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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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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

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20Jan

How do I practice mindfulness at work?

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Uncategorized
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practice mindfulness at work


Mindfulness is a key piece to managing stress and reducing your risk of burnout. It helps to rewire the pathways in your brain (meditation, specifically), reset your stress response, and shift your mindset and outlook. And, while there are practices that you may be using at home before and after work, you might be struggling with using mindfulness while at work. 

Like, how do you put these into practice within your daily routines and your daily work, beyond the start and end of your day?

Your breaks are far and few between, so cramming each moment with a mindful activity doesn’t always help with stress, and can sometimes make it worse (hand raised over here, because that;s what it did for me). It might seem kind of strange to stop in the middle of a session or your day to meditate for a few moments, because, well, it would be strange to do that. And taking a  pause to journal or deep breathe when a parent or caregiver walks in for a meeting may not be practical (although, those deep breaths can be subtle and undetectable if needed). So how can you actually practice mindfulness while in your work day?

The best way is to look at what you are already doing (whether you consider it to be a habit/schedule to keep or work on), and find ways to infuse it with a more mindful approach. Sounds a little abstract, right? Let’s solidify that a bit.

Here is How to Practice Mindfulness at Work:

  • Notice your autopilot
    • What moments in your day are you walking through without even thinking about them? Sometimes this can seem like a badge of honor. “I can do this in my sleep” type of a thought. And, you probably could. This can be incredibly mindless (opposite of mindful) though, and can lead to a disconnect between you and your work, and the people it serves, without meaning to. Think about being on autopilot for a meeting, report, or therapy session.
    • It most likely happens though in the in-between moments – walking to the mailroom/breakroom, going to get your next patient/student, getting out new materials, entering and leaving work. All of these moments can sometime breeze passed you without you even realizing, and can be an opportunity for you to be present and more mindful for them.
    • Instead of autopilot, recognize when it happens (that brings awareness), then feel your breath, notice your thoughts, and feel your feet on the ground. 
  • Mental Check-In: 
    • This can seem similar to the “auto-pilot”, but it’s not quite the same thing. A Mental Check-In is kind of like a break or pause, where you just stop to see how you’re doing and what you’re feeling. It seems kind of simple and almost silly, but it can be one of the biggest tools and things that you are not doing (because most of us aren;t taught to do it). 
    • A check-in helps you see where you are today, and what you can expect, realistically, so you don’t aim for perfection, feel frustrated, and berate yourself internally when you ”fail”. It gives you awareness of what is going on with you and for you that day, so you can use it to see how you’d show up and how things might affect you during your day.
    • And the bar NEVER has to be at 100% here.
    • You can take a moment during your day and just pause to ask yourself “How am I today?”. 
  • Find some quiet: 
    • It is so simple, but not done enough. Especially in the world of being an SLP or Helping Professional. You communicate and process things ALL DAY, which means that quiet rarely happens, either externally or internally. Taking a moment, even a minute, to just sit in silence can do so much to help you reset and recharge.
    • You can simply sit for a little while with some quiet (not even meditating, just sitting in silence), or try a few other things that are quiet – turn off the lights, breathe deeply, stretch, check-in with yourself, sip some water, meditate, etc.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and it can be the start to help you build to more as you grow. Make sure to take care of yourself where you can – move around a little so you don’t get stiff or tense (that can add to mental tension, too), hydrate, caffeinate if needed (and maybe rehydrate), eat something so you can think and feel better, and speak kindly to yourself.

Which mindfulness practice are you going to try? Share in the comments or post about it in your IG stories and tag me @jessiandricks , or send an email to jessi@jessiandricks.com to let me know how it is going.

Also, do you want to learn how you can become more resilient as an SLP? The Resilient SLP is now open for enrollment. You can find more details about this monthly workshop series, and snag some FREE resources, by subscribing here (it’s free and I promise not to spam you): The Resilient SLP Info.

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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7Oct

Focus on What is Working for Less Stress

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Reduce Stress Stress Management
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focus on what is working

Ever feel like stress is just always there? Like it’s just hanging out, ready to find you in a moments notice?

If there’s one thing that overwhelm and stress can do, it is take you from feeling like you have it all figured out to having no idea what you are doing in about 2 seconds flat. This is because your brain likes to notice what is not working for you, and when it does, it sticks with it. 

