THE IMPORTANCE OF A SELF-CARE PLAN

In a profession that seeks to improve the self-efficacy and health of others, it is vital that counselors have their own self-care plan that encompasses their self-help strategies. As there is no one-size-fits-all plan, self-care refers to the activities and practices that are engaged in on a regular basis to maintain and enhance a person’s health and well-being. Everyone encounters bumps in the road of life or downward swings of the roller coaster. As these stressful events can lead to physical, emotional, and mental stress, a self-care plan is vital, especially in the realm of counseling.

Because we all have our own unique life history and face different circumstances, stressors, and challenges, all of us will need to develop our own self-care plan. However, “despite the uniqueness of our individual self-care needs, there are objectives common to almost all such plans: taking care of physical health, managing and reducing stress, honoring emotional and spiritual needs, nurturing relationships, and finding balance in school and work life” (http://www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/developing-maintenance-plan). I have outlined my self-care plan below:

Physical Health

• Participate in a recreational basketball league
• Attend Zumba classes 3 times each week
• Although I often struggle, I strive to make healthy food choices

Managing and Reducing Stress

• Cardiovascular exercise
• Hiking/walking trails
• Listening to relaxing music
• Using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation
• Striving to not procrastinate
• Be organized to reduce anxiety

Emotional and Spiritual Needs

• Attending church and Bible study on a regular basis
• Praying
• Bible reading
• Not dwelling on past mistakes
• Not dwelling on issues related to previous relationships
• Realizing it is okay to cry (as this is the body’s way of releasing stress)

Nurturing Relationships

• Taking time to spend with friends, family to maintain trust and comfort
• Seeking to establish positive relationships with my students
• Striving to form meaningful, professional relationships with coworkers
• Spending time to talk to Christ to maintain the most important relationship I have.

Finding balance in work, school and life

• Although often difficult, I strive to not take work-related stress home
• Striving to be organized and prepared so I do not have to spend a lot of time working or doing homework at home
• Forming positive relationships with students, classmates, and professors so I can easily ask for assistance when needed. (This will relieve stress related to work and school.)

SELF CARE RESOURCES

Burnout and Self-Care

When we fail to identify the early warning signs of burnout, the effects can be seen in many areas of our lives. The agencies where we work and the clients we serve are also impacted greatly by our lack of self-care.

Effects of Burnout on the Client:

• Decreased quantity and quality of services
• Devaluation of the counselor who does not meet the client’s needs
• A sense of frustration with the field of human services

Contributors to Burnout: Personality Factors

• Enter the field highly motivated with high expectations
• Rigid beliefs (Inflexible, Unable to adapt to change)
• Irrational beliefs (Perfectionism, personalization)
• Self-doubt
• Vicarious Trauma
  • Most trauma experienced by the therapist is vicarious
  • A natural consequence when one person relates their traumatic experiences
• Expressing genuine empathy is draining
• Therapeutic alliance leaves the therapist traumatized

Contributors to Burnout: Environmental/Occupational Factors

• Large caseloads
• Financial insecurity
• Role conflict
• Role ambiguity
• Lack of supervision

Contributors to Burnout: Client factors

• Suicidal statements
• Client expression of anger/hostility
• Lack of perceptible progress
• Manipulative behaviors
• Expression of apathy
• Severe pathology

THERAPEUTIC RULES

There are so many things to do and not do that we experience stress just trying to remember them. Some examples, taken from Jeffrey Kotler’s book On Being a Therapist:

Do NOT…

• Express personal opinions
• Take sides
• Be too passive
• Be too directive
• Let your attention wander
• Let your clients know how you really feel about them
• Have a vested interest in the direction the client chooses
• Ask closed questions
• Share too much of yourself
• Hide behind a personal mask

RECIPE FOR A RAGING CASE OF BURNOUT

• Work long hours, especially at night
• Don’t take breaks between clients
• Don’t use vacation time
• Personalize client decisions
• Judge yourself by your clients’ reactions
• Stop attending workshops
• Stop paying attention to your own recovery or personal issues

IMPACT OF STRESS

• Stress hormones are intended to help us in a physical crisis
• Not intended to be prolonged, but modern human lifestyles create chronic release of stress hormones
• Leads to increased blood pressure, higher rates of depression, storage of fat in the midsection, destruction of brain cells
• Need to shift our values: instead of praising the multi-tasker who works 12-hour days, what if we recognized the person who took breaks and used vacation time?

Benefits of Self-Care

• If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will
• Stay healthy / fewer illnesses
• Able to function at a high level
• Longevity in the field
• Balance in all areas of functioning
• Greater enjoyment from work and personal life

Self-Care Strategies: Personal

• Maintain a personal life
• Rest and Play
• Attend to your physical health
• Use personal psychotherapy
• Identify healing activities
• Find and use humor
• Tend to spiritual needs

Self-Care Strategies: Professional

• Arrange for supervision
• Continued education and training
• Find an evidence-based approach you are comfortable with
• Develop professional connections
• Develop a balanced work-life
• Involve yourself in different work projects
• Keep work at work

Self-Care Strategies: Organizational

• Attend to your physical setting
• Arrange for adequate resources
• Create an atmosphere of respect
• Develop relationships with community resources

In Conclusion

• Draw energy from your successes
• It’s serious work, but don’t take it too seriously
• Be mindful of your emotional and physical well-being
• Although stress is a part of the job, there are strategies to manage it
• Remember the clients who make it worthwhile