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22Apr

How to Track Your Self-Care Practice

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Self Care Stress Management
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track your self-care practice

When I was in graduate school, I spent a lot of time (way too much, especially during class, I’ll admit) researching this newer movement about “going green”. I was fascinated by it and was so excited to learn more and revamp a lot of the things I was doing, eating, and cleaning with. It was my first time living alone and the first time I really went all in and had a strong opinion and stance on something. And I loved it. 

It became part of my lifestyle and something I wanted to bring into more aspects of my daily living and learning. 

  • There were TV shows devoted to green-living
  • Magazines and book being published
  • New products launching for cleaning (some obscure brands and some from household brands jumping in on the trend)
  • There were new ways of exercising (for me), that were more mindful
  • There were new grocery stores for me to explore and wander around
  • New products that were “eco-friendly” were popping up everywhere

Honestly, I really enjoyed this time and learning about so many new things, exploring and finding new products, and making shifts in my lifestyle. There were so many days and years where I felt like I talked about this a LOT and so much of what I was doing, thinking and reading was devoted to these “greener” practices. 

And then, one day, I felt like I had kind of lost it. I hadn’t explored a new store in awhile, found a new product to try, or been surprised to see a new product launched that I wanted to test out. I was a little dismayed and thought “I guess it’s not as important to me anymore”, and maybe, not to anyone else either. For a moment, I was really, really frustrated by that. 

How could I have gone so far in the opposite direction, to not be thinking about this ALL.THE.TIME. anymore. I mean, I dedicated a lot of my small, precious time in grad school (I also worked 5 days a week at a restaurant, serving and managing) to researching this, when I very well could have been studying a bit more (It’s ok. I got good grades and graduated. Just not “perfect”). 

And then I realized something:

  • I didn’t need lists of what foods to buy, because I had already learned it and the options were available pretty much everywhere I shopped.
  • I wasn’t exploring new stores, because I was frequenting the ones that worked best for me. And most places had a lot to offer.
  • Nope. I wasn’t testing out new products that popped up, because these were ABUNDANT and now widely available – not some obscure thing. 

Basically, I wasn’t constantly thinking about “going-green” anymore, because “going-green” was a lot more mainstream and it was a huge part of my daily life – without having to think about it constantly.

I had been practicing it for so long, that it was not just part of what I did automatically. It’s not nearly as fun as the exploring phase, but it is much deeper and more sustainable. It’s just part of life now. 

The same might be true for where you stand with your stress management and utilizing, learning, and exploring the tools and techniques, such as mindfulness, meditation, movement, journaling, and more. These things are more mainstream than ever, and could be viewed as trendy, or could be viewed as our culture finally catching up to what we all need, and realizing that not having these practices was creating more harm than good. 

Right now, you might feel immersed in it or even overwhelmed by it all. Or even feel that people are pushing it without actually offering help (like your boss or admin saying “remember self-care!”). There can be a lot to try, experiment with and to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t, and what really is just a trend. That can sometimes feel more stressful, or exciting, than you are looking for. 

But, one day, it will just be part of your routine – so much so, that you might not even realize you are using these on a daily basis. You’ll feel like you aren;t doing enough, or that you aren’t doing anything, because it is just part of who you are and how your day goes. Not stress-free, but more mindful and more aware, with tools to use when you need them and foundational practices built in. 

No matter where you are starting at now, here are a few things for you to reflect on, and see where you can go or how far you have already come: 

  • Awareness is the first step: If you are simply aware that you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, and you can recognize the why or when, this is a huge step. 
  • Mindfulness is familiar vocabulary: The terms mindfulness, yoga, meditation, journal, self-care, stress management, etc are nothing new to you. You’ve been reading about them, listening to podcasts or courses on them, or trying them out. 
  • You’re stressed about your stress management: Yay! That can be hard, but it means you are working on it and on the right path (and, if you are feeling left out and alone, things like the SLP Stress Management Podcast or SLP Toolbox can help make it easier to figure out). 
  • Hearing about self-care from supervisor or admin makes you cringe, or cheer: Yay, again! Even if your reaction is an eyeroll, it means you know it is important, and are just overwhelmed at the thought of doing it. But you are still in that awareness place. 
  • You feel like you aren’t doing enough to try and look up new self-care routines, or you don’t talk about it as much or have it on your mind: It might make you feel guilty, or like you “aren’t doing enough” (imagine that, as an SLP, cue the sarcasm). It might mean that, if you are honestly avoiding facing your stress, but, most likely, if you have been working on this for a while, you are in it. You are doing things and incorporating them into your life without having to struggle or think about it constantly. It has been infused into your day and, even though stress might still be there, you are able to see it, see where you have stopped some of your practices, and get back into it with more ease and awareness. 