To your brain, this feels safer and like the place that will keep you alive, and, sure, it will, physically, but it is NOT the place where you will thrive or feel better, or even feel well, mentally and within your life as a whole. 

Your brain is designed to keep you going. It is the number one job for your brain. All of the thinking, reasoning and problem solving, that we as SLPs love, is kind of secondary. It is still important and what makes us who we are as a species and as individual beings, but, in some ways, it is not the most important thing for survival. Breathing, organs functioning without thinking about it, and staying away from things that are threatening – that is what your brain has prioritized.

These are good things, but the part about always looking for threats can go beyond the life-threatening and into the mundane. The daily stressors, the negatives, and the things that are NOT working for you become the focus, and your brain can get stuck there, looking for more and more. 

And it WILL find them, because there is a LOT to find. And once it is validated, it will keep looking for more and more, getting stuck in a Cycle of Stress. 

It can seem a little hopeless and that there is nothing you can do to change this. But there is one very powerful thing you can do to start to shift your brain out of this constant search, and reduce the stress response and the stress you feel – focus on what is working. 

Your brain is not going to do this naturally. It needs a little prompting and pushing to get there. 

When you focus on what is working, you focus more on the positive or good things in your day, and pull your brain out of the constant effort to focus on everything that is not going well. 

It doesn’t mean you ignore it or forget about it, but that you notice that other piece of the day, too. You train your brain to notice more of that and to stop searching for things to stress about. 

It’s like how there are days when one thing happens and then you notice another, and, suddenly, it seems like 10 things that were stressful quickly piled on and now you are so overwhelmed, you don’t know what to do. This is your brain responding to “threats” and stressors. 

It happens to everyone. 

Focusing on what is not working is what your brain naturally does. Focusing on what is working is how you pull it out of the stress mode and train it to notice the other pieces, which helps to reduce the stress response and build some resiliency to it. 

Some days I get stuck in the mindset of looking at all that I am NOT doing right now (especially when I am tired, stressed and not feeling like I am connecting “enough” or doing “enough”).

I focus on all that I am not accomplishing and my wishful to-do list (the one that I want to be doing “instead” or “should” be doing or “would be doing if _____”)

Then I get sucked deeper and deeper into the trap of looking at what is not working, what I am not doing and I start to feel like crap or not good enough or that I am not doing enough and will never do enough. 

I end up validating my brains’ stress cycle, and causing more to occur.

All of this, instead of looking at all that I am doing. 

When I shift gears mentally (it is HARD) and focus on what is working for me today and lately, I realize there is a lot that is going well, and is not stressful. 

I focus on what is working, like:

  • Cooking and baking some really awesome food
  • Walking to and from school in the morning and afternoon
  • Getting outside with my kids more to PLAY
  • Having time to work
  • Having time to practice yoga
  • Running again
  • Reading more books than I have since before I learned that reading wasn’t “cool” as a pre-teen
  • Running an online course on Stress Management and a seasonal Workshop Series
  • Working with hospitals/schools/conferences/practices/SLPs to help with stress

When I shift into this mindset, it doesn’t ignore all the other pieces that I wish I had more time to do, but shows the bigger picture and perspective. It pulls me out of tunnel vision and perfectionism.

Then, I am able to think things like:

  • I AM doing a lot – just different things.
  • It’s enjoyable. 
  • It is worth it. 
  • There is no need for 100% or perfection. 
  • There is and will be time for more when needed. 

These are the things that are working for me and make up a big part of my day – a part that I enjoy. 

Here is how you can start to make this shift to focus on what is working, when you feel you are stuck and focused on what is not working:

  • Acknowledge some of the things that are not working (don’t ignore or pretend they are not there). 
  • Write down 3 things that ARE working for you or are going well
  • Brainstorm a way to keep these going and to do more of them tomorrow/going forward
  • Make a practice (similar to gratitude) of taking a moment to reflect on these each day, or a few times a week.

Give practices to try and create a journal – Do you ever find yourself stuck in this sort of pattern? Where you feel like you have dropped off for a while, are in a funk or sliding into one?

Take a moment to pause and reflect, what is working for you today? Write it on a sticky note to keep nearby (you could even share and tag in your stories), or share in the comments below!

Want a journal template to help you create a routine of focusing on what’s working? Grab the “What is Working for you” guide in the SLP Toolbox, as well as more resources to help you manage and reduce your stress.

Sign up below for free access.

Much Love, 

Jessi

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