Easy Speech and Language Ideas Blog Burnount
Any speech-language pathologist who has been in the profession for a few years or more can share stories of SLP burnout. Feelings of burnout can be due to a variety of factors that often need to be addressed before you can start to thrive at work. I believe true work-life balance isn't possible in all positions. There are schools and clinics and hospitals and nursing homes that expect way too much in way too little of time. This is all true. However, I also believe that there are so many ways to help yourself no matter what position you're currently in.
Below are the top 5 ways to overcome extreme feelings of SLP burnout:
Get inspired.
Explore some CEU options and take something you've always wanted to learn about. Learn and try out new therapy ideas. Or, check out the latest and greatest speech therapy materials (a little retail therapy, anyone? 🙂 )
It can be exciting to try something new with your students. If you're excited, they will be excited too! Plus, taking a course will help you feel more confident.
If there is a session I'm dreading, it's usually because I'm not feeling very confident about my therapy in the student's area of need. Focusing on that one area of weakness can help you feel more successful.
Take care of yourself!
Self-care is any activity that we dodeliberately to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.
Deliberate is a key word here. You have to actively make a choice. Add it to your calendar and tell others about your plans if it helps!
The biggest thing I've learned in the last year is that self-care is NOT self-indulgence. Treating yourself is important butdoes notreplace the parts of self-care like exercising, eating right, and setting aside a small portion of time just for you.
Join a committee
Usually when we feel burned out, we think we need to scale back.
But sometimes, we actually need to get more involved. Get invested in what you are doing. You could join a committee at your school to feel more a part of the community. SLPs can sometimes be isolated islands in the school because they don't quite fit in with any team. Don't let that happen. Make friends and be a part of the school!
If there aren't any committees at school, look into getting more involved with your state speech therapy association. Help shape the future and advocate for the profession!
Take a break!
Our students get an "I need a break" card, but what about us?
If you work in the schools, you get a summer break, winter break, and spring break. Those are great, but school SLPs get burned out too! When we focus on those breaks, we are living an all-or-nothing lifestyle that is not going to help with preventing burn out.
Instead, you need to build in regular breaks, even during the school year.
Can you take a lap around the building and turn your mind off work for a period of time? If that's too much, can you take a 15 minute brain break and look or listen to something non-work related? Can you make an effort to eat lunch at lunch time instead of taking a working lunch? How about even a 2-minute break to watch a funny video or listen to a good song?
You'll be more productive and feel better if you fit in regular breaks!
Change jobs.
Do you feel dread going to work every single day? Is it still there once you get going for the day?
It might be time for a change.
This could be something small like a change in grades or school.
Sometimes the problem might be an unsupportive administrative or coworkers. If so, look around for other similar jobs in the area. It's ok to explore your options. Quitting does not mean you have failed.
Maybe you just need a total change. The awesome part of being an SLP is that there are a lot of different environments to work in. Maybe it's time to change populations.
Life is too short to do a job that makes you miserable. And if you're miserable, the students, teachers, and parents you work with can probably tell. There is something just right for you out there, don't be afraid to find it!
If you're experiencing burnout as an SLP, don't despair! Sign up for my email newsletter for productivity tips and tricks, therapy activity ideas, and lots of positive inspiration! It might be just what you need.
{thanks for reading}
Source: https://speechymusings.com/2021/08/09/top-5-ways-to-overcome-slp-burnout/
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