  • I don’t want anyone else to read it (no one is going to)
  • I’ll think it instead

It is, honestly, a lot of excuses on my part, and something that I am making a goal to start adding in more often, along with my meditation and movement and mental “notes” each day.

Journaling practices, like gratitude journals or “brain dumps”, are some of the best forms of self-care. In fact, they are a core part of the SLP Stress Management Course. They help you to shift to noticing the positive and what’s working, so your brain isn’t stuck focusing on all that is going wrong, as well as give those negative or spiraling thoughts somewhere to live outside of your head. And this helps you to reduce your stress, manage it better, and, ultimately, take care of you.

But they are also really great for self-awareness. In fact, you can use journaling to enhance your self-awareness. While self-care is all about how you take care of yourself in order to show up as the best you can be for yourself and others, self-awareness is defined as by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “knowledge and awareness of your own personality or character”. Basically, it is being more aware or in tune with how you show up in the world, and who you are. This is so crucial when you are starting to work through your stress, burnout, and overwhelm at work, so that you are able to see how you are showing up and how things are affecting you or triggering stress.

You can use journaling to enhance self-awareness, which can help you to reduce your stress and be more aware of it and how it affects you. This is exactly what we dive into, and what we practice a bit of, in my interview with (former) SLP and Mindset Coach, Devin Roscillo of Unleashed Innovation.

Devin is an SLP turned Mindset Coach and founder of Innovation Unleashed, where she hosts regular workshop series and coaching programs to help her clients to see their limitless potential.

In the episode, Devin shares her journey with stress as an SLP, and how it led to her becoming a mindset coach, as well as some specific journal techniques she uses with her clients to enhance self-awareness.

Tune in below or check out all of the SLP Stress Management Podcasts here.

Leigh Ann earned her master’s in Communication Sciences from the University of Central Florida in 2013, and has enjoyed being an SLP ever since. While at UCF, Leigh Ann was part of a grant to prepare SLPs to work with English Language Learners, earning a graduate certificate of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

Leigh Ann now resides in Kansas City where she divides her time working across outpatient, acute, and inpatient rehab settings. She has presented for ASHA CEUs to regional SLPs on topics such as how the respiratory system and cough influence dysphagia, a review of the literature on dysphagia exercises, and generating measurable dysphagia goals. For multidisciplinary continuing education with PTs and OTs, Leigh Ann has presented on topics such as Cognitive Retraining with an emphasis on memory strategies, and the SLP’s scope of practice & making appropriate patient referrals to the SLP. 

As host of the Speech Uncensored Podcast, Leigh enjoys interviewing colleagues to highlight the diversity in our field and share resources. The Speech Uncensored Podcast was born out of a desire to learn more and share that information. As a lifelong learner, Leigh Ann is passionate about disseminating useful resources and equipping SLPs to provide the highest quality of care. The scope of practice for SLPs is wide, varied, and nuanced. When given the right tools, we can confidently provide quality services to our patients.

Want more tools to help you infuse your day with mindfulness? Make sure to subscribe to the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library full of meditations, mindful movement audios and more, to help you manage your SLP stress, reduce burnout and find more balance (aka mindfulness) in your life. Subscribe below for access.

If you are looking for even more, make sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Course and Professional Development Courses.

Much Love,

Tags:
8Aug

Check Out or Check In?: Basic Mindfulness Meditation for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Meditation Reduce Stress Stress Management
Comments Off on Check Out or Check In?: Basic Mindfulness Meditation for SLPs

basic mindfulness meditation for slps

One of the things I like to do when I am feeling stressed especially about my work as an SLP, is to find a million other tings to do or think about. That way, I don’t have to focus on the stressful thing at hand. And it works, for about 5 minutes, until it completely backfires and the stress comes at me full force.

Ever try this technique? It’s kind of the worst.