These might not feel like enough or like you have changed your world completely, but any small step or change can be a huge shift and can become part of your routine and day. Over time, these just become how you live your life. 

And being an SLP, it is quite possible that you will doubt how much you do, tell yourself it is not enough, and feel pushed to do more. It comes with the perfectionism we all face being in our field. 

If you are feeling this way, or you are in the beginning stages of creating some of these patterns, it can help to have some accountability, or to keep track of what you are doing. This gets it out of your head and onto paper (or a tablet), so you can really see what you are doing and living. And that it is always enough. Having a “Tracker” can help you not to be perfectly on track, but to see what you are already doing and how far you have really come. 

I use a daily tracker-style journal to help me, in a non-stressful or perfectionist way, see what habits I am doing, how I am really doing a lot more than I give myself credit for, and to see how these habits work (and when I stop doing them, how it shows up in my world). 

These can be found in journals or you can create your own, or you can use one of the “Self-Care Trackers” that I have available in my brand new digital product shop. These really are key to help you track your self-care practice

You can download the “Self-Care Tracker Journal” of your choice, available in the SLP Stress Management Shop, then get started with some stress management and self-care resources in the SLP Toolbox (for free).

  • Monthly Self-Care Tracker
    Printable and Digital PDF
  • Weekly Self-Care Tracker Journal
    Printable and Digital PDF
  • Self-Care Tracker Journal Bundle
    Printable and Digital PDF

They are available as Monthly, Weekly, or in a bundle with both. Each comes with a guided journal practice to help you get started figuring out your Self-Care practices that you are currently using or not, and what you would like to do, as well as two versions of each tracker page. These can be downloaded, printed out, or used in a digital pdf app. 

You can download the “Self-Care Tracker Journal” of your choice, available in the SLP Stress Management Shop, then get started with some stress management and self-care resources in the SLP Toolbox (for free).

You can also join the FREE SLP Toolbox, and get access to those Self-Care tools you’ll be tracking, by subscribing below.

How do you track your self-care practice? Share in the comments below!

Much Love,

Jessi

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29Dec

5 Moves to Practice Barre Anywhere: Mindful Movement for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Mindful Movement Stress Management Uncategorized
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practice barre anywhere

When you are stressed out, as an SLP or just as a human, it is easy to start to let go of the things that actually help reduce and manage your stress. You might find that you:

  • sleep less and work later (or earlier)
  • grab convenient and/or comfort foods
  • stay stationary to work instead of moving around
  • skip exercise in order to save time
  • no quiet, reflective time or meditation, instead continuing to push and do more

The things that help you (and your brain) to process, take a break from, and let go of stress are usually the things that seem ore negotiable when you are feeling overwhelmed and short on time. In the short term, this seems like the best idea, it gives you more time to get done the things that are stressing you out and are taking over. In the long run though, this only allows the stress to build up more, your stress response to stay fired up, and for you to continue doing more and more of the things that are stressful It also allows the stressors to affect you more deeply, instead of building up a resilience and having strategies that reduce the stress.

It helps to work with someone or join a program or listen to a course of podcast that can help you make a plan to start doing these things again and using them, even when you are stressed. This can be a way to help you figure out what strategies you currently are using, which ones you are letting go of, and what might work better for your long tern ad short term goals and lifestyle.

These typically include things like movement, meditation, creating more sustainable and nourishing routines, and taking care of yourself throughout the day with better food, quiet moments, and time to move mindfully.

Movement is a great way to help manage your stress, and is often one of the easier things to include or come back to when you have been stressed. You can feel the benefits right away, it helps you to step away from the stress, and helps you to get out of your head and into your body. Plus you might already have a routine to fall back on, a gym membership (hopefully with online offerings), or some streaming services.

One of my favorite workouts, since I can sneak it in with minimal equipment, space and time, (and not a lot of sweat) is a barre workout. The smaller moves really pack in big results, you maintain a mental focus on your body during the workout, and you don’t need much space, so you can do it pretty much anywhere. For years, this has been one of my go-to workout styles to teach and take (along with yoga and getting outside).

