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20Jan

Dear SLPs, Please Don’t Cry In Your Car

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Career Advice New SLP Reduce Stress Self Care
8 Comments

stress management

You may or may not have seen the recent article in the ASHA Leader Magazine, that talked about things like Emotional Intelligence and overwhelm and other things, including Stress Management. First, thank you to ASHA for publishing a piece that talks to stress in our field. No matter how you or I may feel about this piece, it IS good that this type of thing is starting to be talked about and we are able to have conversations about our stress and what to do about it. Awareness is the first step after all.

But, secondly, there were a few things here that really missed the mark. In the Stress Management paragraph, there was talk of breathing exercises and exercise/movement, which is GREAT advice for managing stress. These things have been studied and show that they can help to reduce the stress response in the brain and body, and in turn help you to manage stress. Other things, such as bubble baths and aromatherapy were also listed. These don’t necessarily go deep enough to help with truly managing stress, but they can be relaxing and this is a start.

However, there was also another suggestion for stress management that was just not quite ok, and really missed the mark. This was the suggestion that as SLPs, needing to manage our stress, we go ahead and cry in our cars.

While I think (or hope) this was meant as crying once in awhile for a release (or better yet, was a joke that didn’t translate well when read), this is in no way true stress management. It might help in the short term, but doing this day after day is not realistic and would end up feeling awful. And unfortunately, there are some SLPs who know this first hand.

I do believe that this article was well intentioned, but it just simply backfired and does not really give us tools we need, as stressed out and overwhelmed SLPs, to manage stress and prevent Burn Out.

Here’s the deal, as SLPs, most of us are really freaking stressed out and heading towards burn out, if we aren’t already there. You may be experiencing this or may be close to it yourself. I’ve been there, and I ended up quitting for several years.

It took me many years to work through this before I could make my way back into the field. And during that time, I studied things like yoga, mindfulness, meditation, wellness coaching and mind-body fitness – all things that are actually good for reducing and managing stress.

Now, I work with other SLPs to help manage and reduce their stress through Stress management coaching, webinars, articles, resources, presentations, speaking, etc.

With all of this, there is one thing I know for certain:

Crying in your car is NOT a technique, its a sign of chronic stress and burn out left unmanaged.

Bubble baths and aromatherapy are relaxing, sure, but true stress management goes much deeper. It seems as though this article meant to approach it, but didn’t quite get to what SLPs really need and how much stress there is for many of us each day. We need DEEP knowledge about stress and tools that pertain to us.

Instead, we need to try less distractions (binge watching to ignore our feelings) and fluff (bubble baths) and do deeper self-care work, like mindfulness, meditation, movement, journaling, etc that have been studied and help you both reduce the stress response thats been triggered and shift your mindset so the stress doesnt continue to affect you as deeply (because unfortunately some of the things that suck wont be going away anytime soon). We need articles and courses that teach us these and share info on them, even if we already know that they will be helpful or have heard about them before.

Because knowing is one thing, but doing is another and it is MUCH more difficult.

For the last 3 years, I have been working to share resources and info on this topic. In recent months and weeks, I’ve been wondering how much I really had to offer or if I should really continue to share about stress management for SLPs. Let me tell you something, this has lit a fire within me. In this next year, I plan to have even more opportunities to help you and other SLPs to manage and reduce their stress, so we no longer have to resort to crying in our cars.

For now, try things that can actually help:

  • Meditate: It helps your brain rewire
  • Journal: It can help to let go of stress and build in more positivity/gratitude
  • Move your body: it lessens the stress response
  • Breathe deeply: it’s simple but signals to your nervous system that you are ok, and reduces the stress response you can be stuck in

If you want more resources, please check out my current have articles, podcast episodes, a free resource library, and links to CEU courses here on my site http://jessiandricks.com. These are updated regularly, with more podcast and resources each month, and new webinars throughout the year.

This year I plan to expand the reach and community, so we can all work on this together, making it easy to not only know but to put it into action. This will include expanding and reopening online and private SLP Stress Management Coaching.

I know it’s not for everyone, but hope it helps those who need it.

For now, you can sign up for resources below:

You can also reach out to me at any time with questions, collaborations or to learn more about SLP Stress Management Coaching via email: jessi@jessiandricks.com

Much Love,

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16Dec

What to Look for in a CF-SLP Job Opening

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice New SLP Reduce Stress
Comments Off on What to Look for in a CF-SLP Job Opening

CF-SLP Job Pinterest

When you are looking for your first job as a new graduate, there can be a lot to consider. Most will tell you to look for a CF-SLP job opening that pays well and that you like, or maybe has really good hours. This advice isn’t wrong, and can be a great starting point, but there is a lot more to consider if you want to have a successful year that sets you up for MANY more years to come.

If you really want to have a successful CFY, you need to also consider how you want to experience the year and feel during the process. Do you want a lot of support or  a lot of freedom? Do you want a more flexible schedule or something standard and steady? These are also things to consider when you start to look for a CF-SLP job opening.

