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12May

5 Things I learned in yoga teacher training that (surprisingly) helped me as an SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice New SLP Stress Management Yoga
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things I learned in yoga training

When I was in my second year as an SLP, three big things happened in my career and life: I finished my CF (finally), I started yoga teacher training (yay!), and I was laid-off due to budget cuts (wtf?). It was such a mix of joy and hardship and not knowing what I was going to do, and it absolutely sent me into some burnout and chronic stress in the year(s) to follow.

On the SLP side, I ended up going from a hospital setting, with inpatient and outpatient adults, to working in the schools with all ages. I was the solo SLP, aside from my supervisor.manager, and now I was one of three SLPs in my school. And I felt like I was the one who was faking it, floundering, and not as “into” it as they were. 

I had a tough caseload I was taking over. The schedule was set-up by someone else and was NOT compatible for my needs or life. I hadn’t really shifted to school-mode yet. And, a part of me really wanted to teach yoga more, which, at the time and where I lived, was not exactly something that was talked about or put into practice as an SLP.

I ended up leaving a year later, for 5 years. During this time, I taught yoga and mind-body fitness, and helped run yoga studios where I lived. I absolutely used my yoga teacher training to teach yoga – obviously.

But, it was when I came back to being an SLP, that I realized I could use it there as well. There were a few things I learned while training to teach yoga that helped me be, IMO, a better SLP. Or at least feel better about HOW I was working as an SLP. 

And they had nothing to do with incorporating yoga poses, meditation time, or even, really, mindfulness into my sessions. 

Here are 5 things I learned in yoga training that (surprisingly) helped me as an SLP:

1 You can’t look at someone’s face and tell if they are enjoying or getting anything out of the experience.

When I was going through yoga teacher training (YTT), one of the things that the current teachers would share, over and over again, was that you can’t look at someone and know what they are thinking or feeling during the class by the look on their face. They might be smiling, seeming to enjoy it, but internally cursing at you or thinking “why did I bother coming today?”. Or they might  be scowling, maybe even at you, or frowning, but only because they are working through something or concentrating, and fully soaking up and enjoying the experience. 

I learned this firsthand, in my very first class I taught. A woman in the front row had a look of disgust on her face most of the class. And I thought, “oh, sh*&, maybe I’m not very good at this teaching thing yet”. After class, she came up to me, as I internally panicked, and let me know she enjoyed the class very much and was surprised I was a new teacher – it was one of the best classes she had taken. It helped me know what was working as a yoga teacher, and where my strengths landed. 

The same goes for being an SLP Your student or patient  might look bored or annoyed during the session, or even a little checked out. This by no means is a reflection of what they are really thinking or feeling. They might be concentrating, thinking about how to use this in class or outside of the clinic, or trying to figure out what the next step in the task is. Instead of judging yourself and your work, talk to them about the experience after, if they are open to it, so you both can give feedback and shape things from there. 

2. Know what (class) you are teaching, and look at who walks in the door.

As a yoga teacher, you have to know what type of class you are teaching – hot or not, fast or slow, level 1 or level 2 – and have some sort of idea of what to do. But you also have to see who shows up for that class on that day, and what their needs and abilities might be, especially if you teach in a community center or gym, rather than a specific style studio. It might be a more advanced class that day, but, if it’s the only class at that time and the students are not advanced, or they walk in and are exhausted and tired, more than usual, then you have to tailor it to them, and their needs that day. 

This is what happens when you work with humans, having a human experience. 

The same is true for Speech Therapy. You can plan a little and know the goals for who you are seeing, but also see how they are when they show up. YOu might have to make some adjustments or try to grab a new resource to use if they are tired that day, if they are energized beyond measure, or if they are hungry or grumpy or being human in some way. Having this flexibility (no ygpa pin intended) will take you far, and help them more in the long-run.  

3. Having a “rolodex” of poses/resources is a better strategy than planning it all out exactly

(PSSST, this is probably the most important and used thing I learned in yoga training).

Here is a secret – I did not plan a single yoga class for YEARS, and rarely do now. There were no lesson plans or sequences after those first few classes I taught. And I never felt lost or stuck or like I wasn’t giving it my all or that my students would leave with “less” because of it. Once I knew the class style, and practiced or planned a class or two, I relied on the advice from one of the yoga teachers from my training – instead of planning out precisely, think about having a “rolodex” on file of how it all goes together. 

This “rolodex” was like a file to flip through, where you could pull out a pose, and then see who it was connected to  – what other poses could link to it and how to build them together naturally, and, often, in the middle of the class. 

It meant really and truly understanding how they worked together, rather than just what looked good on paper, and helped to make adjustments for who was in the class that day. 

In reality, it looked like knowing the style of the class, how that format flowed, and then choosing a pose to work to or to try or an area to focus on, and then building around it as it went.

As an SLP, this is the most helpful advice I was ever given.

