Topic 4: Self-Care {2/16}
Based on the reading due this week consider the following discussion point: What are some of your concerns for self-care/burnout when it comes to working with clients – What might/does get you stressed? Do you have any effective ways to deal with such stress?
Your original post should be posted by the beginning of class 2/16. Post your two replies no later than 2/18. *Please remember to click the “reply” button when posting a reply. This makes it easier for the reader to follow the blog postings.
Dr. Adam M Volungis 
Feb 12, 2023 @ 15:46:48
Some concerns I have about burnout when it comes to working with clients mainly pertains to how burnout could affect my interpersonal relationships outside of work. Over break I was working 40 hours a week at my internship while working 20 hrs/week at my regular job and wasn’t doing much else, and definitely noticed some burnout here where I was really quick to get upset around people in my personal life during this time. While working during this time I was suddenly taking on significantly more patients than usual and wasn’t really engaging in self-care activities, which definitely led to this feeling of burnout so quickly. When this happened I felt really bad about how it was affecting my interactions with those important to me outside of work. Aside from this, something that gets me stressed at work is feeling like I’m essentially solely responsible for patients’ safety and taking that home with me. Working at PHP LOC it has taken me a while to not feel like I’m “owning” someone’s safety, and to manage this at work I make sure that I do everything I can when working with the pt regarding risk assessment and documentation to make sure I’ve done everything in my power regarding that. To deal with stress that comes from work overall I have been making sure to engage in leisure activities regularly at home and seek support from friends/coworkers. For leisure I typically like to read and crochet because these activities are easy to get lost in and can sometimes be mindless, which is helpful to relax. Prior to my internship, I would often read a lot of books related to psychology because I wanted to be “productive” and learn more, but have found that I have been enjoying fiction books that are more light-hearted so that I’m not constantly taking in heavy info even within my leisure activities.
Feb 13, 2023 @ 16:29:09
Hi Valerie!
You make a great point about burnout and stress affecting your interpersonal relationships. I have experienced this as well and it can be difficult to juggle friendships and managing our other responsibilities as well. Especially how draining that this field can be mentally. Also, your comment on ‘owning someone’s safety’ is such an intense feeling! We have to remind ourselves that we have done our part as best we can, and ultimately, they act on their own volition and we cannot control them no matter how bad we might want to in terms of safety. Also, keep up on the fiction reading and crocheting! Our minds need a break too!
Feb 13, 2023 @ 16:58:43
Valerie,
It sounds like you’ve had a really hectic couple of months. I had a similar experience with burnout and I had to take a step back and reevaluate what I could/needed to put my energy into. It sounds like you’ve found a good balance and some good hobbies to help you decompress. I agree that ‘mindless’ activities can be a great way to wind down after a tough day. We’re close to the finish line though!
Feb 14, 2023 @ 17:07:05
Valerie,
I relate to feeling stressed and then accidentally taking it out on people around me. I find that when I get overwhelmed or stressed out, I have a tendency to be short-tempered and get irritated with friends and family. I think it’s important first to be able to recognize it and then be able to make changes to that behavior! I also enjoy reading and think it’s super important to add some “distance” between the field and leisure activities. I’ve been enjoying reading lighthearted fiction books as well because it’s a nice escape from some of the things we are helping clients through each day!
Feb 14, 2023 @ 17:10:45
Valerie,
I relate to what you said about feeling stressed and then accidentally taking it out on those around you. I find that sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed I tend to be short-tempered and get irritated with others much faster, which obviously isn’t fair. I think it’s really important to be able to recognize this and be able to make changes, which it sounds like you were able to do! Also, juggling working and internship with that many hours sounds crazy! I also enjoy reading for self-care and leisure, but definitely think it’s important to create some “distance” between the field and leisure time and self-care activities like you have by reading more lighthearted books.
