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26Dec

How to Unwind with a Deep Relaxation Meditation: Mindfulness Meditation for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Meditation Stress Management
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deep relaxation meditation for slps

It can be really challenging to fully relax when you are used to go-go-going all the time, trying to be productive, and get it all done. As an SLP, you are used to trying to hustle to finish the work you have and still have time for other aspects of your life. You are often under strict protocols and productivity standards that give you little downtime or time to pause, so when you do have a chance, it can feel unsettling. You might even find that it takes you a lot of time (which you are already lacking) to switch out of that constant “going” and “pushing” mode, and to simply relax.

That means that time off, weekends, vacations, breaks, and even just the evening after work, might make you feel uncomfortable or you might have a hard time not being productive. It is often easier to just keep going, finding things to fill up the time.

This also keeps your stress response going (which is what makes it so hard to stop rushing in the first place), and builds upon the stress and overwhelm you feel each day.

When you give yourself time to fully relax, you might find:

  • you sleep better
  • you are able to “let go” of stress easier
  • you feel less rushed
  • you have more time (or feel like you do)
  • there is more ease in your life

One way to help you start to move away from constantly going, and to start fully unwinding is through meditation, specifically a deep relaxation meditation for SLPs, where you focus on fully relaxing and releasing tension in the body and mind.

In addition to a deep relaxation, you could try to incorporate some of these to help further relax:

  • Meditate or stretch before going to bed
  • Watch/read something soothing and less action-packed (or mentally stimulating)
  • Brain Dump journal practice
  • Take 10 deep breaths to reset between “tasks” or switching environments throughout the day (or to shift out of a mindset or headspace)

You can access this meditation “Deep Relaxation Meditation for SLPs” in the SLP Toolbox.

The SLP Toolbox is a free resource library full of practical tools to help SLPs reduce and manage stress. Each month, you get a new tool, as well as access to any previously uploaded resource, such as meditation audios.

Not a member? You can join this free resource by subscribing below. You’ll get access to this meditation and more including additional meditation audios, mindful movement audios, and journal and self-care templates.

If you are looking for more ways to put these stress management tools and more into practice, 1:1 coaching is now available and booking for 2021. You can schedule a session here, or fill out the form below to request more info.

Much Love,

Jessi

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11Dec

Steady Yoga and Meditation Practice to Reduce Stress: Mindful Movement for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindful Movement Stress Management
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yoga and meditation for SLP stress

Stress has a funny way of making everything seem as if it is moving at a faster pace, with a lot of components, and no time for any of them. As an SLP, this stress looks like too many extra tasks, too big of a caseload, too much productivity rates and way too much paperwork. And in 2020, it’s also too many changes thrown at you in a split second.

When stress hits, it can be tempting to try to speed up with it, in order to get more done and have more – more time, more freedom, more ease. But this usually ends up doing the opposite.

Speeding up feeds the stress mode you are stuck in and pulls you deeper into the “Cycle of Stress” (something we discuss within the SLP Stress Management Course).

You end up moving faster, which can lead to mistakes in your work and missing key pieces, mental exhaustion from constant multi-tasking, and feeling more stressed from the rush of trying to do it all. And once you are feeling stressed, it’s harder to turn down the response and switch into a more natural, less-stressed way of life.

One thing that can help you to slow down, when you are feeling more and more rushed, is a steadily-paced yoga practice. And one other thing that can help you even more is pairing it with a meditation practice. This combination of mindfulness practices allows you to tun into your breath, body and mind, so you can unwind, check in, and take care of yourself. The yoga and meditation for SLP stress combo help to reduce and manage it, while dropping you back into the present moment, your body, and out of ruminating or stressful thinking.

One great way to do this is through a “body scan” meditation, followed by a slow and steady flowing yoga class. This combination helps you to start slow, where you can tune into the body and breath, and then use movement to help stay connected to the breath and the present moment. This way, your brain is focused on “now”, you are reducing tension in your body, and you are turning down the stress response as you slow down.