It saved me from over-planning and prepping and feeling stressed to do more. And, because the over-planning does not come naturally to me, it helped me loosen the guilt around not spending hours before and after work plotting out each day and creating lesson plans for it. 

What it gave me was the insights to look more at what I was working on, what that goal was really for, and how to find a way to use it, know matter what materials I had on hand, what I pulled off a shelf or website, or what the student requested to use that day. It brought HUMANITY back to it. 

4. Something is better than nothing/Any bit counts for something.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing each and every time. There were so many times that I wanted to share so many poses, to hit every part of the sequence, or every part of the body (hips, twists, folds, standing, seated, core, backbends, savasana), and it just didn;t happen. It might have been time-management, or that the students needed to linger in a pose longer than planned. And it was ok. The students still got a lot from it, and, maybe, got what they needed, which was better than hitting every piece exactly. 

While it is important to try and get as much as you can, and to work towards the goals you have in front of you for your students, there are times when it is not going to happen. Again, it is part of working with humans. You have plans, and they are living creatures. They might not always match up. 

Even if you end up spending the session talking together or laughing or not focusing on the specific activity you planned, it is ok. It is WORTH it. Because that day, you might be the only kind person they wrun tino. Or the only time they feel they can talk or share or try to communicate safely. Or the only moment they laugh. Or the only person who smiles at them. And THIS is huge. It is so important, and it does, absolutely, make a difference towards halogen them to improve their well-being – which is usually the ultimate goal. 

5. No one will know if you make a mistake or if it doesn’t go as “planned”.

I still have dreams (nightmares) sometimes that I get up in front of the class to teach, and I totally forget what to do and spend an hour trying to remember, until time runs out. Super fun. Very relaxing sleep. 

But, when it comes down to it, there are plenty of times when I have forgotten the next pose, not taught the pose I meant to in the moment, or accidentally changed the sequence or left out an entire chunk of it. And a funny thing happens. No. One. Notices. Or. Cares. And sometimes, it works out better than what I had in mind anyway. 

What I learned in yoga training was this – you can plan (not too much!) and if  you change it or make a mistake, no one knows!! Because YOU are the only one who knows the plan. If it changes to you, the students don;t know. There is NO mistake made to them. In their eyes, this is exactly what was planned.

I learned to just go with it. 

As an SLP, this is haaaaaaard to do. Because perfectionism is strong in our field. And judging and critiquing yourself is commonplace. 

But, if you have an activity or are trying to work on something, and you accidentally do it “wrong”. NO.ONE. KNOWS. It is ok that your plan shifted by mistake. Your students and patients will experience it as what you meant to do that day, and won’t notice. They will still get something out of it, simply because they are there with you.

Mistakes happen, it is ok to do. And you can usually learn something or maybe find a new therapy tool along the way. 

While I also learned some cool “yoga” tricks and tools to use in sessions, and some ways to be more mindful as a practitioner of Yoga and SLP, these are the big things that I learned in toga training that helped me to grow, be more comfortable, and to start to enjoy being an SLP. And, truthfully, they are what helped me feel most connected to my work, and, more importantly, to who I was working with. 

For more resources on yoga, meditation, and other ways to build resilience, enter your email below and get FREE resources to help you stay connected as an SLP.

Which one of these things I learned I yoga training surprised you the most? I’d love to hear how you are going to try to use them in your SLP sessions. Leave a comment below or reach out to jessi@jessiandricks.com.

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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21Apr

4 Grounding Tools for Managing Your Stress

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindfulness Stress Management
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Grounding Tools

What comes to mind when you hear the term “grounding”?

  • A punishment from your youth
  • An electrical wire in physics 
  • A flight not being able to take off
  • Or maybe a less frazzled, scattered, stressed out state of being

In yoga, mindfulness, and coaching, the term grounding often refers to the last one – a grounding tool is something you can use to connect back to the present moment, and reduce the feelings of stress, such as feeling frazzled, scattered, unsteady, and unbalanced. Being grounded offers you a way to come back to your body and out of your head, and, well sometimes, connect with the earth and ground below you for a point of reference. 

Stress occurs when a stressor has triggered a response in your body and brain. This can often lead you to start focusing on the future outcomes, on things in the past that did not go well, and to lose your connection to the present moment, which leads to more feelings of stress and overwhelm. It continues the cycle of stress and keeps you stuck, and growing, in this pattern. 

It also pulls you out of your body – an intuitive place that is part of you and can help you to reduce tension and stress, and be more aware of when it occurs – and keeps you more in your head, where thoughts spiral and stress continues to build.

If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, here are a few practices, using, grounding tools, that will help you reduce your stress, by getting more present, out of your head, and into your body.

4 Grounding Tools for Managing Your Stress

Yoga Poses:

Yoga is a powerful tool for getting back into your body and the present moment. Grounding in a yoga practice focuses on feeling the connection to the earth, or ground, below you in any pose, whether it is your hands, your feet, your seat, or just one foot pressing down into the mat below you. 