You might notice that when you are stressed, you also do things to check out – like binge watch your favorite show or movie or just ANY show, stay up way too late and guzzle all the caffeine you can the next day, or binge snacks or wine or whatever it might be. The idea is that you end up ignoring the stress, but then it hits you again a little stronger each time.

Instead, the way to really reduce and manage this stress is to face it head on. It sounds like this would be the more stressful approach, but it allows you to check in, or tune in, and see what it really going on for you. That way, even if it feels uncomfortable and more stressful in the movement, you can see what you need to work on, what you have to work with, and the changes you can start to create. It’s not easy, but it is usually necessary.

One way to do this is through a basic mindfulness meditation for SLPs.

In mindfulness meditation practice, you take a few moments to just sit and observe how you are. No judgments, no changing, just seeing what is going on for you in that moment. From there, you become more aware of how you are in that moment, which helps you to see:

  • how you will show up in your day/the world with what you have going on
  • how the day/world may affect you
  • what you can do to better navigate your day and current circumstances (like avoiding a certain co-worker or getting to bed earlier or drinking more water or whatever it may be).

This simple practice can help you start to reap the benefits of meditation, such as turning down the stress response in your brain, and start to manage your stress with more awareness.

You can start by simply sitting for 5 minutes, breathing, and just seeing how the mind and body feel in that moment (without judging) or you can follow a guided meditation, such as the “Basic Mindfulness Meditation for SLPs” available in the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library full of stress management tools made for SLPs by an SLP.

You can sign up for access below:

If you are looking to go even further with reducing and managing your SLP Stress, including using meditation and learning exactly how it can help, be sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Course, now enrolling.

Much Love,

Tags:
24Jul

Love being a School SLP but feel like you want to quit? An Interview with SLP Toolkit: SLP Stress Management Podcast

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Podcast Stress Management Uncategorized
Comments Off on Love being a School SLP but feel like you want to quit? An Interview with SLP Toolkit: SLP Stress Management Podcast

SLP Toolkit

If you have ever heard me tell my “story” of how I ended up quitting being an SLP for nearly 5 years, dropped my license, and let go of my CCC’s, then you know that I often say it was the schools that “broke me”.

I worked in the school settings, after sending 2-3 years in the medical side of things, due to it being the only job available in my area. The school was lovely and my caseload was ok sized – big but not overly so. I took over from another SLP who was leaving to work in a hospital setting, and started with her schedule halfway through the school year. It was a primary school (pre-K thru 2nd grade) and had super supportive admin and staff. And I dreaded every moment of it.

The next school year, I was back on the same campus, but floated between the primary, elementary AND middle school. Again, it was a decent sized caseload and the students were all really great. I had another SLP working with me that I got along with, and the staff was ok to work with. But this is where I ended up leaving.

It wasn’t a big thing, it was a lot of small things that piled up over the year (half of 2 school years) and made me ultimately decide to quit and leave (in my mind forever and ever).

The sad realization is that I am not alone in this. There are a lot of SLPs who are feeling this way or have felt this way, and many do end up leaving or dreading every moment they are there. It sucks for them and for the students. It is especially disheartening when you LOVE the field of Speech Pathology, and enjoy working with students, but the overwhelming amount of “stuff” you need to do each day makes you want to quit.

In my recent interview with the founders of SLP Toolkit (and co-founders of SLP Summit), we talk about how this incredible stress and the desire to quit, despite LOVING the field and working with the students, led them to team up and create something to help other SLPs – SLP Toolkit. While it started as something for their school district, it ultimately became a fantastic tool to help SLPs streamline all of the “other” parts of the job, so they can enjoy the therapy, work with the students, and be the School-based SLP they always wanted to be.

You can check out the episode below or tune in here.

Resources:

SLP Toolkit

SLP Summit

If you are looking to dive deeper into managing your stress as an SLP, make sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Online Course, enrolling soon for Fall 2020.

You can also check out some FREE SLP Stress Management resources by subscribing to the SLP Toolbox below:

Much Love,

Tags: