Self-Care for Therapists: 6 Essential Strategies to Avoid Burnout

When was the last time you took a day off for yourself? How often do you prioritize taking care of yourself?  

Do you feel guilty while caring about yourself?  

If the answers to the above questions are what I think they are, don’t  worry!

You are not alone.  

According to the American Psychological Association, Burnout is a significant concern for therapists. Their surveys show that therapists report burnout and stress and this is more prevalent in early and mid career therapists as compared to senior psychologists.

What puts Therapists at risk?  

Working as a therapist is an extremely fulfilling job. Helping that client navigate his anxiety or supporting a client going through a bitter breakup, it feels great! 

However, our job as a therapist also puts as at the edge due to the highly demanding and emotionally charged nature of our job. We can feel exhausted and can also feel compassion fatigue, which is defined as stress experienced after dealing with emotionally traumatized clients.   

Here are some tips to introduce self-care for all the therapists!  

1. Taking regular breaks: If you ask me, scheduling breaks in  between sessions and throughout the day help me process  information better and prepare myself for the remaining sessions during the day. Not only that, it helps me cater to other tasks with  intention and clarity.  

2. Taking care of our physical health: My day is incomplete without a workout. While I did struggle with incorporating exercise into my  routine and I know that you might too, once I scheduled time for it,  there has been no looking back. Exercise helps release positive  hormones and makes us feel better. Not only is it good for our  mind, it is also good for our mind and overall health. There are  proven scientific benefits of regular exercise and it is suggested  that 30 minutes of exercise, 4-5 times a week is a good way to take  care of our health and wellness.  

3. Making time for hobbies:

I love to read and write (as you can see!)  Listening to music is an integral part of my day and sketching helps calm my nerves. I could go on and on… And hence, I would  highly recommend making time for the things you love to help integrate other things into your day. This helps soothe our nerves  and improves focus. It also helps boost our mood, which in turn,  helps us work better.  

4. Self-reflection: Introspect and improve so that you feel a sense of  growth and accomplishment. Take time to pause and reflect on  your life and make changes whenever necessary. Personally,  journaling helps a lot. It helps me ponder over the things that have  been bothering me and find my answers. You can try doing this  too!  

5. Spending time in nature- Spend some time outside. Don’t stay  glued to your screens all the time. Research has it that trees have a  positive impact on our mental health. They help us relax and stay  calm. Taking a walk outside even if for 10 minutes is proven to  help improve mental health. Not to forget, the many benefits it has  on physical health.  

6. Nurture your relationships. – Genuine connections satisfy the soul.  Make efforts! I don’t think much needs to be said here, you know  the people you thought about! 

Final thoughts  

I love my profession and I know you do too… But, I acknowledge  the many emotional challenges that come with it. Sometimes, feeling overwhelmed, anxious or stressed is very common. And no, this is not because we don’t feel for our clients or because we don’t want to help them, it is because we are human beings and need our share of self love and care too. There can be a wide variety of ways  through which you can practice self-care.

Things that make you  feel good about yourself and about the work that you do.  

So, let's take a moment to think of some other things that can be incorporated into our routines as self care practices and make a list  of them!  

And then, set intentions- mindful and genuine intentions to  integrate them into our daily routine.  

It will make a whole lot of difference- trust me!