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.
Figure 28.1: Aspects of Self-Care
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” (www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/st...intenance-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
Below are some links to valuable resources that can be used for one’s own self-care plan and for helping others develop their own self-care strategies.
Tips and steps to get started: www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/developing-maintenance-plan.asp
Lifestyle behavior assessment to see what strategies are needed: www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/documents/plan/Lifestyle_Behaviors.pdf
Maintenance and self-care worksheet www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/documents/plan/My_Maintenance_Self-Care_Worksheet.pdf
Developing emergency self-care plan www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/developing-emergency-plan.asp
Self-care plan questionnaire www.cpt.org/files/PP%20-%20Self-Care%20Plan.pdf
Burnout and Self-Care
Definition of Burnout: “The process of physical and emotional depletion resulting from conditions at work or, more concisely…prolonged job stress” (Osborn, 2004).
Professional burnout can be understood as both a syndrome and a process. There are degrees of burnout that can affect us over time, and this occurs on a continuum. Burnout can also describe a state where a professional has become impaired and can no longer function effectively.
The dimensions can include exhaustion, feelings of incompetence, an unhealthy work environment, devaluing the client, and deterioration of personal life. Below are symptoms of burnout in various categories.
Symptoms of Burnout: Physiological
Sleep disturbance
Headache
Back pain
Weight Change
GI issues
Prone to illness
Fatigue
Symptoms of Burnout: Cognitive
Poor concentration
Increased irritability
Boredom
Lack of pleasure
Restlessness
Increased anxiety
Symptoms of Burnout: Behavioral
Poor frustration tolerance
Irritability
Indecisiveness
Procrastination
Absenteeism
Decreased quality of work
Isolation from co-workers
Increased substance abuse
Key Takeaways
Burnout has the potential to affect all helping professionals.
Burnout is both a syndrome and a process
There are symptoms of burnout that can affect us physiologically, cognitively, and behaviorally
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 Individual
Decrease in physical health
Loss of sleep, weight gain, weight loss, more prone to illness
Increase in negative behaviors
Irritability
Apathy
Family/Friends Consequences
Alienation from loved ones
Effects of Burnout on the Organization:
Lost productivity
Negative work environment
Counselors who are not invested in their work
Dissatisfied clients
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)
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?
WHY DO WE DO IT?
Each individual has different motivations driving a desire to work in the helping field. It’s important to occasionally pause and reflect on why you entered the field and why you continue doing it. Some possible reasons include:
Altruism
Personal growth
Intimacy
Reflection
Legacy
Power
Creativity
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