And when you look at this things and maybe go even deeper, it can help you to have a much more enjoyable, and much less stressed first year as an SLP.

Here is what to look for in a CF-SLP job opening:

  • Pay:
    • Ok, yes, this is still important. Not only the amount you get paid, but HOW you get paid.
    • You may want to consider if you are looking for a salary position or work as an independent contractor. Working as an IC can often pay you more per hour, and if you contract into the schools you get a little less stress from before and after school duties and meetings, but you also might have to do a little more work when it comes to saving for taxes.
    • Being salary is great, because you know what you will make each paycheck, so it is easier to budget. These positions can sometimes come with a little more responsibility outside of work, much as bus duty in the schools, and you won;t get paid for the extra hours you spend at work.
    • It also is good to look at how much you need to make to live the lifestyle you want, especially if student loans are about to kick in.
  • Setting:
    • Setting is important, but not always in the way you might think.
    • Usually, the advice is to find a job in a setting that you are super interested in or that you are very passionate about. This can be very helpful, and keep you engaged in your work, but might also be a little unrealistic as a new SLP grad.
    • As a new grad, you might not know the full scope of the work or how the day to day for that particular work might be. Looking for something that fits your desired day to day schedule (time for breaks, shorter day, longer day with time in between patients, traveling, early day, 9-5, etc) might be a better way to find what will really work for you, rather than something you are passionate about, but will drain you (think if you are NOT a morning person, but the clinic for your “dream” caseload starts at 7am. It sounds exciting, but you’ll be exhausted and might start to resent it). Finding a balance with this can be key.
  • Support:
    • When you are looking for a CF-SLP job opening, another thing to consider is the amount of support that will be offered vs the amount of support you are wanting or needing. There are some CF positions where you will basically be left to your own, with a few check-ins here and there. This could terrify some new grads, or make others feel like they are finally free to do the work their way. Or you might be in a setting where there is support all around you, leading you through each step, which could be awesome if you don’t quite feel ready to be left on your own, or may leave you feeling micro-managed and not trusted.
    • When you look for your new job, ask what the support will be like and see if it matches what you are wanting and needing.
  • Turn-over:
    • If there are job openings because SLPs are leaving this position left and right, you may want to look deeper into what is really going on. Is it a caseload that is super challenging? That might be ok if it is something you are really wanting to work with and are up for a big challenge. Is it poor management or lack of support? You might want to reconsider. Knowing what it is really like to work there, or why others have left, will help you to know if it is a good fit for you in the long run, or something you would have to “survive” for a year (which just makes for a LOT of stress that can continue through your career).
  • More training:
    • One of the hardest things when you first start out is feeling like you don’t know enough. You WILL know a lot, but this feeling is bound to come up, and it can be really overwhelming. To help, look for a place that will help support you in learning more. This might be offering a stipend for CEU courses or reimbursement, supporting you in more extensive training to help you specialize or even offering their own training to help you continue to learn and grow as a clinician.
  • Work-Life Balance:
    • This is often key for finding a job that will work for your entire CFY, and fr the rest of your career – do they support or encourage work-life balance? Without this, you are bound to feel stressed, overwhelmed and burned out really quickly, which can lead to a life-long career of stress, dispassion for your work, or even leaving the field entirely. Trust me, I’ve been there (with SLP jobs and even in yoga jobs).
    • If it seems like the amount of work would be impossible to finish at work, or the hours might be incredibly long, or the mentality (as many grad school programs can be) is that “SLP is your life now”, then it might not offer much in terms of balance.
    • Look for a company or position that encourages you to grow as a professional, but also encourages you to leave work at work, keep caseloads in check, and continues to support you as needed, whether in CEUs, supervision, mentorship, or just having someone you can count on.

You CF year as an SLP can be incredible in many ways. It can inspire you to do more continue to grow in the field for years to come, and it can also be incredibly overwhelming and leave you disheartened at times. To help know what to look for in a CF-SLP job opening, make sure to consider some of the above tips and advice.

For more on managing your stress as an SLP for the long-haul, or preventing it and setting yourself up for a rewarding career for years to come, check out the FREE resources in the SLP Toolbox. You can sign up below:


And don’t miss these CEU/CMH opportunities on some of your favorite SLP Professional Development sites.

Much Love,

1741931346171517140715

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20Nov

How to Have the Best ASHA Convention Experience

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice New SLP Reduce Stress
2 Comments

_ASHA Convention Post PinterestIf you are heading to ASHA convention, or considering it for a future convention year, there are a few ways to really get the most out of it that go well beyond overbooking, hustling, and go-go-going all weekend long.

ASHA convention is a fantastic time to learn some of the best and newest techniques in your field – from professional issue to therapy techniques to marketing and more- all while packing in a ton of CEUs. It is also a time to network with other SLPs, meet and greet with companies and people you’ve only seen from afar, and maybe even job or school hunt. All of this makes it a very busy, demanding and, hopefully, really fun and rewarding experience.