Feb 20, 2023 @ 08:56:10
Hi Valerie,
I agree that it is really difficult to have so many time consuming responsibilities at once. I also relate to what you said in class about becoming jaded. It is hard to keep a positive attitude when the others around you are cold, whether they are just protecting themselves or not. I am fortunate in my internship placement because everyone is very warm and supportive. I would definitely struggle if they were not, which is a large possibility going forward as I enter a career. In the past when I’ve dealt with this, I’ve added more self-care to my routine. I always try to be warm and optimistic around those who struggle with it as well. That can help them to come back to their positive selves at work as well. You are warm and caring and you exude that energy and I believe that will really benefit you and those you work with in the future. As for reading, I also tend to pick up sociology or psychology books to improve my perspective. When I am under a lot of pressure I will take a break and move to some fiction as well and it is always a welcome escape!
Feb 13, 2023 @ 11:37:33
Burnout is an important aspect to consider for any job that requires interacting with other people, especially those who are experiencing distress or crisis. At my internship, it can be overwhelming at times and in the beginning I felt very stressed due to the demands that are constant when working in substance use. Patients at my site are often unsatisfied with their situation and need a lot from their clinicians (all day, every day in detox). This can make balance difficult when I have eight clients to manage in one work day. It’s also been very stressful working for free because I still have to maintain a schedule at my paying job to make ends meet. This can make it hard to work with the clients I have now because it often feels like I never have time to just breathe. I think that these feelings will lessen in the future because I won’t have to spend such a large portion of my week at school or on site. I’ll also have more opportunities to do things that I enjoy or help me de-stress, like reading or binging TV. In the future, I’ll work to develop my relaxation skills as the type of stress I experience changes. Overall, I look forward to finishing up this chapter and I’m excited to begin working full-time in the field. It’s really difficult to be a student, employee, and intern so it’s going to be a welcome change.
Feb 13, 2023 @ 16:23:15
Hi Frayah,
I agree that it’s super difficult to balance an unpaid internship alongside school and another paying job. I have had the same experience and I feel like almost all of my time is spent working in some way. It definitely is a relief to know that we only have a few more months and then we’ll be able to be paid for our work, and won’t have to balance nearly as much!
Feb 13, 2023 @ 16:34:37
Hi Frayah!
Working in substance use is very difficult. Not many people want to work in this population for many reasons and we really have to focus on the small successes. In this way, it can be a very rewarding population to work with. But there will not always be successes, unfortunately. But, I can say that from my experience in IOP/PHP at Harrington. It does depend on the agency and what you are expected to do. Regarding self-care, I have also found reading to be a saving grace in helping with stress. I hope you can find a better fit for your future job that makes you much happier! 🙂
Feb 14, 2023 @ 17:14:57
Frayah,
I completely agree that it is difficult to manage work, school, and internship, plus the other demands of life (like dealing with broken cars lol). I too am looking forward to just having one primary responsibility of working. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to work in substance use, and detox specifically. Self-care is especially important when working in such a stressful environment, so I’m glad that you have been able to find some activities that work for you!
Feb 15, 2023 @ 15:23:35
Hey Frayah
Cannot agree enough with you about the difficulties and burnout of wearing so many hats – between work, internship, classes, coursework, social relationships- we are spread pretty thin these days.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 11:56:10
Hi Frayah,
I completely agree that the position we are in right now brings its own level of stress and burnout. Trying to manage a job, internship, and school has been difficult for me as well. I can’t imagine the added stress of the population you are working with. I’ve heard from a lot of our classmates about how difficult it can be to work in substance use settings. I mentioned in my response that clients who feel hopeless are particularly difficult for me, and I’m sure that it can be especially hard to instill hope with clients who are facing so many obstacles. I hope these last couple of months of our program fly by so we can move on to focusing on just one job.
Feb 20, 2023 @ 09:01:25
Hi Frayah,
I agree that a change of pace will benefit all of us. I am so excited to see where you end up post graduation, and what your future experiences end up like. After listening to what you had to say about your current placement, I know that you deserve much much more. You are such a hardworking, dedicated, insightful, caring, and intuitive therapist (and friend!) and the impact that you are going to make in the future is going to be incredible. I have found that journaling in the morning has kept me a little more grounded lately. When I am home, I try to really listen to my body and what it needs to decompress. You are under a lot of stress right now, but I am happy you’re almost done at internship, crushed your oral, and are on the way to find out how amazing you really are! Hang in there, you have a lot of support.