Here are a few moves to help you practice Barre anywhere, anytime:

  • Wide Plie
    • Stand with feet wide, toes and knees turned out. Inhale as you reach your arms overhead, exhale as you sweep the arms down and bend your knees. Repeat 10 times.
  • Narrow Plie
    • Stand with your heels together, toes and knees turned out. You can bring hands to your hips or reach your arms out to the sides. Bend your knees as you exhale (it’s a small move) and inhale as you straighten the legs. Repeat 10 times.
  • Single Leg Reach Back
    • From your Narrow Plie, sweep your right leg to the back corner, flexing your foot. Your hand can stay on your hips. Engage the core as you slowly lift your leg up and then tap it down. Repeat 10 time and switch sides.
  • Knee to shoulder
    • Reach the right leg back again and hold on to a chair if needed for balance. Point the toe this time as you lift your leg and hold it up. Bend your knee, so your leg aims towards your shoulder/elbow/side, then lengthen. Repeat 10 times and switch sides.
  • Narrow Plie Reach Across
    • In your Narrow Plie stance. bend into your knees (you have the option of lifting your heels slightly, but keeping them pressed together). Start with your hands on hips or on a chair. Slowly reach your right arm across to the left corner, twisting through the core but keeping the legs still. Then switch, reaching the left arm to the right corner. Repeat 10 times on each side.

You can find an audio for these barre moves (and more) in the “Barre Anywhere” practice, a flowing barre movement audio, available for free in the SLP Toolbox.

The SLP Toolbox is a free resource library, full of practical tools to help SLPs manage and reduce their stress. It is updated monthly with meditation audios, movement audio practices, as well as an archive of journal templates, self-care checklists and more.

Not a member? You can access the library (for subscribers only) by signing up below:

Looking for more ways to manage your SLP Stress? Make sure to check out the following:

Much Love,

Jessi

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23Nov

How to Use Gratitude to Reduce Stress as an SLP: Mindfulness Meditation for SLPs

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Gratitude Stress Management
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gratitude to reduce stress as an SLP

As an SLP, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed on a regular day. When things like schedule changes, a rush to finish work, and the indecision of whether or not to bring work home with you, all come into play before (and during) a break or change in your routine, it can increase the stress. (And being in a global pandemic in 2020 just adds to it that much more). It can make you want to climb under the covers and stay there, ignoring your work completely and the stress around it.

And stress can absolutely suck the joy right out of your work and your chosen career.

One thing that has been shown to help reduce stress and bring you back to a place of passion, joy and calm, time and time again, in study after study, is gratitude. Brene Brown talks about the power of gratitude in her research on vulnerability and wholehearted living.

Gratitude is the act of remembering and reflecting on the things that are going well, the tings that you are grateful for, and/or the things that you are thankful for. It is a way to shift your brain to notice these things, rather than take the easy route (which your brain is wired to do) and look at all that is not working or going well. It retrains your brain to focus on the things you are grateful for, even when things are hard.

Your brain is automatically going to be on the lookout for things that are threatening and not going well, and then will get stuck in a cycle of looking for more and more of these things, in order to protect you. This cycle, called the “Cycle of Stress”, and how to get out of it, is what we talk about in the SLP Stress Management Course. Gratitude is one of the ways that you shift out of the negative loop the cycle gets stuck in, because it helps you to see the positive things that your brain is trying to ignore.

According to Harvard Health, gratitude is “a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.“

There are many ways to practice gratitude, ranging from simple to more complex and time-consuming. Since time is already one of the things that can add to your stress as an SLP, here are a few basic ways to bring more gratitude into your daily routine.

How to use gratitude to reduce stress as an SLP (and human):

  • Gratitude journal: list 3-5 things you are grateful for each day
  • Gratitude Meditation: mediate and reflect on the things you are grateful for (you can download an FREE gratitude meditation audio in the SLP Toolbox)
  • Grateful thoughts: mentally reflect when you wake up or when you are going to bed on things you are grateful for (this can be great for helping you fall asleep)
  • Gratitude together: share 1-3 things you are grateful for each night with your family/friends/loved ones (maybe send a nightly text to your BFF, share around the dinner table, or reflect while you are doing nighttime routines with your kids).

Gratitude can be a simple but powerful way to bring more joy into your day, and to diffuse the stress you feel even when the stressors and uncertainty are still there. It teaches you not to ignore the stress, but to also see the positive, joyful aspects of your day.

If you are looking for a guided way to start your gratitude practice, and reap the benefits or meditation, you can find a guided gratitude practice in the SLP Toolbox, a FREE resource library to help SLPs reduce and manage stress. You can subscribe to this resource below:

And if you are ready to learn more about gratitude, breaking free of the “Cycle of Stress”, and even more ways to realistically manage and reduce your SLP stress, make sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Course, now available as a Self-Study program.

