Self-Care Plan by Myriam Barrera-Osuna

Professional Take Away

mbarrera51 — 2023-10-28 20:41:50 UTC

After reviewing the resources provided to us, I kept on thinking about airplanes. I remembered specifically the instructions they give in case of an emergency; "put on your oxygen mask before helping others." Reflecting on this information made me realize that the profession of a school counselor is often seen as one where counselors are there to serve and help others, and this is true. Still, it is important to know and understand that as humans, school counselors must also be aware of their mental health and have a plan to prevent burnout or emotional fatigue. This will help school counselors maintain good mental health to provide the best services possible to the students.

Importance of Self-Care

mbarrera51 — 2023-10-28 20:42:02 UTC

School counselors help students plan their educational careers and aspirations, but they also assist with mental health and emotional crises. Students are very perceptive and observative; as advocates for mental health, it would be very contradicting if a counselor preached about self-care and mental health if they were not taking care of themselves. It is also difficult to promote something that you are not familiar with; therefore, counselors must practice self-care to become examples for their students.

Personal Self-Care Strategies

mbarrera51 — 2023-10-28 20:42:14 UTC

Self-care is very important to me. As a future school counselor, I try to embody caring for myself and others. Some of the strategies that I currently use for self-care are therapy sessions and taking the time to do things that I love, like reading. I have a therapy session with an ASU counselor every 2-3 weeks and it helps to organize my feelings and pinpoint the origin of my bad habits. One thing that has resulted from my sessions is the understanding that taking care of yourself or doing things you love is not something you should feel guilty about because it is important to enjoy what you are doing as well.

Taking time to Myself

mbarrera51 — 2023-10-28 20:42:32 UTC

mbarrera51 — 2023-10-29 18:13:36 UTC