The action of breathing and focusing on each pose helps you to get out of your head, focus on your body (and not falling), and keep you in the present moment, which helps to shift you out of the stressful though spiral that you may have found yourself in.

Poses that are good for grounding include standing poses such as Warrior I/II, Mountain Pose, and Triangle; balancing poses like Tree or Head to Knee or even Dancer; and seated poses such as a forward fold, Child’s Pose, or Savasana. 

Breath/Pranayama

Getting grounded through breathwork, or Pranayama, can help you to reduce the stress you feel, by sending a calming response to the Nervous System and brain. It also helps you to feel the body and breath in this moment, and to feel the ground below you, where you make contact. 

You can try bringin one hand to your belly and one to your heart, and take a deep breath (a count of 4 or 5 if possible for each inhale and exhale). As you breathe, notice the belly rise and fall, and the seat supported by the chair or mat below you. If your focus starts to wander, that is ok. Shift it back to the sensations of your breath and your body, even if you feel you do this over and over again. Try breathing this way for 3 to 5 minutes if possible.

Mental Check-In

It can be really easy to keep it all in your head – all the schedules, thoughts, stressors, worries – and not really see how you are doing with processing all of that stress. A mental check-in can help you to get grounded by giving you a moment to pause, see how you are doing in your mind AND body, and be more aware of what you need next.

Try stopping for a moute to get quiet, close your eyes and breathe. Notice your body and any tension you might feel, notice your feet on the ground, and then notice any thoughts or patterns that are there. 

Sensory Meditation or Journal

This grounding tool is one of my favorites. A “Sensory” check-in is a great way to get present and grounded, either through a meditation of a journaling practice. 

This tunes you back into the here and now, by noticing the space around you via your 5 senses. 

Try this, either making mental notes (meditation style) or writing them down.

  • 5 things you see
  • 4 things you hear
  • 3 things you feel
  • 2 things you smell
  • 1 thing you taste

Getting grounded, in the balanced sense, is a powerful tool for combating stress and building resilience. 

Try these out to see which works best for you – it could change depending on the time of day, the need, and where you are. 

Want to practice these grounding tools together and figure out how they can work best in your day?

Join this month’s workshop in The Resilient SLP to explore this further and practice these tools with a guide (me!) and get PD hours. Enter your email below for more info or click here to sign up for the membership.

Which grounding tool works best for you? Share your experience with it in the comments below!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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1Apr

Knowing how to manage stress vs managing it

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Stress Management
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manage stress

Have you ever known how to do something – like you could explain it and teach it and fully understand it in your heart of hearts – but fumble with putting it into practice?

There is a whole field dedicated to this, called Implementation Science, that talks about how to put research and evidence-based practice into use.

And, in a more relatable way, it can be because change is really difficult, even when it is something you want, need, and are excited to do. It pushes you out of your routine and, when you aren’t sure what to do, it feels like a fail before you even begin. 

Recently, I have been feeling this way in some areas and brought it up to my therapist. I shared that I have been feeling really stressed at times lately.

We shifted the topic a bit to what I have been doing for work lately and what that looks like for me in the last few years. So I talked about providing courses, teaching workshops, recording the podcast, etc.

And then I shared a big secret – if my work is based in stress management and I am feeling stressed, and needing help managing it, who am I to coach and teach and share stress management with others?

Oof.

This thought has been on my brain, especially when I am stressed. And many times it has caused me to back away a bit, because I felt like maybe I was not the right person to share this info or help people understand and manage stress.

I started to wonder if I was a phony, a fake, and totally unqualified. It was Imposter Syndrome creeping in.

So I shared this and my therapist basically gave me a real talk. It went something like  – Therapists go to therapy, too. It doesn’t mean they can’t be therapists, it means they need someone to talk to as well. And even when you “specialize” in something or have an area of expertise or passion, it is ok to flounder in it and not be perfect. It’s part of being human and is ok. You can have knowledge, knowledge that you can share, and not be executing it perfectly. And that is ok. 

It was a big wake up call. 

And, also , a totally “aha” or “duh” moment, because this is something I share in my work all the time, and talk about in workshops and courses.

It is easier to know than to do.

It is easier to understand and have knowledge of, than it is to put it into practice.

My goodness, as an SLP, I absolutely know this and have seen this with students or patients – they know but it is really hard to do in realtime. 

Have you ever felt this way about something, or about your stress?

Knowing how to manage stress is easier than managing it.

Knowing vs Doing is something that I share about in the SLP Stress Management Course, when we shift from talking about what stress is and why it happens, to what to do about it. 

It’s stuff that the members have heard of or done before, but usually are not currently doing, have taken a break from, or aren’t sure where to start. 

Because it is easier to understand than to put into practice. 

In the SLP Stress Management Course (enrollment opens THIS SUNDAY, April 3rd!!) I dive into this topic and you get to create a way to help you move forward, from knowing to doing, without feeling rushed, more stressed, or set up to “fail”. 