Feb 13, 2023 @ 16:22:56
When it comes to stress and burnout in this field, I am nervous about when. I have a string of difficult cases or ‘heavy’ sessions one after the other. During my internship, when I have days where I have had a difficult group, have a deep/heavy session with a client, and then another intense group, I get wiped out and tired. For the rest of the day, I need to engage in self-care to relax after a long day. Sometimes we do not get a moment during the day to decompress before moving onto the next thing. This stress affects the rest of my day as well as part of the next day. I have been working on this by talking with my family and supports, as well as my supervisor if I am having a difficult time. I find this helpful to relieve stress and prepare myself for the next day. Another way I deal with stress is making sure I get at least 8 hours of sleep, exercise at least 4 days per week, eat healthy meals, and implement at least one leisure activity per night to decompress. This is usually reading and/or painting. Each of these things I have found to be immensely helpful and are activities that I would suggest to clients as well.
Feb 13, 2023 @ 16:28:15
Hi Jenn,
It’s great to hear that you’ve been really on top of engaging in self-care outside of your internship to help manage stress, especially with respect to a regular routine balancing all different types of self-care! It’s really rewarding to see how much it can help you personally so that when you’re suggesting some self-care ideas to clients, you genuinely understand the impact of them!
Feb 13, 2023 @ 16:55:31
Jenn,
I relate to much of what you shared and I recognize your stress-related struggles. It can be so difficult to continue with your day after dealing with a heavy case or group session. I’ve been experiencing that a lot lately and it’s definitely caused me heightened stress as well. Decompressing can be hard when we’re juggling so many different roles so it’s great that you’ve found a method that works for you. Those skills will continue to benefit you into your career!
Feb 14, 2023 @ 17:03:51
It is definitely important to consider getting stressed and burned out when working in this field. I have heard a lot about clinicians feeling like they have so much on their plate and experiencing burnout. This is something that worries me as I begin working as a full-time clinician, but at the same time, I am worried that I won’t have enough to do and won’t be able to get my hours for licensure. Right now I am working part-time in a high-stress environment, spending 20+ hours at my internship, and balancing school, while also trying to maintain my own mental and physical health and personal relationships. Recently, I have been feeling quite stressed, burned out, and exhausted. I try to take time for myself each night by doing some type of self-care activity like reading, journaling, or watching TV. These activities are helpful and allow me to decompress, so this is something that I definitely want to keep doing, especially when I start working and presumably have more “free time”. Something I am also concerned about is taking my work home with me. I am the type of person to worry about my clients when I am not physically with them, and I have been working hard to shut myself off from my internship when I am not in the office by not looking at emails, responding to messages, or taking phone calls on my days “off”. This is something that I know will come up when I am working and creating these boundaries are going to be important so that I don’t feel even more stressed or burned out.
Feb 15, 2023 @ 09:40:37
Kaitlyn,
I completely relate to everything you said about boundaries and worrying about your clients when you’re not with them or even at work. This is something I struggle with as well, especially on days when my clients bring particularly upsetting things up in session or I know they have something coming up which could be super stressful for them. It’s hard not to think of them and be like “It’s my day off but right now my client is doing X,Y, Z and is potentially freaking out.”
I will say my helpful technique for myself when I do this is exactly how we’d do it with clients: some cognitive restructuring to remind myself that A) I’m catastrophizing, most times clients come back and whatever they were worried about, they ended up handling OK, and B) as their therapist, I can only do so much. The majority of their lives is spent outside of the therapy room and while I hope they take what we discuss into their outside lives, I cannot put that personal responsibility on myself. (As long as I’m doing everything I can within sessions to help them progress, of course.) I can’t make them do anything and I also can’t spend all my time worrying over them between sessions when I truly have my own things to be worried about – not to sound callous at all. It doesn’t benefit me and it doesn’t benefit them, either, if I’m too burnt out because all I do is think about therapy/my clients/my clients troubles, even when I’m supposed to be rest/enjoying myself. It’s easier said than done, though, of course.
Thanks for sharing!
Feb 15, 2023 @ 15:14:37
Hello Kaitlyn
I have gotten feedback from multiple clinicians – both master’s level and licensed – who have warned me about burn out, and said that it is something that’s almost unavoidable (in the substance abuse setting anyway). I completely understand and share your concerns about taking the job home with you at night. Even as an intern, I already feel myself doing this sometimes, and not sure what the solution is for creating that separation so to speak.
