# data[].attributes.body
I am going to start a self-care routine by including one nourishing practice into my life each day, and making sure that it is a priority. I am going to have a list of rejuvenating activities to pick from, and do one each day depending on what feels best. The list will include reading, going for a nature walk, self-reiki, and journaling. I wanted to make sure that the list includes activities that are easy to do, and were varied enough to nourish my emotional, mental, and physical parts of myself.

# data[].attributes.body
The biggest takeaway for me is learning the symptoms of burnout and that it can be caused by many different means. The condition of burnout is caused by prolonged and excessive stress which leads to emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. The symptoms include troublefocusing, nervousness, absenteeism, restlessness, reduced productivity, and sleep disturbances (Penn State Health Children's Hospital, 2023).

I have felt many of these symptoms in the past few weeks, which is also an eye-opener for me. I always thought that burnout was caused by being “overworked,” but it can have many different causes, and often has many factors. Some of the causes of burnout that were impactful to me were, “deficiency in self-care practices,” “lack of supervision,” and “physical, mental, emotional & spiritual exhaustion (Ausloos, Salpietro, Jacoby, & Clark, Year).” This has made me realize the importance of implimenting a self-care strategy for my health.

References:

Ausloos, C., Salpietro, L., Jacoby, R., & Clark, M. (Year). Feeling the Sizzle: What To Do When Experiencing Burnout - Alternative Formats.

Penn State Health Children's Hospital. (2023). Prevention & Self-Care. ProWellness. https://prowellness.childrens.pennstatehealth.org/school/mental-wellness/prevention-self-care/

# data[].attributes.body
I have discovered that self-care is critical for those who are in the helping professions. In schools, counselors are often the first ones to address and help a student in crisis. They are the ones that are turned to for support, and are often asked to place the needs of students and the school above their own (Schlund & Fitzgerald, 2021). That is why it is crucial for those in professions like this to practice self-care, because helping positions are more vulnerable to compassion fatigue and taking on secondary trauma (Schlund & Fitzgerald, 2021).

Refrences:

Schlund, J., & Fitzgerald, A. (2021, January 28). Who Helps the Helpers? SEL for School Counselors’ Mental Health. ASCD Blog. URL: https://www.ascd.org/blogs/who-helps-the-helpers-social-emotional-learning-for-school-counselors-mental-health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Reiki Evolution | Learn Original Japanese Reiki for Peace & Inner Calm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to do a Reiki Self-Treatment (Part V) | Reiki Evolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How were you taught to Self-Treat? Most people who are taught Reiki will have been taught some form of self-treatment, a way of focusing the energy on yourself, for your own benefit, and the most common form of self-treatment is what I would refer to as a “Standard Western hands-on” self-treatment m…