But, honestly, all of that going and hustling and running from session to session can wear you out, leaving you feeling depleted when you get back to work or even during the end of the weekend.

So while there are some great tips out there for what to do and bring to your ASHA convention (a phone charger or plug, a bag for swag, a tablet, laptop or notebook for taking notes, the ASHA app, etc), there are also a few deeper things that will help you really make the most out of the entire weekend and leave you feeling refreshed, empowered and ready to put all that you’ve learned into action when you get back home.

  • Schedule and Plan Ahead
    • There is a TON to do and see and attend at the convention. Make sure you look at the paper planner or app ahead of time, so you are able to know which session you really want to attend, where they are located, what time they start and if you need to sign up ahead or get there early for a spot.
    • Right these down in a planner or calendar, or add them to you app planner, so you know when you are going and aren’t trying to search in between session to make it to the next course.
  • Community and Connection
    • One of the best things about attending ASHA is the connections and community you can build or reconnect with. Community and connection help you to feel like you are involved and important in your field, and can help you maintain your passion and decrease your overall stress and feelings of isolation, which many SLPs feel regularly.
    • If you have a ton of SLP friends that live far fro you, that you only get to see at work, or that you have never met IRL, convention can be the perfect place to connect. Set up session to attend together or meet up for a meal, drink or event while you are there.
    • You can also use the time to connect with brands, sites, schools, companies, etc that you are wanting to collaborate or work with, or that you have question for. These are usually found in the exhibit hall. Pro-tip: go to these during session times instead of the lunch break, so you can have more one-on-one time with the people and vendors you are wanting to meet and connect with. 
  • Food and Drinks
    • You need to eat and you need to stay hydrated, especially if you want to beat brain fog while you are sitting in those early morning or late afternoon sessions.
    • Look for some places to caffeinate, with coffee or tea you will actually enjoy and that aren’t too swamped (or plan for more time). These are usually outside the convention center or on your way there.
    • Bring a water bottle so you can refill it throughout your day and always have something to drink on hand.
    • Bring snacks and even consider packing a meal. If you are meeting friends for lunch, plan ahead, so you can make a reservation or know how far and how long it will take to get there. Remember that most places will be crowded. Pro-tip: sneak out of your last session right before it ends to beat the lunch crowds if eating in the convention hall. 
  • Breaks and Time-Outs
    • You will need downtime. If you try to push through and go to back to back sessions ALL weekend long, in order to get as many CEUs as possible, you will be worn out, exhausted and not get much out of those sessions.
    • Instead, pick a few to attend each day that are really important to you. During the times when you might have lower energy or need to recharge, consider taking a break. Got o a lounge or grab some coffee or a snack. Go for a walk outside and get some fresh air and sunlight (or rain or snow depending on the weather and location). Put your headphones in and listen to a podcast, music or meditation. Take a break of some kind, so you can recharge for the rest of the sessions and really learn and absorb more.
  • Sleep and Self-Care
    • Just like it is important to take a break, it is also important to practice some self-care, including sleep, during the weekend. This will help you to feel, think and show up your best, whether you are networking and connecting, presenting, or attending sessions.
    • Get some sleep. You may be up really early to attend your first session to commute to the convention center. Make sure that if you are, you head out for the nighttime activities with enough time to recharge and unwind. It can be tempting to stay out late and lose some sleep, but it will benefit you more to have a clearer head and able able to think, function and be present at the next days sessions.
    • Take care of yourself. Self-Care is important whether you are at ASHA convention or at home. Take some time to find some balance form your day and unwind.
      • If you are walking around all day and on your feet, perhaps in uncomfortable shows, put your feet up and rest for a bit when you get back to your room.
      • If you are sitting for most of the day, try taking a walk or doing some yoga to stretch, move and balance out your day.
      • Plan some down time to recharge, hydrate, eat well, and restore.

Overall, soak up the the time at ASHA convention and use some of these tips to get the most out of it and really enjoy your time there, letting go of some stress or tension that you carry around each day.

For more tips and ways to recharge each day at convention, make sure to sign up for the SLP Toolbox, full of FREE resources to help SLPs manage and reduce stress, unwind and recharge, and just feel better overall.

And if you can’t make it to ASHA convention, here are a few ways to earn some CEUs and reduce your SLP stress in the process:

Much Love,

1741931346171517140715

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18Oct

How to Become a More Resilient SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Reduce Stress
Comments Off on How to Become a More Resilient SLP

Become a more resilient SLP

It can be really hard at times to be an SLP and not feel burdened with stress and overwhelm. There are things that seem to only get harder as time goes on (hello Medicare changes, paperwork and insurance) and other things that seem to come in cycles and breed even more stress (IEPs, progress reports). And while you might feel like you are starting to drown in the stress, there are other SLPs who seem to be able to feel it, manage it and move on from the stress, without it affecting them as deeply. It might seem like they have some sort of magical power or know a secret that you don’t, but the truth is, they have probably worked to become a more resilient SLP, so they are better able to work through stress and not have it stick with them.