You can find out more information about the course, grab a HUGE discount, and learn how to enroll by subscribing to the waitlist here:

For now, here is one step for you to take to start putting your stress management tools into practice:

  • Grab a journal and write down what your current biggest stressor is.
  • What is one practice/tool that you would like to use to help you with this, or with your stress in general. Ex: You want to try a meditation to pause and check in. (Not sure what to use? Check out the tools in the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library for subscribers. You can get instant access when you subscribe above).
  • With the tools you are wanting to use or try, what might be difficult about it? And what might make it easy to do? Ex: You want to meditate but aren’t sure how. Downloading an app or using an audio from the SLP Toolbox makes it easier.
  • When will you do this? Having a plan, even if you know in your head when you want to do it, make it more solid and more real. Put it in your calendar or set a reminder. 
  • Give yourself some grace. You are human, not a robot. It doesn’t need to be perfect or foolproof. Just keep moving forward and learning as you go. 

I hope this helps you to get started with your stress management journey. I can’t wait to share more info with you about the SLP Stress Management Course opens for enrollment soon!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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16Mar

Toxic Positivity vs Positivity for Stress Management

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Stress Management
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toxic positivity vs positivity

Stress, especially in the SLP and Helping Professional world, is a common thing and something that you have probably struggled with a lot in the last two years, and just as possibly before that. Without finding ways to work through and manage the stress, it can shift to full-blown burnout. This is where having some tools to help really comes in handy. 

One of the biggest tools of Stress Management is the use of Positivity. It can help you to shift out of the negative thought spirals, reduce the stress you are feeling, and prevent it from coming back by building resiliency.

But it has to be real positivity to work. Otherwise, it can backfire.

Positivity is sometimes used to tell you to just keep smiling, cheer up, and that there is no use in feeling down. And when you’re stressed, among other times, it can be a really not so great thing. In fact, this “only seeing the positive ” and “maintaining a positive mindset at all times” is known as Toxic Positivity. 

This type of positivity forces you to only look at the good, constantly seek the blessings in disguise, and believe that everything happens for a good reason – even if it includes trauma and incredibly difficult circumstances. 

This is when positivity itself can become not-so-positive.

So, with so much stress and stressful moments, is there room for positivity? Is it even a good thing?

Yes, positivity itself is great. Toxic Positivity is just that – toxic.

According to the site VeryWellMind.com, Toxic positivity is the belief that “no matter how dire or difficult a situation is, people should maintain a positive mindset. … We all know that having a positive outlook on life is good for your mental well-being. The problem is that life isn’t always positive. We all deal with painful emotions and experiences”. 

This is not the same as “positivity”.

Positivity, by definition, is “the practice of being or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude”. It is more than just “being happy”. Positivity is being aware and mindful of the positive aspects and moments of your day and life to help cultivate more optimism, kindness, and positive outlook, while in turn decreasing the feelings of negativity, anxiety and chronic stress.

When it comes to Toxic Positivity vs Positivity, one focuses on ignoring, invalidating feelings and creating false reality, while the other focuses on the full picture and perspective.

Here is the thing, your brain is absolutely wired to find the negative and seek out the stress and potential stress around you. And this keeps you seeking more stress and fires up the alarm system in your stress response. That is why once you have one stressful thing, if you aren’t able to process it and move on, it can feel like things start to snowball and there are SO many stressful moments happening, without anything else. 

Toxic Positivity would tell you to stop with the negative and “cheer up!”. It’s not happening and there is no room for that in your life. And, while that sounds great, it absolutely makes you feel like you are “wrong” for feeling stressed. It also doesn’t do anything to address the stress you are feeling and facing, and help manage it. 

Positivity, on the other hand, allows you to notice the stress without ignoring it – because your brain is naturally doing that – AND it helps you to also notice the things that your brain is not focusing on – the good moments of your day, the pieces that are going well, and the things you can learn and use moving forward. 

One says failure isn’t an option and doesn’t happen, the other says I failed, it sucks, what can I learn from this for the next time. 

It’s like Toxic Positivity is “this, but…..” and Positivity is “Yes, and….”. Like, you are experiencing this stress, but look at the good that comes from it. Or, you are experiencing this stress, and look at what you can learn from it. One excludes the stress you are feeling, and one includes it with a way to move forward through it. 

Toxic positivity leaves no room for the feelings of negativity and stress. Positivity knows that you are already seeing and feeling the stress, and helps you see the other pieces as well. 

Toxic positivity is about ignoring the negative. Positivity is about the full picture. 

Here are some common phrases that show Toxic Positivity vs Positivity, one being more of a “toxic” positivity, and the other true positivity.