Much Love,

Jessi

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17Oct

SLPs Need to Rest: Mindfulness Meditation

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Meditation Stress Management
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slps need to rest

Do you ever feel like you are constantly doing something? Like, even when you are not working or working on work, you are trying to be productive by doing more on your endless to-do list? It’s incredibly common, especially for a field and profession that focuses so much on productivity. But, without a doubt, SLPs need rest. Maybe now more than ever.

As a yoga teacher, for nearly a decade now, there is one thing that has remained constant. It is easy for students to come in, stretch, move, and breathe, but when it comes to the end, where it’s time to really relax and get still – not doing – most people have a really hard time. When given the chance to relax, it is difficult to do, because it seems unusual and unproductive.

I think that as an SLP, you might relate to this as well. Even though the thing you might want the most it time to just BE and not DO, it is really difficult when productivity is such a huge part of your work and daily focus.

But it is so important to take rest. And, SLPs need rest too. Not sleeping, or even really doing (like yoga or meditation), but simply resting to recharge and deeply relax. Doing this for a few moments, almost like a timeout, can help you to let go for a moment, reset, and feel less attached to your daily stress.

A great way to do this is with a yoga “savasana”. If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, this is the part at the end where you just rest, flat on your mat. And it is the part that can be so difficult. But, when you let go and just rest on your mat, it can give you the balance you need from the hectic, productive pace of your daily routine and work.

You can do this by resting on a yoga mat for a few minutes, maybe listening to some music or just being still. If you want a little guidance, you can follow along with the “Savasana Meditation” in the SLP Toolbox. This meditation of sorts will focus on helping you get some rest and relaxation, to help balance out the rest of your day.

You can access the SLP Toolbox, and all the other meditations and tools with it, by subscribing below (if you are already an email subscriber, you can click here).

If you are ready to dive even deeper into managing and reducing your stress, by adding in tools to your daily routine, make sure to check out the SLP Stress Management Course, now available! It also comes with several bonus meditations and movement audios and videos to help you get started right away. You can check it out here: SLP Stress Management Course+Meditation Bundle

Much Love,

Jessi

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10Oct

How to stop second guessing yourself as an SLP: SLP Stress Management Podcast Interview with Hallie Sherman

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice Stress Management
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second guessing yourself as an slp

One of the main reasons I decided to quit being an SLP (for nearly 5 years!) was because I didn’t feel like I was doing anything. I would go to work each day, but didn’t feel connected to what I was doing, didn’t feel like it was making a difference, and started to believe that being an SLP didn’t really mean much or do much. It was a TERRIBLE way to think and feel, and is absolutely untrue. SLPs make a huge difference in big and little ways, but at the time, it was difficult to see, until it was impossible.

Many SLPs that are stressed and nearing burnout can feel this way, or feel that they are heading in this direction. You might be familiar with this too.

It is often when you are a brand new SLP or starting in a new setting or with a new therapy protocol. You might feel like you aren’t sure what you are doing, or if it is effective, or if you are doing it “right”, and, then, you start second guessing yourself as an SLP. From there, it can be a quick trip to disconnect from your work and wondering if it was the right decision.

But it can also be a launching pad for bringing you to more connection and growth as an SLP. It can be the moment that helps you to figure out new ways to approach your work, connect with your students/clients/patients and feel that your work is truly meaningful (and sustainable).

How to recognize this moment, use it to reshape your mindset around your SLP work, and stop second guessing yourself as an SLP is what Hallie Sherman, from Speech Time Fun and the SLP Coffee Talk Podcast, shares in the this episode of the SLP Stress Management Podcast.

In her words “Hi! I am Hallie Sherman, M.S. CCC-SLP and I am a full time, school-based SLP from NY. I have experience working with students preschool through high school. I realized early on in my career that I had to find ways to make lesson planning easier so that I can leave work at work, spend more time with my children, yet still execute fun and engaging lessons that will help my students work towards their IEP goals. I am here to help you realize that you too can plan with ease and have your students always wondering what awesomeness you will present them each and every day! “

For even more ways to help you manage stress and ditch the second guessing that comes with it, check out the SLP Stress Management Self-Guided Course, now available!

This 8-week online course will help you to understand stress and where it comes from, learn evidence-based tools to better manage and reduce it, and create ways to implement these practices in your daily routines and schedule. You can find out more and sign up here: SLP Stress Management Course.