One of the best things you can do as an SLP is to work on becoming more resilient. Now, I know this might not be the answer you want to hear, but, in reality, it is most likely what you need and what will help you get through these times. There are many things that can not be changed overnight or with the snap of your fingers, such a billing, paperwork, insurance, medicare, etc, but there is still so much you can do about how these things affect you and show up in your life.

Resiliency is often key when things are stressful and seem like they can’t be changed.

What is resiliency?

Resiliency is one of the foundational principles of Positive Psychology, a type of psychology that focuses on using positivity and optimism to help you thrive in your life. By definition, resiliency is the ability to return to a pre-stress state after a stressful event, situation or encounter. It is essentially your ability to “bounce back” after stress occurs. There are many things that affect your natural resiliency, such as how you were brought up and what you have experienced in life, but it is also something that you can work on and build up to become a more resilient SLP.

As an SLP, this can feel nearly impossible at times, due to the amount of stress and stress triggers that surround you on a daily basis. In order to help build up your resiliency to these stressful situations, you can start to build up a foundation or positivity and optimism, 2 essential tools towards managing stress, but also in building resiliency. There are many ways to build up this foundation, and it all starts with taking care of yourself.

Below are a few ways you can become a more resilient SLP and feel as if stress doesn’t stick with you as much or as deeply.

How to become a more resilient SLP:

To really work on growing your resiliency skills, the key is to use practices that build up a foundation of positivity and optimism in your lifestyle and outlook. 

  • Gratitude Journal
    • Writing in a gratitude journal is super trendy and for good reason. Gratitude journal have been shown in studies to help rewire the way your brain looks at incoming stimuli (aka life) and helps to shift the focus from seeking negative, stressful stimuli to positive stimuli.
    • Try writing down 3-5 things, most days of the week, that you would consider positive, working or a “win” for the day. Do this on days that are going well, to help build up that foundation of positivity, but also on days that are more challenging, to help you shift your mindset and focus.
  • Focus on what IS working
    • Much like Gratitude Journaling, this helps you to shift your brain into noticing, and working with, that IS working for you in your day and life. If you are feeling like nothing is going well, this can trigger stress and the brain will continue to dwell on it, looking for answers, but really creating more and more stress while shutting off the problem solving parts of your brain.
    • Instead, write down a few things that are going well for you each day and make a plan to do more of those, in corporate more of them into your day, and make them your goals or focus, even when other things are not going as well. It is not ignoring what isn’t working, but looking towards the other pieces that make up the whole picture.
  • Look at the Bigger Picture:
    • One thing you can do to pull yourself out of stress is to practice this mantra/saying: “Will this be important in a year?”. Now, if you are in an IEP annual meeting, you could argue that yes, this could be important in a year, BUT will the stress, resentment, pressure, perfection, etc be important or even memorable in a year. Chances are it won;t be.
    • If you want to take this a step further, you can do a visualization practice to see your problem, and then imagine seeing yourself and zooming outward to the world around you, the planet, etc and ask if this is worth all the stress or is there something else to focus on.
    • These practices aren’t perfect, and might be REALLY difficult at times, but they can help you shift out of a funk and back into a more neutral or positive state.
  • Self-Care and Mindfulness:
    • One of the best ways to become a more resilient SLP and create a positive foundation to come back to when stress does hit, is to have a routine of self-care of mindfulness that you do on most days. This will help you to rewire the brain’s stress response and turn on the parts of the brain that help you to problem solve, reason and focus. These practices give you a way to create habits that continually work through stress and foster the foundation of positivity and optimism you are working towards with resiliency.
    • You can try anything, such as a morning or evening routine, having a a transition at the end of your work day, moving more during your day, taking breaks, eating and hydrating, reading a book, finding quiet time, meditation, etc. Anything that helps you to check in and recharge, rather than check out, would be considered self-care and mindfulness.

If you want some FREE resources to help you become a more resilient SLP, make sure to sign up below for the SLP Toolbox, a free resource site for SLPs.

For even more on incorporating these into your day, and for managing and understanding stress as an SLP, make sure to check out the following online courses and webinars, where I put together how you can manage stress and find more balance in an SLP on some of your favorite CEU sites.

And make sure to check out the SLP Stress Management podcast, a monthly podcast full of stress management tools, tips and stories for SLPs.

Much Love,

1741931346171517140715

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24Sep

How to Better Manage Your Time as an SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Reduce Stress
Comments Off on How to Better Manage Your Time as an SLP

SLP Time Management PinterestTime Management can be really difficult whether you are a brand new CF-SLP or 30 years in to your careers a CCC-SLP. It seems like there is always more work to do and less time to get in all done. It can make you feel like the only way to better manage your time as an SLP is to plan out every moment of the day and go into organization overload just to survive the work. But this doesn’t always work.