  • Good vibes only (toxic, because it doesn’t allow for other feelings) vs Good vibes (positive)
  • Everything happens for a reason (can be toxic, especially for trauma) vs How can I find purpose or meaning in this
  • Always look on the brightside (toxic, because it doesn’t allow for other feelings) vs What is going well (positive)
  • Failure is not an option (toxic because no room for other things) vs What can I learn from this (positive)
  • Smile!! Be happy!! (toxic, because, ew) vs Are you doing ok today? I’m here if you need anything. 

Where have you experienced toxic positivity when you are feeling stressed in your life? Sometimes it comes from others and sometimes it comes from our own inner voice and pressure. 

How can you start to make a shift in the language you use, to create true positivity, and lessen the toxic positivity?

Share in the comments below! Or send me an email at jessi@jessiandricks.com, or share in your IG stories and tag @jessiandricks 

For more tools that can help you to shift to the positive and reduce the stress you face, without negating how you feel, make sure to check out the upcoming SLP Stress Management Course. You can get on the waitlist to be the first to know when it opens for enrollment, and get some free resources to use in the meantime, by subscribing below. (I promise, I won’t ever spam you or share your details). 

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

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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3Mar

What is “Toxic Positivity”?

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Stress Management
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toxic positivity

As a Stress Management Coach and Mindfulness and Yoga Teacher, I love sharing how positivity can help to manage stress and build resilience. It is one of the foundational tools. But what about when it becomes “toxic”? When does being positive turn into something known as Toxic Positivity?

Have you ever heard phrases such as “Good Vibes Only” or “Just be Happy?”. These are well-intentioned, motivational phrases that also fall under the genre of toxic positivity. For a long time, I kind of brushed this aside, because I had used them (I have a shirt that says “Choose Happiness” that I sometimes can’t bring myself to wear), and I loved learning about the wonderful effects of positivity on stress and the brain. But there are times when this positivity can go a step too far and become toxic, or potentially harmful.

When you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it can feel like there is nothing going right in your life and in the world. Your brain will continue to look for stress, in order to protect you from it, and this can keep you feeling more and more stressed. Often, especially when dealing with perfectionism which is high in the field of Speech Language Pathology, this can make you feel like there is something wrong or that you are “incorrect” and have failed. And then the stress grows a little more.

One thing you are likely to notice when you are stressed, is the type of language and phrases people use to show support or to give you advice, and how these are often not helpful at all. You might hear, from mostly well-intentioned people, something along the lines of “look on the bright side” or “at least it’s not as bad as this…”. These could come from a co-worker, a boss, your parents, a neighbor, or even a good friend, trying to cheer you up. Heck, you might even hear it from yourself.

While these are meant to cheer you up, the truth is, these often have the opposite effect, leaving you more stressed, frustrated, and isolated.

There is this clip from a movie, where one of the characters is going through a hard time, so he calls him mom, and she tells him to “stay chipper”. She means well, but it does nothing to help him out or feel that he was seen and heard.

And this can happen a lot in our own lives.

You tell a friend that you are experiencing something really hard and are very stressed, and they tell you “just smile and feel better”. And it feels as if you are talking to a wall or that you must be wrong in being stressed (which you are not). 

This can happen because instead of acknowledging how you feel and how much that stress must suck, or maybe even sharing that you are not alone and they have been there too (and then, “here is what helped me”), it just makes you feel that you are wrong and invalidates how you are feeling. Like you have a dirty little secret to hide.

The name for this is Toxic Positivity.

According to VeryWellMind, Toxic Positivity is defined as “…the belief that no matter how dire or difficult a situation is, people should maintain a positive mindset.”. With toxic positivity, you ignore the growing stress and carry on as if everything is ok. You “just stay chipper”.

Toxic Positivity can lead to things like:

  • shame
  • guilt
  • frustration
  • isolation
  • more stress and overwhelm

This doesn’t mean that being positive or optimistic is bad or wrong, but that, when it is made to ignore the stress you are facing and only see the good, that it is no longer helpful or a stress management tool.

The phrase “good vibes only” sums it up pretty nicely- only positive and no room for anything else. 

Have you ever experienced Toxic Positivity in your life – from yourself or others? Share your experiences in the comments below. 

With Love and Light (not Positive Vibes Only), 

Jessi

PS If you are looking to learn even more about Toxic Positivity, how it might be showing up in your own life and work, and how to use positivity to build resilience, without being toxic, join me for the March 2022 workshop “Toxic Positivity vs Positivity” in The Resilient SLP Monthly Workshop Series.

You can find more details and how to join this series here: Workshop

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17Feb

How Mindfulness Helped Me Stop Burnout Before it Started (again)

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out
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mindfulness helped me stop burnout

If you have been following along with my story and the podcast/blog for a few years, then you have likely heard me talk about my experience with burnout and chronic stress, and how it led me to leave the field, I thought permanently, for nearly 5 years. 

If not, you can hear more about it here.

What you might not have heard me talk about is how burnout and/or chronic stress started to creep back in a year after I came back to the field, even though I thought I was past it.