Much Love,

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18Oct

How to Become a More Resilient SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Reduce Stress
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Become a more resilient SLP

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

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

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

What is resiliency?

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

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

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

How to become a more resilient SLP:

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

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

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

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

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

Much Love,

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26Feb

Meditation to Reduce SLP Stress and Burn Out

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Meditation Reduce Stress Self Care
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Meditation to Reduce SLP Stress and Burn Out Pinterest

Feeling stressed and exhausted from your SLP work? Burn out could be to blame.

Burn out can be very sneaky and might hit you before you realize it. One of the best things to do when you are burnt out, or suspect it is creeping in, is to take a break and use mindfulness activities, such as breathing and meditation, to shift your brains focus and calm the stress responses in your body.

Try this meditation, focusing on a 3-part breath, to help you reduce your SLP stress and burn out, by building more balance and calm from the inside out.

Want more meditations? Make sure to check out the Meditation and Audio library, and subscribe to the monthly newsletter for a free meditation practice straight to your inbox, as well as access to the SLP Toolbox, where you’ll find meditation audios, journal templates, self-care planners and more – including the “Be Balanced Today” downloadable daily planner sheet.

Much Love,

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22Feb

4 Sneaky Signs of SLP Burn Out

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Reduce Stress
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Sneaky Signs SLP Burn Out PinterestAs an SLP, you are probably no stranger to stress at work. In fact, you might just come to think of it as part of the job, something that you have been working through and with since graduate school. Stress is definitely a part of life, and a necessity at times, but Chronic, lasting stress on a daily basis is not something we need, and is not something we know how to manage or reduce.

Instead, stress can keep progressing and turn into full blown Burn Out – a syndrome that happens when you aren’t able to find balance in your life for a lengthy part of time, and you start to disengage form your work, losing passion, drive and motivation, and often feeling a sense of dread about going to work.

Burn Out is a real thing and can manifest in a few different ways, often very different than its predecessor, Chronic Stress. Here are a few ways SLP Burn Out might be showing up in your SLP work:

4 Sneaky Signs of SLP Burn Out:

  1. You start fantasizing about other jobs, any job, as long as it doesn’t require billing and face-time. At times, it just feels like too much and anything else seems like a better job than your current situation. 
  2. You don’t feel like speech therapy actually does anything – because of lack of evidence based practice or too mush reliance on evidence based practice. This is often a hallmark sign of Burn Out – cynicism. You start to question the effectiveness and feel disconnected from your work. 
  3. You feel like every other discipline you work with (teachers, nurse, OT, PT) has it better than you. This is sometimes true. But often, there are things in each of these that are stressful, in different ways, and Helping Professionals in general tend to have tendencies towards Burn Out. 
  4. You keep bouncing around from setting to setting, but there is always some problem that makes you move on. The problem is that stress is everywhere. It is sometimes the job, but sometimes it is learning how to manage that stress, so it doesn’t keep happening without being able to work through it. 

If you are starting to relate to these things, it could be burn out creeping in. SLP Burn out is what your Chronic Stress as an SLP becomes when it is unmanaged, and it looks a lot different than stress. While stress is often hyper, frazzled and anxious, Burn Out is more of an unnaturally calm (possibly depressed or deflated), hopeless and given up attitude. When you start to notice your stress shift into this, it is time to take action (if not before!), so you are able to reduce your burn out, love your career again, and find some ease and balance in your life.

To help reduce your Burn Out and manage your stress, try these tips:

  • Connect with a co-worker: Isolation is common for SLPs and the lack of connection can make it easy to feel stressed, disconnected and, eventually, burnt out. Try reaching out to an SLP friend to talk, share and get some help with your SLP struggles.
  • Take time for YOU: Self-care is not selfish, and this alone, downtime can be key in helping you to prevent, reduce and manage your stress and burn out. Take time on most days to do something reflective and restorative (such as yoga, meditation, journaling, walking) to help you clear your head, and find a new perspective or connect to what you are needing.
  • Reach out for help: Connection and Self-Care are key, but sometimes it takes even more. Reach out to a mentor, therapist/counselor, coach or someone who can help you work through it. You can also try checking out some CEU courses to learn more about Burn Out, Stress and how to work through them both.

For more resources on SLP Burn Out, make sure to check out the SLP Toolbox (free planners, checklists, journals, meditations and more). You can sign up below (it’s free to subscribe):


Much Love,

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