In order to better manage your time as an SLP, you often have to look beyond the surface approaches, like organizing your paperwork and schedule, multi-tasking all day everyday, prepping and planning every session, filling in all gaps with clients and students, or working longer hours to get more done. In fact, these often cause MORE work and take more energy out of you. Instead, you can shift to some deeper levels of managing your time, so you can be efficient, effective and still have time left for YOU in your day.

Here are a few tips to better manage your time as an SLP:

Batch Your Work:

  • Try chunking together similar parts of your work into segments of time. This might look like checking emails all at a certain time of day (this alone is a HUGE timesaver) or planning a set time for your paperwork each day. You could also use this to break your day into times when you are doing therapy vs non-therapy tasks.
  • Putting similar work together in this way helps to keep you organized, but it also helps to keep you from experiencing mental fatigue that can come with bouncing from task to task during the day.

Schedule Downtime:

  • Breaks and downtime are a must when you are trying to save time. It might sound counter-intuitive, but these breaks will help you to recharge and clear any brain fog, as well as help you switch to a new task more fluidly, which helps improve your efficiency over the long run.
  • Aim for taking a break for 5-10 minutes every 90 minutes or so.

Have clear start and end times:

  • Having a determined start and end to your day, even if it is a little earlier or later than your actual client time or work hours, can help you to make sure that you are setting some boundaries, but also saving time. If you know when you’ll be starting and when you need to finish, then you will work to get the work done as much as possible in that set amount of time. This is especially good if you tend to procrastinate and need deadlines to get work done.

If you are looking for more resources to help you better manage your time as an SLP (and stress!), make sure to check out the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource site, updated bi-weekly, full of real-life tools and tips to help you reduce and manage your stress.

You can sign up below.

If you want to dive even deeper, make sure to check out these CEU/CMH courses hosted on you favorite online websites:

And be sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Podcast for a monthly dose of Stress Management tools, tips and stories for SLPs.

Much Love,

1741931346171517140715

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24Aug

How to Survive Your First Year as an SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice New SLP Reduce Stress
Comments Off on How to Survive Your First Year as an SLP

First Year as an SLP Pinterest

There is nothing like finally finishing with graduate school, passing all of your exams (including the Praxis), getting your license and starting our very first job as an SLP. Your first year as an SLP is one full of firsts and thrills and wins, and can also be one that is surprisingly more challenging than graduate school ever was.

Here is the truth – starting your first year as an SLP is incredibly exciting and can be incredibly overwhelming.

  • You are finally out of your own, but still under supervision for your CFY.
  • You get to make the therapy and diagnostic calls.
  • You can make the schedule and see your students and clients when you want to (mostly).
  • You are an SLP (CF or CCC).

This is all incredibly powerful and can be liberating, but at times it can also leave you feeling like  you’ve been left alone in the wilderness with limited tools for survival. It can be hard to figure out how to survive our first year as an SLP. You may feel like you are a bit isolated, without your cohort of future SLPs by your side each day. It can also make you feel like you are inadequate or need to spend all of your time researching, prepping and planning. This alone can make that first year seem like sink or swim, and can set you up towards the road of chronic stress and burn out.

If you feel this way, in your first year or your 30th year, it is ok. We have ALL felt that way at some point in our SLP career. Luckily, there are a few things you can do in your first year, or starting where you are now, to help you survive and THRIVE from here on out as an SLP.

  • Remember that you know more than you think, and you can always find the answers
    • One of the biggest things when you first start out is gaining and keeping confidence in yourself and your ability to do the work. You may have a supervisor that seems like they are able to know everything, but chances are they have either been around for a long time and have learned a lot along the way, or they know where to go to find the answers.
    • It is ok to not know everything. In grad school, you had to have all the answers for the exams. In the real world, if something is unfamiliar or you want to know more, you can go and research more about it. Look the latest news or articles, head to the ASHA Leader Live, rifle through your textbooks, ask another SLP (FB groups are great for this), take a CEU course, or even listen to a podcast.
  • Set up a schedule that works for YOU
    • You don’t have to follow the schedule you are taking over, or the one that is “typical” for everyone. Just like every standard therapy practice may not work for every patient/student, you may have different scheduling needs than the other SLP you work with.
    • Look at start times and end times, figure out when you need breaks, and take note of when you might need some downtime for paperwork (or to recharge after being “on” with your patients). Having clear times to start and end your day will help keep you from coming in early and staying late regularly, which often lead to much more stress. Breaks will help you to recharge, clear your head and feel more connected to your work in the long run, as well as help keep your efficiency and energy levels up.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help
    • This can be so hard to do, but is essential. If you aren’t sure of something, whether it is a treatment or therapy idea or you don;t know ow to figure out your caseload, it is ok to ask for help.
    • Reach out to your mangers or admin as needed, especially with scheduling and caseload management. Look to your CF supervisor for guidance in any and all aspects of the job. You can even reach out to your fellow CF’s and see how they are doing.
  • Keep it Simple
    • One of the biggest things that happens for people trying to survive the first year as an SLP is over-planning. This can be really fun, but can also be a HUGE time-sucker.  The truth is, your patients/clients/students don’t need a TON of complex activities. They will benefit from routine, from familiarity and from simplicity.
    • For planning, have a few go-to resources that you can use with a wide-range of students or clients, and can easily grab and use. Then, if there is time, you can plan more elaborate activities and build up from there.
    • Have a few seasonal themes you can use if you want to add in some fun, but keep it simple and reuse them.
  • Invest in Yourself
    • You have invested so much in your education. Remember to invest in yourself.
    • Take time each day, or most days, to do something good for you in the form of self-care.
    • Try a morning or evening routine to help you set your intentions for the day or to unwind after a long day.
    • Leave work at work and plan a “transition” at the end of the work day to help you switch your mindset from work to home.
  • Build Community
    • Isolation is one of the things that can make it really difficult to survive your first year as an SLP, and can set you up for years of feeling isolated. After being in grad school, with many other peers, not having anyone you know or even any other SLPs at your work can be difficult.
    • Try joining online groups, such as FB groups or follow SLPs on IG, to help feel like part of a community.
    • Plan meetings/outings with your grad school friends or new SLP friends.
    • Make friends and build rapport with other professionals at your work, such as OT, PT, teachers, etc.
    • All of these people will likely be going through similar struggles or will have been through them before. It helps to have people who really “get” what your day is like and can help you work through the stress.