I took 5 years off from being an SLP, due to the amount of stress I was feeling each day, and how it was growing and affecting my life outside of work. In those 5 years, I worked in my “dream job” as a yoga teacher, mind-body fitness instructor, and assistant studio manager. It allowed me to let go of some of the stress from the demands of the SLP job, but also to learn about stress and the things that can help reduce it from the mind-body perspective. 

When I came back, I worked in teletherapy part-time. My first year, I worked 4 hours to start and eventually went up to 10. I loved every moment of it – the students, the families, the new way to provide therapy, and being able to be at home, with my daughter next door while I worked. It was really nice and had a lot of balance for me. 

The next year changed, though. I still worked for the same schools and company, but two major shifts happened. First, we moved to a new state, to a house that would be our dream home but needed a lot of updates, with a one year old. Second, I picked up twice as many hours, partly because I loved the work the year before and partly because it was more expensive to live where we moved to. I loved the work, but I didn’t realize the pressure that would be there from the move, adjusting to a new place, preschool/daycare, and the amount of hours that I had signed in for.

My schedule was really full that year. I was working hours, but then also had make up hours, paperwork, meetings, etc. Even with my daughter at preschool, I was feeling like I had no time.

I enjoyed being at home, but started to feel trapped by the schedule. There was not much downtime between sessions. And for someone who loves being outside and moving, I was inside, seated a lot. 

I was also trying to find time to work on the SLP Stress Management blog and reach out to other SLPs.

And my self-care practices – I was squeezing them in, without a plan, whenever I could. If i had a no show or a 10 minute break or if I had time before work started or a few minutes after – I was trying to meditate, practice yoga, go on a hike, whatever it might be. 

I was doing things that were good for me, but I felt the stress growing and knew I was headed to burnout. The reason? I wasn’t being mindful.

It’s true – I was pushing so much, and so focused on doing the practices to manage stress, that I was cutting out the mindfulness part and stopping them from actually working. 

Instead, it made them feel like one more thing on my to-do list that I had to squeeze in.

Mindfulness is defined as paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment. I was somewhat on purpose, not very present (always thinking about “”what’s next?”, and had a lot of judging what I was doing – was it enough, too short, too easy, actually working, etc.

But it was this same mindfulness that made me realize my lack of mindfulness around my practices, and kept me from heading further down the road to burnout. I was doing all the right things – self-care, moving, meditating, time for myself when I could – but feeling worse and worse. My stress was only growing.

Once I took pause to really get mindful – to observe what was happening and how I was experiencing the moment, to be in the moment, and to purposefully pay attention to it – I quickly realized why it wasn’t working. I was constantly trying and pushing to do more for myself, with no plan or mindfulness about it, and it made it much harder, and much less mindful of an experience.

Taking the pause to become mindful allowed me to adjust, to see what I really needed (more small breaks in the day, consistent time for self-care, and a different schedule), and this helped to manage the stress, reduce it, and turn it around before it became burnout. 

By having a mindfulness practice, and being familiar with it, mindfulness helped me stop burnout from starting, and becoming a burned out SLP, again.

If you are practicing some self-care or stress management tools, but seem like the stress is growing here are a few things you can to do help:

  • Take a pause to check in with yourself and see how you are doing, feeling in that moment
  • Bring mindfulness back to yourself – on purpose, present moment, observing
  • Look at your current tools you’re using – are they being approached with mindfulness?
  • Try something new if needed – new schedule, new tool, new approach

(You can also sign up for the “What is Mindfulness” workshop, on February 24th and available as a recording after, to learn more about mindfulness and ask any questions, live. You can join just this workshop, or as part of The Resilient SLP membership, with a 30-day free trial).

It’s not always easy, but taking a moment to be truly mindful, and look at what you are currently working tiwh, can make all the difference.

How has mindfulness helped you to prevent or reduce the chronic stress and burnout you face? Share below!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

PS Want more mindfulness resources? Subscribe below for access to a FREE subscribers-only resource library.


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9Feb

5 Big Myths about Mindfulness

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindfulness
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myths about mindfulness

Mindfulness is pretty mainstream these days. There are apps and shows. Your mom might call you up to chat about an article she read. You might even have your boss recommending mindfulness, even when it seems really impossible to do. Even with this, there are still a lot of misconceptions and myths when it comes to the term mindfulness. 

You may have heard someone talk about these, or you might have a thought pop up in your remind when you go to do a practice or read about one. Mindfulness can still seem kind of out there – some thoughts or comments bring up images of sitting on a mountaintop in silence or pockets full of various crystals. And some just think of someone sitting and meditating for 10 hours a day. (Hey – no offense, I do like some of these, but also find them not always realistic. Looking at you 10 hours a day). 

But it’s not necessarily this way. Mindfulness, by definition, is paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment. With that being said, there are still a lot of misconceptions, and even myths about what mindfulness really is. 