Feb 14, 2023 @ 18:00:33
My self-care is lacking at this interval – I totally echo what others are saying about having multiple stressful and time-consuming roles between internship, coursework, class time, and working at my paid jobs, commuting, etc. Even the most basic self-care has really fallen out of priority, and I feel extremely burned out. Doing my internship, I have learned that doing therapy can be really draining – particularly on days that I am in sessions back-to-back, or when I must deliver bad news to clients about take-home requests, dose changes, or travel requests being rejected etc. A lot of my role is delivering bad news and it can feel frustrating for myself and the clients at times. There is also very little change working with this population – and so that too can be draining, when you want so desperately for clients to succeed and make certain changes such as leaving abusive settings but they seem to be stuck.
Right now, I would say I am moving so much and just kind of “trudging along” more than dealing with anything. I get to watch Netflix once in a while – other than that my life is pretty much devoid of relaxation or joy. That being said – I am so excited to wrap up my internship and take the summer off so I can have time to resume activities I once enjoyed and rediscover restful sleep lasting more than 6 hours.
Feb 15, 2023 @ 09:34:05
Lexi,
I completely hear what you’re saying about the combination of everything going on being too much. I too tend to let self-care slip during these times, which is probably the worst time to let it slip! But sometimes even small self-care things just take too much energy after a long day. I second the sentiment of being ready to just be graduated and focusing on work and personal life again.
Additionally, I appreciate your point about the population you work with – I think that really adds additional stress, especially on rougher days when you are delivering bad news or seeing multiple (maybe resistant) clients. This is something I really keep in mind when thinking about job opportunities as well. I’m not particularly called to this population so it seems like the experience can be maybe more stressful than the fulfillment I would feel.
Thanks for sharing!
Katie
Feb 16, 2023 @ 12:01:31
Hi Lexi,
I’m sorry to hear your feeling the impact of burnout and being spread so thin. The one thing this discussion board has offered me is a lot of validation. I think it can be really hard for my friends, family, and coworkers to truly understand just how thinly I’m spread from all of my responsibilities. I really relate to the idea of just trudging along to the finish line. I’ve also been struggling to find much time for relaxation or joy. I really hope that graduation from this program and the completion of internships brings us all a sense of accomplishment that makes up for the struggles we are facing right now. A summer off sounds much deserved for you!
Feb 18, 2023 @ 17:43:21
Hello Lexi,
You made valid points about burnouts. I agree that having many roles is a strong factor that influences our stress, I also agree that therapy is draining. In my experience, after internship, I notice how my body feels heavy and suddenly everything emotion hits my face. It was hard to engage in self-care after having no energy. I want to finish my internship as well and start my career.
Feb 15, 2023 @ 09:16:31
One of my biggest concerns regarding burnout is making sure that I have and enforce appropriate boundaries with clients and myself so that I am not taking work home with me. I have done a decent job at this throughout my internship experience, but there are still times when I get an email outside of work hours and despite myself, will check it, and even though I tell myself “I’ll just see what it says, I won’t respond till I’m working,” it results in my thinking about it potentially off and on until I finally am back at work, i.e. I’m thinking about work during times when I really don’t want to or have to be thinking about it. This just creates more anxiety for me than is necessary. I feel like the solution to this is simple – I should adjust settings so I don’t get emails to my phone after a certain time. It’s just a matter of me following through.
A couple people mentioned experiencing burnout already and I feel like I’m in the same boat. Towards the end of last semester I was feeling very burnt out – less so with my clients and more so with school on top of everything else. But I could definitely see how it was affecting me – making me more unmotivated to go to an internship I really enjoy, feeling more moody during class, being more disengaged with my self-care routine, not wanting to do much in terms of assignments. The good thing is that this really only happened in the last week of the semester so as soon as I got to break and could rest, I felt back to normal and more invigorated again. I just have to be very aware of myself and be mindful of making sure that even if things are stressful, I am still taking time to do self-care and get enough sleep.