Your first year as an SLP can be incredibly challenging, but can also set you up for an amazing, long, fulfilling career. Give these a try and see how they work for you, especially if you are already feeling overwhelmed. For even more on managing your stress as an SLP, make sure to check out these CEU/CMH webinars, and sign up for FREE stress management resources for SLPs in the SLP Toolbox below.

Much Love,

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4Jun

Do SLPs Suffer from Chronic Stress?

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out New SLP Reduce Stress
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SLP Chronic Stress Pinterest (1)If you are an SLP and starting to feel like you are constantly stressed, and that it just seems to keep building, you might be suffering from chronic stress.

While it would be great to say that SLPs do not suffer from chronic stress, that would be far from the truth for many SLPs, practicing and non. Being an SLP is a wonderful profession and career choice, but it also carries with it a lot of responsibilities each day; ever-changing paperwork, caseloads, and protocols; and requires you to give more of yourself than you might expect to give.

What are the causes of Chronic Stress for an SLP?

Chronic stress is what happens when the daily stressors you face, whether big or small, are left unmanaged over time. They begin to build, until your body and brain are stuck in a “cycle of stress” that has you feeling the constant pulls of stress, as an SLP and outside of work as well. When left unchecked, this chronic stress can grow and eventually turn into full-blown burn out.

It happened to me.

In undergrad, I was absolutely obsessed with what I was learning in my CSD program. Life was good, I had little outside stress and I thoroughly enjoyed my course work. When I went to graduate school, there was a very different vibe – it was much more competitive, while undergrad had a vibe of sharing knowledge. I was also living in a new city, my fiance was preparing to leave the country on a deployment for 8 months, and I was working 5 nights/days a week. I lived alone and was responsible for all of my own household “duties” and errands. I had little to no time for “fun” or going out with friends, or just enjoying the beautiful city I lived in.

Stress started to sink in, rapidly. I felt really disconnected, had little to no passion for my work, and never quite felt like I was achieving or doing anything, especially after years of pushing to get my degree. In the years to come, I never got out of the stress cycle, even when I had more freedom to decide how I ran my days,  and eventually became completely burned out in my third year as an SLP.

I really thought I had chosen the wrong career. No one else I knew seemed to feel this way. Around me, SLPs seemed to be thriving and really “into” their work – staying late and coming in early. I felt alone and isolated, which only fueled my stress more. If I had been able to recognize that I was becoming chronically stressed, I might have been able to prevent burn out and reduce my overall stress levels, breaking out of the cycle of stress.

The thing is, it is really hard to recognize chronic stress for what it is when you are in it, and it can be even harder to explain it to non-SLPs close to you (friends, family, partners, etc), because you feel like they just won’t “get it”. This makes it difficult to work through and to reduce, but once you do recognize it, you can work through it, manage it, and feel that you are finally in control of the stress.

What does chronic stress for an SLP look like?