Here is a quick yoga and meditation for SLP stress, available now in the SLP Toolbox, along with other meditation and movement audios, journal page templates, self-care checklists and more.

You can subscribe to this FREE resource library and access this Yoga+Meditation practice below:

If you are looking to dive even further into understanding and managing your stress as an SLP, make sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Online Course, now available in a Self-Study version. It includes the 8-module course, as well as bonus meditation and movement audios. You can find out more details here: SLP Stress Management Course.

Much Love,

Jessi

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1Nov

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

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindful Movement Reduce Stress
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Movement for SLP Stress Management

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Much Love,

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22Sep

Help Your Energy Flow: Mindful Movement for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindful Movement
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As an SLP (and a mom and a human and a yoga teacher and everything), there are days when my energy feels great. I am focused, feel awake, am able to think clearly and work efficiently, and am just overall feeling good. These are the days where I can feel my energy flow, steadily and solidly.

There are also days when my energy levels are totally out of whack:

  • I feel frazzled and scattered in my thoughts
  • I feel T-I-R-E-D and can’t think clearly at all
  • My body feels tense and drained
  • I’m exhausted
  • I’m hyper and can’t focus or just want to move
  • I’m anxious
  • And so many variations

Can you relate?

As an SLP, you are bound to feel different from day to day, or even hour to hour, with all that you are trying to balance and work through. Sometimes you feel like you are ready to push through and struggle to make it all happen, and other days you want to just give in and give up. It’s incredibly stressful either way. Taking deep breaths and moving your body can help you to reduce and manage the stress you are feeling, and give you a way to feel steady and ready for the rest of your day or week.

On these days, movement is key for me – either to help me bring my energy levels up and feel more motivated or to bring them down and get more grounded. And sometimes, I need a combination of things to help me really feel my best. Movement will help me to get out of my head, and into my body when my thoughts are spiraling or not focused. It also helps me to feel more energized when I am exhausted but HAVE to do the work. My favorite style for these days is often yoga, a walk outside, or a class called “Energy Flow”, that I taught for my first 5 years as a yoga + mind-body fitness instructor.

In the Energy Flow class, you combine some yoga, Pilates, barre, aerobics and conditioning to help you either lift up your energy or burn off some of it, or a combination of the two. I always feel better after this style of class. The combination of taking deep breaths and moving with awareness for my body helps me to focus, feel calm, and feel ready to take on my day – without feeling overly exhausted or depleted.

You can download this “Energy Flow” Mindful Movement Practice in the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library to help SLPs reduce and manage stress. Sign up below for access.

You can also check out even more “Mindful Movement” videos and SLP Stress Management Q&A’s and tips on the SLP Stress Management YouTube channel.

Much Love,

energy flow

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12Sep

Calming Exhale: Mindfulness Meditation for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Meditation Stress Management
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calming exhale

Being an SLP is really difficult right now, no matter what setting you are in. If you are heading into your work each day, to the physical building, you might be feeling stress about the logistics of your work, and how to keep yourself and your students healthy and safe, on top of the actually therapy part of your job. And if you are in your home office, you might be dealing with an impossible schedule, longer hours and a lack of support (or movement).

It is already stressful being an SLP – which means the things you could do before to help with stress are things you can turn to now to help as well.

When things get really stressful, one thing I like to do is to take a few deep breaths, letting my inhale and exhale grow steady and lengthen until they grow more even. This calm, steady breath send the signal from my body through the central nervous system and back up into the brain that everything is calm, steady and ok, which helps reduce the stress response the brain sends out.

You can do this by:

  • Bring your focus to your breath
  • Breathe as deep as you can, in and out
  • Count to 4 or 5 for each inhale and each exhale
  • Repeat for desired amount of time

Then, when I really want to relax even more, I take it one step further and deepen the exhale, extending it out a little longer. Even with a deep breath, the inhale portion is exciting to the nervous system, while the exhale is more calming and relaxing. By extending the exhale for 1 or 2 counts longer than the inhale, you can not only find a calm breath, but a relaxing one.

