We All Need Help!

Today I’m writing about something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. We all need help – at some point or another, we all do.

We’re human. I like my alone time just as much as the next person, but I know that I need social interaction to be happy. I love the below quote:

I feel that we are much better people when we have a community. Teachers, SLPs, parents, other professionals, anyone – we all have to find our “tribes.” Those who lift us up with we are down, those who will lend a helping hand, those who can pick up the slack if needed for a little bit.

Let’s frame this from an educator standpoint. We need our co-workers. Let’s face it: we spend more hours per day on a workday with them than we do our significant others. That’s why it’s important to have supportive co-workers! Now, clearly you won’t be buddy buddy with everyone, but finding your handful of go-to co-workers will do wonders to boost your satisfaction with your job.

We need like-minded individuals in our lives. One of the best parts of being a blogger is connecting with other SLPs and educators on social media. We all have similar goals and similar struggles. I love that all of us are unique in our approach to therapy and this provides different and fun ways to do therapy, tackle difficult problems, etc.

We need family and friends outside of work. It’s important to have a life outside of work and that includes family and friends. Those who will love you even when you’re frustrated and pessimistic. Those who will listen to you talk about the day’s trials and tribulations, but will also celebrate your successes with you.

Sometimes we might even need an objective third party to listen and help us through things. I have visited a therapist a couple times this year to help me work through some issues. And it’s really helped me. There is a stigma against doing things to take care of your mental health and I believe this is wrong. I believe that it’s a sign of strength if you know that things are too much and that you need to ask for help.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you’re confident enough in yourself to keep learning. There are times when you might feel bad about asking questions, but don’t. When I think back to how many questions I had at the beginning of my career (and still do, almost daily!), it is humbling. This is why I always try to help those who are new to my district/school with learning our IEP system, etc. It’s HARD at the beginning!

We all need help. Remember, no man is an island.