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My most profound take away from reviewing resources on burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma is the fact that this topic is so necessary that it even exists within codes of ethics. It makes sense that people who are burnt out cannot help others, but what really struck me was that this is so important in the helping professions that it is included in official documentation.

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Importance of Self Care in Helping Professions

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Importance of Self Care in Helping Professions

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To me, self-care is vital in helping professions because people drawn to these fields naturally help, listen and empathize and could potentially “put themselves in others shoes” to their own detriment. At my school, in February, we had an extraordinary number of crises. As I worked with and around various students going through these situations, for the first time, I personally experienced feelings that could have moved me into an overwhelmed state of mind.

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My personal self-care strategies include the following, purposeful diet and exercise, adequate sleep, discussing my feelings and student cases with other counselors and prayer. While I may not be able to go to the gym all the time, I do have a healthy well-balanced diet that includes zero junk food. This helps me feel good about my physical appearance and performance. I also walk or bike to work often. I sleep at least seven to eight hours per night. My peers (I have three other counselors) are great at listening and helping me with all I have going on personally and professionally. I also pray for peace and guidance as a navigate marriage, raising a family, my internship and graduate school.