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I love to take pictures for my friends and edit them as a hobby.

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Puzzles distract me from "heavy" thinking and allow me to unplug.

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I treat myself to a blowout (hair wash, dry, and style) once a week. I always leave feeling pampered and refreshed!

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I recently bought this fun outdoor rocker so I can be extra comfortable while I get some fresh air. I can't wait to read outdoors in the beautiful weather!

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We can't solve other people's problems, but we can empower them to manage their problems. 

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We can't solve other people's problems, but we can empower them to manage their problems. 

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Many of us are helpers by nature. But rather than solving problems ourselves, we should empower others to find their own solutions with our guidance and coaching.

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One way to take care of ourselves as counselors is to set healthy boundaries. For example, I have my work email on my phone, but I only respond during evenings or weekends if it is an emergency or time sensitive.

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At the beginning of each week, I go over my professional and personal calendar. I identify my "must do's" for the week, as well as my "want to do's". Those take priority on my calendar. There are other things that I "might do," but my "musts" and "want to's" take priority.

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I have a close group of friends and colleagues that I can trust with anything. I make sure to openly communicate when I am struggling in any way so that they can support me. My system includes, but is not limited to, my administration team, my counseling mentor, and my best friend. While I have amazing people outside of this group, this core group are essential to my self-care needs.

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I cannot function without fueling my body correctly. This includes eating healthy foods on a regular schedule throughout the day so my blood sugar doesn't spike or drop. I also prioritize sleep- I know the minimum amount of sleep I need to be able to function, and I stick to that routine on work nights.

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Am I fostering independence or dependence?

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Am I fostering independence or dependence?

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Our goal as counselors should be to teach our clients strategies they can use independently, rather than becoming dependent on others to solve their problems.

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Many concepts were discussed in our resources- burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress. While each one has a unique definition, they can all be described as feeling like "TOO MUCH." As counselors, we must make sure to meet our personal needs first so that we can meet the needs of our clients. If we are not at our best and meeting our own needs, our clients will become the victims of our side effects. We owe it to ourselves, our clients, our family, and our friends to take care of ourselves too.