Here are 5 myths about mindfulness and the truth behind them:

  • It’s too “woo” and new-aged
    • Mindfulness might seem like a new-age or “woo” thing that has to involve a lot of mystical concepts, card readings, crystals, and transcendence, but it absolutely doesn’t have to, and at its core is none of these.(FYI – I love playing around with a lot of these, and do not judge if you use these as a daily practice). And as far as being new-aged, while it might seem like this popped up as a mystical trend, mindfulness is based off of ancient practices rooted in yoga (5000 years old), Ayurveda, Hinduism and Buddhism – long before it became a “woo” and “new-aged” transcendental experience. Which brings me to…
  • It’s a religious practice
    • Sure, but only if you want it to be. While mindfulness and meditation may have come from practices that had religious roots, and many religions have mindful, meditative components (prayers, meditation, reflection, etc), mindfulness as we practice it is not religious based. It is a non-religious, science-backed practice that is designed to help you reduce the effects of stress and build resilience to them, by focusing, in the moment, and without judgment to how you are doing and what you are experiencing. Which leads to…
  • It’s doesn’t work and is not EBP (Evidence Based Practice)
    • This is an easy myth to fall into, and one you might hear a lot from naysayers, or even in the back of your mind. When it is not a tangible, physical practice that you can SEE the results of, it can be hard to know if it is working. I felt this way and wondered about this for a very long time, especially when I was a new SLP (with grad school drilling in the research part of EBP). Where is the research that shows it works?
    • Luckily, over the past decade and even more in the last few years, there has been more and more research to show that mindfulness practices help you to manage stress for the long-term and build resilience to it, so it doesn;t stick with you or take as long to recover from. 
  • It’s too easy/simple:
    • Ah, that’s the mind f*&^ of mindfulness. It is very simple and it is also very hard to do. And it’s even harder to put it into practice, in your day, consistently, in the real world. It’s like when you are working with a student or patient on a specific task and they know what to do and can tell you how to do it, but they just don’t put it into practice or know what to do when it’s time to actually do it. It’s like this – if it was so easy to do, it would already be part of your day. It takes some time and practice to start learning how to use mindfulness and how to make it consistent once you do. It is a process. 
  • It’s only meditation – nothing else
    • This one is a huge misunderstanding! Meditation is wonderful and a huge help for managing stress, and it is a mindfulness practice, but it is not the only mindfulness practice. Mindfulness can be used in any moment and with anything. Meditation is one of the most common and set ways to practice, but you could be mindful while doing the dishes or running or drinking your coffee or journaling, whatever it may be, if you are bringing awareness to it and observing what shows up. 
  • Bonus myth: It’s trendy.
    • This one is a bonus, because it’s not really a myth at all. Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, self-care, all of those are trendy right now. It’s not because they are a fad or a frivolous thing, but because they are so very needed with all that each of us continue to face and have more of each day. 

There you go – myths busted!

If you are looking to dive even deeper into mindfulness, join me in the upcoming workshop “What is Mindfulness” on February 24th, part of The Resilient SLP Monthly Workshop Series (you can also sign up for just this one workshop). 

You can find out more info here:  What is Mindfulness Workshop

Now that you have a few more insights into what mindfulness is and what it is not, I’d love to hear your thoughts: What myths about mindfulness have you heard? Leave a comment below, share on IG, or send me a message to jessi@jessiandricks.com

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

And if you are looking for some resources to get you started now, subscribe for more info and access to the SLP Toolbox resource library here:

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3Feb

What is mindfulness?

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindfulness
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what is mindfulness

Mindfulness has become a common word, and even practice for some, over the last few years. It is normal to hear someone use it or mention it in conversation, or read about in as you scroll through social media. To some it is thought of as a trend or a buzzword, while others have started using it as their way to cope with the ongoing stress we all face. But what is mindfulness, really?

When I was in yoga teacher training, mindfulness was one of the many topics we learned about, specifically how it can be part of your everyday life and not just a piece of meditation or the physical yoga poses you do on a mat. I remember my teacher talking about how you could be mindful while doing the dishes, focusing on what you are doing, bringing your focus and awareness to the dishes and the experiences, and observing what you feel and when your mind wanders. 

I absolutely laughed inside at this thought, because doing the dishes is one of my least favorite chores. And it felt anything but mindful.

I won’t tell you that I used this practice and fell into a deep love and spiritual connection with doing my dishes, because that would be a total lie. But I will say that the anecdote stuck with me, and I was able to try to bring my mindfulness practices out into the world, into my day, and not just those few moments I spent moving and breathing on my mat (because I also was not into meditating at that point either). 

Over the last decade of teaching, my own definitions and experience with mindfulness has grown, as has the research and the mainstream acceptance of it. 

Mindfulness was once a scoffed at concept, saved only for those who were out of touch with reality and the real world, a crunchy no-good-hippy, or simply “woo”. Now it is studied, used in schools, medical centers, and households around the country and world, and can be practiced, often via yoga or meditation, through a variety of apps. 