  • Breathe evenly for 4 or 5 counts on each inhale and exhale
  • Breathe in for 5 counts, and out for 6 counts
  • Repeat for desired amount of time

Total, this can be a 5 minute meditation or longer if you have the time.

This Calming Exhale meditation practice and more are available in the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library full of meditation, movement, journals, templates and more to help you better manage and reduce your SLP stress. You can subscribe below for access:

Much Love, 

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4Sep

Infusing Mindfulness Into Your SLP Work and Life: SLP Stress Management Podcast

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Podcast Self Care Stress Management
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mindfulness into your SLP work and life


Mindfulness is a huge buzz word in the world right now. And for good reason – it is MUCH needed with all that is going on and continues to go on. Being an SLP, as you know, can often be incredibly stressful, and many of the students and patients that you see ma also be feeling stress of their own. Mindfulness can be an important tool towards alleviating some of this stress, in your life and in your work.

Mindfulness practices, such as meditation, have been shown to help reduce the reactions to stress and turn down the stress response in the brain. This means they are one of the main tools to helping you reduce AND manage your ongoing stress as an SLP.

Mindfulness has also been shown to help your students and adults to feel more calm and open to learning during therapy sessions. It can help them to feel more settled and grounded, so they can learn the strategies you are teaching and sharing with them as best they can. Basically, it can help take some of the stress out of the session.

mindfulness into your SLP work and life

In the latest episode of the SLP Stress Management Podcast, I talk with fellow SLP+Podcast host, Leigh Ann Porter to discuss all things mindfulness in and out of SLP life. Leigh Ann talks about her own experiences with mindfulness and why she began to use it, how she has used it in her daily life, how it has backfired and how it has. She shares what she tried, how it worked, and what changes she made to make it work even better. She also talk about how and why she started to incorporate it in to her work as an outpatient adult SLP.

You can tune in below or check out all the SLP Stress Management Podcast episodes here.

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

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

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

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

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

Much Love,

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8Aug

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

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Meditation Reduce Stress Stress Management
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basic mindfulness meditation for slps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can sign up for access below:

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

Much Love,

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16Jun

Reset in 1 Minute: Mindfulness Meditation for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Meditation Reduce Stress
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1 minute meditation for slps

One of the hardest things to do when you are stressed or overwhelmed is to do what you know will help. It’s not that you are trying to be rebellious or fight against what is good for you, but that it is really difficult to be in the moment and be able to problem solve your way into what you need.

This is why it is usually easier to give someone else advice than to take your own advice.

And it’s not just you – it is the way your brain responds to stress and the way we learn. When you are stressed, the problem solving parts of your brain are turned down and the automatic responses are turned up. That’s why is easier to KNOW something than it is to DO it in the moment.

It’s like when you have a student who can explain how to make a sound, but, when you try to have them use it in conversation, working towards carryover, it just doesn’t happen. They still need practice to make it happen in the real world.

And this often happens with our SLP Stress Management too. You know what to do, you have probably tried a few things, read a few things, or googled about stress, but putting it into practice in the real world is much harder.

Some things that might be making it difficult:

  • You don’t feel like you have the time
  • You aren’t sure which thing to try
  • It is more stressful to add in something than to just keep pushing through

If you ever feel this way, one great thing to do is to start small. Try something that is easy to do, easy to manage, and won’t completely overhaul your day.

A meditation is a good place to start. Meditation has a ton of benefits for brain health, reducing stress and rewiring your brain’s reaction to stress, which you can read about here: Meditation.

If you need a short meditation you can fit in at anytime, check out this “1 Minute Meditation for SLPs” in the SLP Toolbox.

Not a member? You can sign up below for access to the FREE resource library, full of Stress Management tools, made for SLPs by an SLP.

If you are looking to get even more tools, learn more about stress and why it affects you the way it does, and help incorporate this into your day in a way that works for you, make sure to check out the “SLP Stress Management Online Course“, open for enrollment June 22nd.

Click here for more info about the course and how to enroll. You can also join me for a FREE webinar on June 20th, where I’ll share “3 Steps to Reduce Your SLP Stress” as well as some details on the course.

Much Love,

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