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Career Stress

Positivity Works: Stepping Out of Negativity

October 11, 2017

In my third year of my school counseling career, a student asked me “What’s wrong with you Mrs. Atkins? You used to smile.” Wow, out of the mouths of babes, right? The daily grind of our work can start to grind down the positivity that brought us into this helping career in the first place. I know that not only had my attitude suffered but so did my relationships with students. Read More »

Career Stress

6 Surefire Ways to Say No to Non-Counseling Duties

September 25, 2017
6 sure fire ways to say no to non-counseling duties

 

As counselors, we are driven by nature to help, nurture, and solve problems. Therefore, most of us don’t like to say no to any request. This creates a problem because there are only so many hours in the day and we have more than enough counseling duties of our own to fill those hours. So, obviously there is no extra time for non-counseling duties. Below are several tips to strengthen your “saying no” skills in the most pleasant and professional manner possible.

 

How to Stay in Your Lane

Many of us have ratios or class sizes that far exceed what is recommended in the number of students we can effectively serve. As a result, we are always busy- planning for students, working with students, and following up with families. Therefore, saying no to excessive duties outside of our job role is a really important skill for all counselors to utilize. Below are six of the most effective ways to deflect those non-counseling duties.

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Advocacy, Career Stress

Self-Care for School Counselors: How To Prioritize Your Day

September 18, 2017
School Counselor Self-Care

It is no secret that school counselors wear A LOT of hats throughout the school year. We are stretched in many different directions and can be left feeling “spent” by the end of each day. Self-care for school counselors can be a challenge. Although counselors are great at encouraging others to practice self-care, it can be difficult to put it into practice in our own lives. When we take the time to rest, recharge, and practice self-care, we become more effective at helping others.  Read More »

Career Stress

Conversations: What Do You Do for Self-Care?

August 25, 2017

One of the perks and necessities of our job is having a break during the summer to reset and get ready for another year. We have the space to reflect, enjoy some daylight, and drink coffee for pleasure rather than survival.

Check out some great ideas for self-care from Gretchen from Speckled Moose Counseling, Laurie from School Counseling Files, and Jodi from The School Counselor Is In. Read More »

Career Stress

The Importance of Self-Care

May 8, 2017
Self Care for School Counselors

Do you practice regular self-care? Many counselors preach self-care to others but often fail to follow their own advice. According to the American Counseling Association, the term 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.” When counselors don’t practice regular self-care, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with stress and eventually burnout. This is why it’s important to have a self-care plan in place.

Our lives can get hectic at times with deadlines, meetings, and unforeseen crises. We become obsessed with crossing off tasks on our to-do lists and lose sight of everything else. When we feel overwhelmed, self-care is usually the first thing to go out the window. Somehow taking time out to tend to our needs becomes a luxury and we feel guilty even thinking about taking time out for ourselves. Read More »

Career Stress, School Culture

Fill Your Cup: Self Care for Real Life

November 27, 2016

Self Care

From Rebecca at Counselor Up

Here’s what I’ve learned- every body is stressed. No matter what your job, your hours, or your home life, there are stressors. Call it the new way of life or whatever. When you read stories about self-care, you often see things about making time for yourself, exercising, having a massage, or slowing down. As a member of a profession where you can’t phone it in on a bad day and where you are going all. the. time. Who has time for that?

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Career Stress