  • Lack of passion: If you were once really passionate and interested in learning about your career (or future career), but now feel like you don’t want much to do with it, you might be suffering from chronic stress. Chronic stress for an SLP, especially when it is starting to lead to burn out, can make you feel a bit apathetic or disconnected from your work, and often appears as boredom. This can be one of the telling signs that something is off in your work or day, and that stress may be to blame. If you are feeling this lack of passion, try 2 things. First, find some outside hobbies to help you feel engaged in something during your week. This will help some of the stress fade and help you feel more balanced. Once it does, then you can look at your work itself. Second, sign up for some new courses or ask to take on a project that you are interested in at work, in order to start to feel more connected and passionate again. 
  • Pushing through: Chronic stress for an SLP can often time make you have frantic, nervous, hyper energy that keeps you feeling like you need to push through to finish your work. This might look like working up until the point of exhaustion or beyond to get an IEP done or taking on every last patient you can in one day (even if it’s 100% ok to wait until tomorrow). This energy pushed you, but it is not in a sustainable way, and leaves you feeling drained and depleted once you do finish your day. It could also look like showing up early or staying late to finish work, which could lead to feelings of resentment towards your work, or that you’ll “never get it finished”, or just really throw your life out of balance.  If you are feeling this way, make sure to set timers to give you breaks when you are working on projects. Also, set a firm time to leave work (not too late or too long after the end of the day), so you are leaving on time and leaving work at work. 
  • Feelings of isolation: Sometimes, when you know you are feeling stressed, it can make it seem like you are alone. Even though it seems this way, the majority of SLPs, sadly enough, are feeling stressed by their work and the imbalance in their lives. This is true for most other Helping Professionals as well, whether in the education or medical setting. So even though you feel alone and isolated, you most likely are not. To help feel less isolated when you are stressed, reach out to a fellow SLP friend or another colleague and set up a break or coffee date or some kind to talk about your stress. use this as more than just a venting sessions (although that can be helpful to start) and come up with some ways to help each other or to be accountable for each other. Just having someone who understands can be incredibly helpful. And if you are the ONLY SLP at your work, and this leaves you isolated, set up some dinner dates or weekend self-care dates with other SLP friends or people in your area. 
  • Lack of competence and confidence: There are times when you won’t know exactly what to do with a client or student, but those times are rare. Most likely, you’ll need a refresher or to go research something quickly, and be able to treat the patient or refer them to someone else. And if you are the only person they can see, chances are, you do know more than you realize, or you can find the info, to help treat them. SLPs are resourceful. However, chronic stress for an SLP can make it feel like you don’t know what you are doing when faced with a case you are less familiar with, and this stress can continue to grow until it makes you feel like you mist not be a very good SLP. Chronic stress for an SLP can also make it harder to problem solve ad figure out a solution, because stress hijacks some of the problem solving parts of the brain, making it more difficult to work though problems. If you are feeling this way, there are a few thing to do. First, remind yourself that you know more than you think and you are capable of learning even more. Find mantra or have a motto to help you through times like this. Then, you can reach out to a colleague, look through references, or even sign up for some courses to help you learn even more and continue to grow as a clinician. 
  • Changes in your mood: One of the biggest ways chronic stress for an SLP shows up is in your overall mood. When you are stressed, you might notice you feel more annoyed or irritated, you have less patience and you overall have a more cynical attitude or approach to work – or home. Or it might feel like anger, uncertainty or even nervousness, or really any type of change. This is usually one of the first things that people notice when they are starting to wonder about stress. It is also one of the biggest things that seeps out of your work zone and into your family and daily life. If you are noticing that you feel irritated, less patient, annoyed, etc, the best things for you to do are to bring more balance into your life through self-care. Things like meditation, journaling, mindful movement, and reflecting will give you time to take a break from work, shift your focus, and turn your attention inward to work through the feelings and stress that is there. 

Chronic stress for an SLP is something that most SLPs are facing, but it doesn’t have to be something that sticks with you, or that you have to experience as an SLP. Below you can sign up for (FREE) resources designed specifically to help SLPs work through their stress:

For even more insights in to chronic stress for an SLP and what you can do to help manage it, check out these online CEU/CMH courses available now: 

Much Love,

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21May

How to Prevent Mental Fatigue as an SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Career Advice New SLP Reduce Stress Self Care
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Mental Fatigue as an SLP Pinterest

Mental fatigue as an SLP is for real. When it kicks in, it feels like the only thing you can do is stare off into space, binge on a TV show or just take a nap, but instead you are trying to run sessions, see groups of students, and be “on” and happy until the work day ends.

Mental fatigue happens to everyone at some point, when you are trying to juggle a lot of different tasks, when you have something weighing on your mind, when you are feeling anxious, when you are incredibly focused and working on a project for a long time, or even when you just haven;t slept very well. It is the feeling of being totally wiped out and exhausted, even if you haven’t done anything physically exhausting that day and when you have gotten plenty of sleep. It makes it difficult to focus, process and think clearly, and it can be incredibly draining.

Having this happen once in awhile is no fun, but having it happen constantly can make it difficult to get through the week. When this mental fatigue comes from your work, it can make you start to question your career choice or if you are “cut out” to be an SLP.

Being an SLP can be incredibly challenging on a daily basis. Mental fatigue as an SLP can make it difficult to focus on your sessions, make planning them take longer, make it hard to complete your paperwork, and even leave you redoing work or spending hours trying to finish it. All of which leads to even more mental fatigue. It’s no wonder the “self-care” of choice for many is a bottle of wine and a Netflix binge each night.