Feb 15, 2023 @ 15:21:19
Hello Katie,
I have had some issues with boundaries and with taking work home as well. Adjusting the settings on your devices to limit the amount of incoming work communication is a great start, I feel like it helps to disconnect in that way. I echo your point about being less ethused with going to internshup – I was a lot more eager beaver back in summer too versus now it’s much more of a chore to go there. I also find myself in a worse mood overall in class and at work – I have so much less energy and motivation when I do assignments than 2 semesters ago. I struggle sometimes with sleep as well – and has become a real problem, but I try to focus as I am sure you do on what all this is for, there is a light at the end!
Feb 16, 2023 @ 14:11:10
Hi Katie,
You highlight something important, which is taking work home. Adding the flexibility of telework and the agency system connected to your computer is super challenging to separate from. In my previous work experience, by policy, you could not use your phone. Hence it was easier to separate emails and calls. Some people did not follow and I found that they were some of the most stressed workers. I used the google number, which was only for civilized clients, and kept the app silent and shared only if necessary. I do believe is not fair for us as interns to take work at home, especially if we are not economically rewarded. We already have a lot on our plate 🙂
Feb 15, 2023 @ 22:27:41
My concerns about burnout is not being able to practice self-care consistently that can help me reduce stress. In my experience so far, I found myself experiencing burnout after my practicum. I felt very stressed and found pushing the ones closest to me after getting home. I found that I was not engaging in my coping skills consistently and found myself not having energy for an internship. I found myself overwhelmed with internship, school, work, and relationships that it reduced my time to practice coping skills. I also found that I tended to take my clients outburst personally which influenced my mood most of the time.
I find myself getting stressed when I cannot find time for my hobbies (playing video games or sleeping). I love to make plans and look forward to them and when there are no plans, I feel less motivated to engage in other activities. Lastly, some effective ways I deal with stress are journaling, coloring mandalas, and listening to music. I find that these are activities that i can do throughout the day and help reduce my stress.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 17:55:14
Hi Moises,
I definitely can relate to not bringing our internship home with us. I have felt my mood diminish after not being able to let out my stress and frustration at my internship. I am glad you are able to start planning for activities that promote self care in your life so you have something to motivate you throughout the week!
Feb 16, 2023 @ 10:54:26
Right now, I am aware that I don’t do a great job with self-care. Although I prioritize it whenever possible and constantly have it on my mind, my current schedule just does not leave much room for self care. Since the start of the semester I wake up at 7:00 AM and work until 10:00 PM, only taking breaks for meals. I know that this isn’t sustainable, but also am in a position where I can’t afford to reduce my work hours, my internship hours, or my class and homework hours. Because nothing can budge right now, I am definitely in a state of just trying to power through until the end. However, I already can tell what a significant impact that has on me physically and mentally. So far, I’ve been lucky that while sitting with clients, I almost never feel burnout, and instead get my most energy and fulfilment when I’m doing clinical work. The burnout starts as soon as my internship day is over though, with headaches every time I’m leaving my internship, little energy, brain fog, exhaustion, constantly getting sick, and having less time and empathy for people in my personal life. On one hand, I think that once I am able to have only 40 hours of work a week, I will have substantially more time for rest and self-care. On the other hand, I know my tendency to always put more on my plate, and worry that I will keep adding additional responsibilities once this program is over.
Having worked in a residential program for 3 years, I (un)luckily, was exposed to a lot of serious trauma histories. The advantage to this is that I’ve had a long time to adjust and get used to hearing heavy personal stories from clients, and have developed tools to cope with this already. So far my biggest concern with burnout related to clients is those clients who are severely depressed. Working with someone with no motivation and hope can be really difficult for me. Although I do everything I can to instill hope and build motivation with those clients, I feel the most burnt out when I pick up on the lack of hope from clients.
