Ashley Rockwood by Ashley Rockwood

Take Away

arockwood2 — 2023-10-25 19:09:58 UTC

Last year, I had a personal experience with burnout and compassion fatigue and was unable to finish the last month of the school year. During the time, I had no idea what I was experiencing or how I even got there; all I knew was that I was a school counselor attempting to help students when I couldn't even help myself.

Nonetheless, the key takeaway for me is the professional quality of life scale. This is something that I think is important to do with myself at least twice a year. Had I taken something like this sooner, I would have probably made significant changes to my life before experiencing the burnout that I did.

Personal Self-Care Strategies

arockwood2 — 2023-10-26 13:39:28 UTC

Self-care strategies that I love are being outside in nature and practicing yoga. Taking walks with the dogs, going on hikes, or connecting with nature in any way are grounding strategies that calm my system. Practicing yoga, either in my personal space or with a community help me to get out of my head and into my body.

To ensure that I am taking care of myself in the helping profession, I can continue to create space for myself every day so that I am able to attune to what my own needs are and how to make space for them.

Importance of Self-Care in the Helping Profession

arockwood2 — 2023-10-26 13:40:09 UTC

Because helping professionals, such as counselors, spend so much time meeting the needs of others, they often forget to take care of their own needs. Counselors are inundated with the stress of their clients and continuously working to hold space for them leaving the counselor fatigued.

In the counseling profession, self-care entails setting boundaries and taking care of your own needs first so that you are able to help your clients meet their needs.

Self-Care

arockwood2 — 2023-10-30 03:07:58 UTC