And I’m sure you’ve heard all this and even tried some of it, or through about it. But what is mindfulness? This thing that we practice now and talk about to help with stress and the challenges of life, what is it?

Mindfulness, at its core, is a non-religious, not-really spiritual, practice of growing awareness, by tuning into yourself and the environment around you. It is the act of going within to check in, but also observing what is going on surrounding you. 

Mindfulness the way we know it comes from a lot of different roots – buddhism, hinduism, yoga, and other ancient practices, but it is no longer religious in nature – unless you want it to be. The way it has been studied and practiced, mostly, in the western cultures, especially over the last few decades and in recent years, is to help reduce stress and be more present and focused. A lot of this is based upon something called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn. 

In this, mindfulness has 3 parts that define it and the way to bring in awareness. Here is the definition: Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.

So what does that really mean and how do you practice that? 

Let’s break that down and look closer at what is mindfulness:

  • Paying attention on purpose
    • This is all about focusing. Choosing what you are going to pay attention to on purpose, and giving that your attention. In meditation, this would look like having a focal point, maybe your breath or a mantra (inhale, exhale). You focus on this, and pay attention to it, on purpose, because you chose to. And then you keep trying to come back to it. 
    • The fun thing with mindfulness is that it is absolutely ok if your mind wanders away from it. You can always come back – that is the practice part. It’s never about perfection.
  • Present moment
    • The present moment is what is happening now, not in the past or in the future. Looking into the future can start to stir up feelings of stress, anxiety and worry about what might happen or how things will play out, and you end up incredibly stressed about the situation without any guarantee that it will even occur that way. Paying attention to the past can bring up feelings of guilt or shame or anger for things that are not relevant, are not happening now, and that are not part of your life. 
    • Paying attention to the present means you get to check in and see what you need now, to be here now. And it helps you to let go of some of the stress and become more grounded and centered.
    • This might look like a meditation practice where you focus on how your body feels right now, or taking a pause in the middle of your day to see how you are doing in that moment. 
  • Non-judgemental
    • When you pay attention without judging, you are instead observing. It sounds simple, but it can be so very hard to do. You notice if your mind wanders, what your body feels like, the thoughts you have, any thing that happens, without labeling it as right or wrong, good or bad, helpful or harmful, etc. You simply take note, observe what comes up, and let it move on if it does. 
    • In practice, this might look like observing your breath. Iff it is shallow or short, you don’t change it or force it or critique, you simply notice that is what is happening right now. No fixing. You might also notice your thoughts and observe, without labeling them as good or bad. 

So what does that look like in practice? Let’s try a quick practice together. 

Take a moment to get comfortable, either seated or standing or even lying down. Close your eyes if you can or set your gaze on an object. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and let your hand rest in your lap. If possible, breathe in and out through your nose. Bring your awareness, your attention, to your breath. Notice each inhale and exhale, as they come in and out of the body. Maybe start at the nostrils – what does the temperature of the breath feel like? Is it warm or cool? Follow the breath into the body. How does it feel? Short, shallow, deep, full? Simply observe without changing or judging. After a few breaths, shift your focus into your body. Scan through and notice spots that feel tense or tight, or maybe more loose and limber than usual. Again, without judging or critiquing, just noticing what is there. Stay here for a few breaths and then bring your awareness of your thoughts. No judging, just observing. What are the thoughts you are having? Are they slow and steady, sluggish, fast and rapidfire? Acknowledge them as they come in and then let them drift off, without hanging on to them. Start to shift back to your breath, noticing it once again and observing. Take 3 to 5 more rounds of breath and then begin to slowly blink your eyes open and complete your mindfulness practice.

There you go. You did a mindfulness practice where you paid attention on purpose, in the present moment and without judgment. High fives to you!

How did you find this practice to be – easy, difficult, simple, too simple, too challenging? Write some notes about it, leave a comment, or send a message to jessi@jessiandricks.com or DM me on IG @jessiandricks.

I’d love to hear from you!

If you are looking to take a deeper dive into mindfulness, learn more about it, and what it can do for you and your stress, come join me for the upcoming live workshop “What is Mindfulness” on February 24th, 2022.

This workshop is part of The Resilient SLP Workshop Series and Membership, and is available through the membership, or you can purchase this workshop on it’s own. 

The workshop will be held virtually, and will be recorded, in case you are not able to attend or want to watch it again. 

In the workshop, you’ll:

  • Define what mindfulness is and what it is not
  • Learn why it is a foundational tool for managing stress and building resilience
  • Look at ways to use mindfulness in your daily life
  • Try some mindfulness practices and see how they work for you

And, since it is live, you’ll get to ask any questions that you have on the topic, or reach out about specific things you are trying to put into practice in your own life. 

You can find out more info and sign up here: The Resilient SLP

I can’t wait to have you join!

With Love and Light,
Jessi

PS Not sure about The Resilient SLP or workshops, but want some FREE resources and info to help you get started with resilience and stress management? You can subscribe here for info and access the free resource library.

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