Sometimes it feels silly or like a waste of time to make sure you are taking time for yourself. When I first became a school counselor I thought I had to prove myself by staying at work late and getting up early, working through lunch and on weekends. In fact, one year I ended up getting so sick that the doctor gave me two choices - stay in bed for a week, or keep pushing myself and be admitted to the hospital. I had to stop and think about what was more important - proving I was...

When you are in the mental health field, there are so many different types of stress that can deplete you and make work difficult. Take the time to understand what you are feeling and why. It may be the fuel you need to help you overcome the challenging moments. We found this article from The Play Therapist to be helpful.

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Self-care has to be a priority for school counselors. You are pulled in many directions and asked to do many different tasks, all while still caring for the social and emotional needs of the entire group -- students, parents, staff and administration. Pause. Take the time needed to make a self care plan. There are many different ways to create one that works for you, so here is a template to get you started.

Once you’ve determined your personal needs and strategy, write it down. Your self-care plan can be as simple...

“Self care isn’t a luxury. It is an ethical mandate.”

I like this article. It is direct and to the point. Plus, can we really argue with ASCA?

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