quit your SLP job

Quit SLP Job Pinterest

Being an SLP can be incredibly wonderful at times, and at other times incredibly stressful. A great deal of this stress comes from the parts of the job that are outside of the therapy realm and often seem to have more and more rules around them, such as paperwork and productivity rates. Some of the stress, though, comes from the nature of the job itself. As SLPs, it is our job and our mission to help people communicate, nourish and thrive, as best they can with the situation they are in. Our schooling and career are set up around us being able to give our tine and energy to these, sometimes without a break during the day. It is highly rewarding at times, and also highly frustrating and draining. It can be enough to make you want to quit your SLP job at times.  (more…)

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


SLP Spring Break Pinterest

This week might be one of the most important weeks when it comes to mindfulness and taking care of yourself. As an SLP, you are constantly on the go, either driving or running from patient to patient, or shifting from groups to classes to paperwork or meetings, or even just seeing client after client after client with little break in between. There are times when you might not even have a change to stop and grab a snack or a drink, let alone run to the restroom, or even sit in silence for a moment to collect your thoughts. It is one of the reasons that time off becomes so important for mental well-being.

It is also the reason it is so hard to come back after a break.

It is no joke, coming back from a break is really tough when you are feeling even one tiny bit of burn out. It can seem like all hope is lost and that everything is bad, harder and not as it should be. It might even feel like your job is sucking the soul out of your life. That sounds dramatic, but I know many can relate. (more…)

Cost of Staying Where You Are PinterestI recently attended a 1-day seminar, where we learned all about how our thoughts create and shape what we see as out reality, and how, because of this, we are able to change how we feel about things, by changing the way we think about them. It might sound a little “woo-woo” or “out there”, but this was all evidence-based and related to the fields of psychology and coaching.

There were many parts that absolutely blew my mind, but one of the biggest pieces was a question that was asked, of us (for those moments we felt stuck or defeated) and of our clients: “How is that working for you?” (more…)

Vision Board Pinterest (1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some examples of my boards in the past:

2012 Visions2013 Vision Board

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

How to create a vision board:

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

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

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


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

Much Love,

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slp self-careA few weeks ago I started back to work after the summer break. We had moved, my daughter was now in preschool and I had a brand new office I was getting set up. I had a new caseload for work and I was creating a more expanded schedule than the year before. There was time built into my schedule for lunch each day. I also planned flex time in the mornings and afternoons, to prepare for the day. This included self-care such as meditation or yoga or a walk outside. My daily SLP self-care routines had become pretty important to me for a few reasons.

  • My anxiety had increased with the stress of the move. I could feel it creeping up and needed time to myself to breath and relax again
  • Yoga and hiking were good for my body and mind, since they helped me work up a sweat. They also give me time to reflect on a mat or in nature.
  • Meditation was good for my brain. Not only was meditation good for easing some anxiety, it is also said to be great for preventative health care. I have a few family members with dementia and meditation has been shown to help maintain and improve your brain function.

It seemed perfect until reality hit. There would never be a day with a “perfect” schedule for all the SLP self-care things I wanted or needed to do. There would be mornings that didn’t run smoothly and I would use up all of that extra time on other things. I would have days with a gazillion emails that needed to be sent or the dogs would need to go out again. I would forget I was supposed to prep dinner a few hours early. They were all normal things, but at times really seemed to pile up.

I was feeling super rushed one week in particular. My morning had been hijacked by clients calling with scheduling issues. I was running late for work and not able to find the breakfast I wanted. In the afternoon, I was out walking the dogs, thinking about how if they hurried, I ‘d have 5 minutes to pee, make tea and get settled before my next session Then I would be able to squeeze in my daily meditation right after work and before my family arrived home. If I planned everything just perfectly, I’d be able to make it all happen, as long as not one thing fell out-of-place. Then it hit me. I was starting to find myself stressed about squeezing in my SLP self-care – the thing that was supposed to help me manage stress.

Have you ever had one of those moments, where it seemed like everything you were doing to feel better or do better was absolutely futile?

If you feel that way often, you might too be finding yourself stressed over your personal self-care routine.  You might be constantly stressing about how to not stress or worrying over how much self-care practices you can actually get in during one day. You may even be pushing to make it all happen, despite your crazy work schedule.

There are a few reasons this could be happening and a few things you can do to make it better.

Here is What to do When Your SLP Self-Care Gets Stressful:

  1. Check Your Schedule: If you feel like you are struggling to squeeze in your self-care practice into your already jam packed schedule, your schedule itself might be to blame. When we are stressed, we often start adding things into our day that are supposed to help us release stress. But if your schedule is already packed, adding in one more thing might make your stress levels skyrocket. Instead, try to look at your schedule and see where you can make an adjustment or find some time that you didn’t realize was there. You might notice you have a break after work or before bedtime, but tend to go on Facebook or Instagram. Instead, do your practice first, then hop on the social media sites.
  2. Change your work: Often we blame work for being the main thing that takes up all of our time and stops us from taking time for ourselves. If your work schedule is out of control, you might need to see how you can reorganize or prioritize it. Look at how you start your day and end your day, and when you actually arrive and leave. Look at any gaps in your day. Where you might be able to consolidate some activities you have planned? You’ll find your schedule might be a little lighter. This will automatically help you reduce stress, as well as find time to fit in your self-care routine.
  3. Change your self-care: You don’t have to do it all, all of the time. Even just 5 minutes of self-care can make a huge difference in balancing your life. If you notice that you are overwhelmed because you can’t fit all of your self-care routines into your day, it might be best to cut back a bit. While meditation, yoga, candle lit baths and a good book are all worthy rituals, trying to squeeze them all into one day might not leave you room to actually relax, breathe and let go of stress. Instead of cramming them all in, pick one or two that seem important on that day. You might find that you have more time to enjoy the practice, instead of just checking off an item from your self-care to-do list.

Just like with your SLP self-care routine, try choosing just one of these to implement. If it works, stick with it. If it doesn’t try another. Find what works right for you and keep it simple. For a few ideas, join the SLP Toolbox, featuring several simple self-care practices.

You can also check out these CEU/CMH Professional Development Webinars:

Have you found an SLP self-care routine that works or ever been stressed out over it? Leave a comment below and share what you do or how you need help doing it better.

Much Love,

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