Stressed Out, SLP? [Guest Post]
Today I’m bringing you a guest post from the fabulous Felice, who blogs over at The Dabbling Speechie!
Hey everyone! This is Felice (The dabbling Speechie) and I am excited to be guest posting today over here at Teach Speech 365. I wanted to talk about the SLP end of the year burn out
It’s May. The end of the year is drawing near and for many SLP’s it’s the busiest time of the school year! Just as we begin to see our paperwork start dwindling down, more referrals role in or it’s time to finish the end of the year paperwork for all of our students. For me, the influx of IEP’s is in full swing and I find myself scrambling to get the assessments and IEP paperwork complete for the meetings. In April, I had 12 IEP’s in the span of 10 days!!
Between servicing students, completing assessments, setting up IEP’s and holding meetings, my energy is sapped! Then, I come home to my “life” and have to keep it all together. It is wearing to say the least. Within the last few years, I have really tried to work hard to use strategies to manage my stress, so I can keep my mental health in a good balance!
I did some research on stress a couple of years ago when I was noticing how much of a toll my job was impacting my life. You can read about it HERE!
Rachel Nortz from Queen’s Speech shared some amazing insights into the The Five Year Burnout many SLP’s face in their job settings. I loved all of her ideas for how to deal with the stress and anxiety that comes with our jobs.
Here are some tips and reminders that I have been utilizing to get through the last month of work:
REST- Take time to rest. Make sure you go to bed at a decent hour and turn off the screens, so you can really get some good sleep! I easily forget that I am not SUPER woman and can do everything in my own strength. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things in HIM who gives me strength.” When I surrender my own strength to God, he always lifts my spirits up and reminds me he has my back!
SET BOUNDARIES- This starts with you recognizing what you can and cannot get completed in a reasonable time constraint. We often take on too many responsibilities that we can not complete. It starts with us setting a limit about how much time outside the work day we are willing to give. If you know you can’t meet a deadline, then you have to ask for help or say “no”. It’s tough to do, but our mental health is more important!
MAKE TO DO LISTS- I like to make a “must do” list and a “may do” list. That way, I can prioritize what needs to get done each day. If I have a quick 10 minute break, I can always pick something on my list to start, so I am not sitting around for those extra little minutes throughout the day trying to remember all the things I need to do.
PLAN AHEAD- Although we don’t have a ton of time left, I still like to plan ahead. I try to plan out who I am testing on certain time blocks as well as take time to plan out the IEP’s for the remainder of the year.
GRAB N’ GO- Stop putting pressure on yourself to plan super involved therapy activities! Grab those fun games you have in your speech closet or the TPT activities that are already prepped and just use what you have. You may have had the best laid plans to do amazing crafts or hands on activities, but it if is going cause one more thing on your plate, then, just play GO FISH! The kids love easy activities and this will help your mind rest!
SELF REFLECT- I love to write a “blessings” list in my journal. It helps remind me about all the positive and wonderful things that God has given me, so when times are tough, I don’t lose sight of the prize. I also love to write down my struggles in my job, so I can take responsibility where I am lacking and let go of the things that aren’t my burden. It has been really good for me to also write down my accomplishments, so I don’t forget the successes I achieved in the school year.
DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY- We all got a little crazy coming out by the end of the year. If someone looked at you the wrong way or got a little snappy about a recommendation you made, give yourself some space from that person for a while and let it go! It probably has nothing to do with you personally and the storm of chaos will pass. Try not to deplete your battery on negative behaviors.
What do you do to avoid getting burnt out at the end of the school year?
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I know what you mean! Yesterday, my principal complained about how many I IEP meetings had been scheduled for the week. I was annoyed but I responded with “I know! Isn’t it crazy! I think we had more scheduled at this time of the year last year! I tried not to take it personally. I try to stay calm by asking myself “what can I do right now” because if I look at the big picture of what’s due too much, I stress out more. I also take mini breaks to do things I enjoy so I can refresh myself- clean out a drawer, write myself goals for the summer, etc.