This mental fatigue can come from a few different places in any job. Mental fatigue as an SLP often comes from the way you set up your day, in order to get the MOST work done in the shortest amount of time, because you are bombarded with a LOT of work each day.

If you are setting up your daily schedule with little breaks, lots of switching from task to task, and constantly combing though emails and reports on your few minutes between sessions, your brain is bound to be overloaded and you are bound to be exhausted. With a few tweaks, you can actually increase your efficiency, improve your focus, and reduce your mental fatigue as an SLP. It takes reworking the way you were often taught to go about your daily work.

To help you reduce your mental fatigue as an SLP, there are a few things you can do:

Reduce Multi-tasking:

Multi-tasking has been shown to be incredibly ineffective. Many studies show that it not only decreases your productivity, but it actually take up MORE time for you to complete tasks and leaves you feeling mentally drained. This happens because multi-tasking is like doing mental jumping jacks. If you are switching from task to task, even after 10-20 minutes, your brain has to start firing in a totally different way to work on that task. If you do this throughout your day, you are likely to feel mentally fatigued and exhausted at the end of the work day. And most of us switch back and forth a lot more frequently than 10-20 minutes at a time. It also takes time, mentally and physically, to switch between tasks (think loading a new webpage, opening your email, finding your materials, etc).

This is why multi-tasking is often referred to as task switching and has been shown to take up nearly 40% of your productivity time each day.

Instead of multi-tasking, map out specific task you can work on, and do this for a set amount of time. Set a timer if needed, so you know when to stop working on the task. You can also limit distractions by turning off phone notifications, blocking social media, not checking email, and even puttying a sign on your door not to disturb.

When you are finished, take a break and then move on to the next task.  It ups your productivity and decreases your mental fatigue.

Take breaks – 90 minutes (not for paperwork or email):

Speaking of breaks, make sure you take them throughout your day. I know it can be really easy to just keep pushing through to the end of the day, or sometimes to the end of the school year, so you feel like you are getting the work finished, so then you can take a break. But breaks actually help you to be more efficient, because they allow your brain to focus more easily and to work more efficiently, so you are more efficient and effective in return. Not taking breaks has been shown to lead to slower processing time and more errors, which end up leading to more work in the long run.

Breaks also give you a shift mentally, so you are not wearing yourself out, leading to exhaustion.

Try aiming for a short break every 90 minutes. Take a 10 minutes stretch or walk, grab a glass of water or a cup of coffee, go chat with a colleague, or get a snack. Do something – not checking emails or social media or switching to a new task – that gives you a true break, so you feel mentally refreshed and ready to work again.

Batch your day:

Batching your day goes right along with reducing multi-tasking. Batching refers to grouping like things together, so you aren’t mentally switching from task to task, but also so you have set times to get things accomplished, and then move on.

Batching looks like this:

  • Checking emails at specific times during the day and responding right away (maybe first thing, midday and end of day…or even less), instead of checking them every time you have a free moment throughout the day (which leads to task-switching and more exhaustion).
  • Setting up times to work on reports and other “writing” tasks, instead of squeezing them in between therapy sessions
  • Planning sessions at a set time each day (end of day always works great to prepare for the next day), instead of planning throughout the day.
  • Scheduling therapy sessions for a certain part of the day, maybe all in the morning or all in the afternoon, or for specific chunks of each time block, so you are able to be in a therapy mindset and not thinking about the other work you were wanting to finish before the session started.

Transition at end of work day:

One of the best things you can do to help fight mental fatigue as an SLP and be more present at work and at home, is to create some kind of transition at the end of your day. This will help you shift out of work mode and into being at home, rather than still feeling like you should be doing work or thinking about the day and the work you still need to do.

A transition can help you to mentally leave work at work and instead be more present at home, which leads you to being more well-rested, and really feel like you get a break form your work day.

You can create a transition by doing some sort of routine or ritual at the end of the day that mentally lets you know it is time to be finished with work. It could be big or small. Here are some examples:

  • Stretch or take a walk at the end of the day
  • Stop for coffee or tea on the way home
  • Head to the gym or a yoga class
  • Go for a hike
  • Call a friend
  • Listen to your favorite song or podcast
  • Read a book, blog, or magazine

The transition helps you to mentally prepare for work to end, leaving you to feel more relaxed and present at home, so you can really soak up that time off.

If you are looking for ways to improve mental fatigue as an SLP, give these a try. For even more, make sure to check out my Professional Development Courses (CEUs available) that dive even deeper into managing your overall stress and reducing fatigue and burn out.

Plus, if you are ready to finally be DONE with the constant battle of stress as an SLP, check out the SLP Stress Management Online Course, an 8-week online course designed to help you manage stress, reduce burnout and find more balance in your life, no matter what gets thrown at you (teletherapy, pandemic, paperwork x 1000, you name it).

You can also get some free resources by signing up for the #SLPToolbox, that will help you start implementing some of these practices today, Sign up below for access:

Much Love,

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