Feb 18, 2023 @ 21:38:08
Hi Christina –
I can completely understand how it can be challenging to find time for self care with such a busy schedule. It definitely makes it harder to really make sure you’re regularly fitting it in. Even doing little things at home at the end of a long day can make all the difference.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 11:41:41
My main concern for self-care/burnout is that I am already experiencing a high degree of burnout that is hitting me really hard at the moment. It has become increasingly difficult to balance all of my responsibilities, and because of how busy I am, I essentially live out of my car. Right now, my focus on self-care has been very small, basic, every day tasks, like making sure I eat during the day – which I have not been doing well with because I don’t even have time to go to the grocery story half the days between working two jobs, internship, and classes. Like many of us, I know that there is no room in my current schedule for flexibility or to “let go” of one of my responsibilities. I always used to think that the classic image of a “struggling graduate student” was merely hyperbolic, but I now understand how incredibly true that is. I know (or hope) that once graduation comes and I have some more room in my schedule, I probably won’t be feeling as burnout as I currently am.
I am thankful, however, that none of my clients are adding to my burnout levels or stress – although I have been scheduling consultations outside of my working hours because that’s the only time I have. Right now, the main things that are causing me stress revolve around my personal life including finances, sleeping, and household chores/ADLs (and as previously mentioned, it’s not for lack of trying but lack of time in the day). My most effective form of self-care is going to the gym. It helps being a personal trainer/group exercise instructor because some days my self-care and work go hand-in-hand. But let me tell you, there is no better feeling than lifting heavy weights to some good old heavy metal or “gangster rap”. However, with how crazy my schedule has been it makes getting to the gym difficult sometimes. Some days, my self-care is as simple as putting my phone on do not disturb and taking some time to watch anime without any distractions. Similarly, it helps that the warm weather is coming back, so I can begin to ground myself in nature again (which is extremely important for me). PLUS golf season is right around the corner, and as frustrating of a sport it is, it is highly meditative for me.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 13:58:59
Hi Francesca,
Just sharing with you that I found myself in a similar situation back summer. I was trying to get done the day. And I was extremely tired. One of the strategies I found was to take at least two fifteen minutes breaks during the day to stretch, walk out of the site, or take a lunch away from the Unit/Hospital. I think is a matter of finding a moment during the day and probably using any CBT/behavioral technique to make it happen! I have been thinking about going back to the gym after finishing my master’s. Your experience sounds great!!
Feb 16, 2023 @ 12:17:45
Much like everyone else, it has been difficult trying to balance school, internship, work, my own physical and mental health, and social relationships. I have definitely struggled with working all day then coming to my internship and having back to back clients, which can be exhausting. However, I do try to prioritize self-care as I know how important it is, especially in battling burnout. I have been trying to exercise regularly, whether it’s going to the gym or just going for a walk to get moving. I also try to read every night before bed which has helped in reducing burnout. Sometimes I have found myself engaging too much self-care and not getting the work done that I need to which has also been a struggle at times. Finding the right balance between an appropriate amount of self-care and too much is something I need to continue to work on.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 17:11:15
Giana,
Much like you, the back-to-back session get my as well! I am glad you are prioritizing self-care, exercise and keeping the body moving is definitely a good way to do it. Reading is also a great way to relax and recharge.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 14:04:53
I have been pretty terrible at implementing self-care between school, internship, the oral exam, and work. However, pre-oral exam I was in the routine of mindfully planning self-care. Once we graduate, I am taking a month off to get married and a couple additional weeks as a reset before beginning a career. Typically, I am really good at making time for myself, whether it is hiking with mom dogs, making dinner with a friend, or reading. I think where I end up struggling and face burnout is when I take on a lot of responsibility at once. This is something I’ve been actively working on by setting and maintaining boundaries.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 17:11:37
Lindsay,
Self-care has definitely taken a hit for me too with how busy I’ve been. I am hoping that once we are done with school and having assignments due every week, it’ll be much easier to keep up with. Hiking with mom and dogs sounds like a great way to engage in self-care!
Feb 16, 2023 @ 14:12:40
At the Spectrum internship, one thing that stresses me out is the Avatar system, multiple assessments, and care plans. It is challenging for me to keep up with all the assessments; MQATS, TAP, Treatment plan, Risk Assessment, and Safety plan, and then notes for every session. There is much redundancy, and they asked the same questions several times. At least on my site, they look closely into productivity and your weekly clinical compliance report. For this problem, I just pumped the breaks and laid back and told myself that this was my internship and I was not a full-time worker. I asked my supervisor to work with weekly smart goals because the most important for me are exposure, clinical experience with patients, and the opportunity to implement CBT therapy.
On the other hand, there are some patients for whom I felt drained after the sessions, and I feel extremely tired. For those situations, I open the window to get some fresh air even if it is cold, ensure that my office has sunlight, and use the vaporizer air freshener. If I know that it is a difficult patient or recently consumed cocaine and may still be under the effect, I want to support him with referrals for inpatient/detox. Then I use the conference room. And if the patient escalates, I do politely finish conversations. I do not allow patients to scream, yell, or swear at me or the program.
In previous work experiences, I had to manage a lot of stress and worries and unfortunately, everything went to my back. Then if that happens, I have muscle spasms and a lot of pain. Hence, I learned to regulate my stress and take care of myself. For Spectrum, I brought a yoga mat, a foam roller deep tissue massager, a therapeutic chair, and a lift desk. I work most of the time standing, and I stand with my patients if I need it. At noon, I always do 15 minutes of stretching and use the roller massager on my back. Also, while doing the care plans (which are annoying for me), I do belly breathing. These are some strategies that I currently use while I am at the site.
Feb 17, 2023 @ 23:54:04
Hello Lina,
I agree with most of the points in your post. I work at Merrick st and it is stressful and challenging to keep up with all the assessments as well. Yes! They are so repetitive that it does not apply to the client treatment. I found your self-care strategies for your office helpful. I will definitely start incorporating more in my office that can help me distress after a tough session.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 15:54:35
There may come a time in my career when I am more concerned with obtaining the correct number of hours and not being able to effectively work with my clients. I may schedule more than necessary to maintain the correct number of hours for licensure, while burning myself out by overscheduling. Currently, I have to schedule more client appointments than necessary because I have a handful of clients that either cancel or no show. I am worried for when they all come to their appointments, and I feel overwhelmed by the number of clients I need to meet with. When I feel stressed in these situations, I tend to take three deep breaths in between sessions and refocus on the client sitting before me. When I find a free moment to myself, I take a few minutes to do something pleasurable, whether that be checking my phone for updates, texting loved ones, or reading MLB articles. When I return home, I turn my work cellphone off so that I can separate my social life from my work life. My supervisor also asks me on a scale of 1-10, how is my current burnout. When it is higher than a 4, we spend time discussing what is contributing to it, how she can be of support to me, and what self-care routines I can do. We also talk about my current inspiration on a scale of 1-10 as well. I believe this is important because it means not only dwelling on the negative, but what is a current positive feature about my role as a clinician that motivates me to keep going. Working with clients can be both draining and rewarding, and I know that I will face many days on both ends of the spectrum. Regardless of what type of day it is, I will continue to utilize self-care and make it a priority in my career.
Feb 18, 2023 @ 21:43:43
Hi Tim –
I love that you’re finding the time throughout the day to do little things for yourself. Having to balance the week while anticipating no shows is challenging and I can understand how things like over-scheduling are quick to happen. Keep leaving time for yourself too!
Feb 16, 2023 @ 17:11:58
The type of things that stress me out is seeing clients back-to-back with little time for breaks in between to reset, working with high-risk clients, and having too many things that I need to follow up on. There have been many times on my longer days during my internship where I start to feel burned out when I see 5 clients all one after another and it because difficult when I don’t take at least 10 minutes to clear my head, reset, and prepare for the next session. I also think that high-risk clients can be stressful because I end up worrying about them throughout my day and spend my days thinking about them and how to follow up with them in the next session. Having too many follow up items can also be exhausting because you don’t always get around to everything you want to complete, make all the phone calls you need to make, and the emails and documentation starts to pile on.
I think I have some good ways to deal wit the stress but definitely not perfect. I like to stay active and get some exercise to release some of the tension from all the stress. And then also spend time with loved ones/friends and do things that are relaxing in order to recharge. One thing that helps me feel less stressed is having a routine and getting up early to get everything done, and that’s been difficult lately between classes and the internship, but I think once I am only working, I will do a better job with that.
Feb 16, 2023 @ 17:50:00
Hi Pawel,
I definitely understand feeling more stressed out for overscheduling clients. I have had instances where I have met with 5 clients in a row and while I am proud of meeting their needs, I feel very burnt out afterwards. I am glad you are able to utilize self-care and stay active with your exercise!