I need to talk to you about something that we often forget but is incredibly important – self-care for school counselors. (Yes, it’s a little bit different than self-care for teachers or even the self-care we help our students implement.)

You know those days when you’re juggling a hundred different tasks, running from one meeting to another, and your to-do list seems never-ending? 

“Yes, Jessica… every day is like that!” 

I’m sure you can relate to that feeling of being stretched thin, where the demands of our job as school counselors take over our lives. 

Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way that neglecting self-care is not an option. It can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and can spill over into our personal lives.

Practical Self-Care for School Counselors

You already know your work as a school counselor is important, but we can only be effective when we care for ourselves. Remember, we need to put our proverbial oxygen masks on first before we can help anyone else. 

Burnout absolutely affects us and ripples into the support we provide our students, even if we don’t realize it immediately. (Nodding your head? It’s ok! You’re in the right place for self-care strategies you can actually implement this week, written specifically for school counselors!)

Let’s break self-care for school counselors down into simple steps you can take action on this week.

Add Mindfulness and Meditation to Your Daily Counseling Routine:

As a school counselor, you already know the importance of both mindfulness and meditation for your students. But, let’s be honest… it’s hard to remember to take a moment for ourselves in an otherwise hectic day.

1. Create a quiet and peaceful space for your practice. You’ll want a quiet space both at home and in your office where you can set aside time to take a moment for yourself. This is your excuse to bring in a warm, fuzzy blanket from home and a comfy pillow for your chair. Add in a scent that brings you peace, like an oil diffuser (if allowed), or even your favorite hand cream.
2. Set aside time daily for mindfulness. Allow yourself to retreat to your cozy spot to meditate, or simply bring your awareness forward so you can be fully present in the moment. Your mindfulness practice or meditation could be as short as a few minutes in between counseling sessions. 
3. Explore mindfulness apps or online resources that resonate with you. If you’ve had a really tough day, you’ll definitely be tempted to check your e-mail or scroll on your phone in between sessions instead of taking a moment for meditation. This is the perfect time to pull up your favorite meditation app or YouTube video. Let a calming voice guide you through your meditation, making it easier to build these breaks into your daily routine. I like using the apps Calm and Headspace!

Set up Your Systems:

Yes, self-care for school counselors means being more organized. Organizational systems and routines provide containers for our thoughts, tasks, and ideas, so we can spend less time on administrative tasks and more time focused on our students… and ourselves.

1. Set up a system for your counseling paperwork. There’s nothing worse than a looming stack of papers you’ve been avoiding for weeks… or even months. Develop a system to file papers quickly and efficiently. Even better, embrace digital tools! I use Google Drive and would love to get my team on the bandwagon with using Asana. Keep your most important documents in an easy-to-find spot and set up a communication system that works for you.
2. Get a routine in place to help set boundaries around your time. As you know, our work as counselors is never done, and it’s easy to bring work home (physically and mentally!). To avoid blurring the lines between work and home life, set a “shut down” routine to help yourself mentally check out when the day is done. This could be as simple as jotting down the tasks you didn’t get to finish today, straightening your desk and chair, and shutting all the tabs on your computer. You will leave things undone, and that’s ok. But this mini-routine helps us set the work/life boundary with physical actions.

If you’re looking for more support with organization and time management systems that are specific to our role as counselors, check out my Organize & Maximize program, designed specifically for school counselors. 

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with paperwork and task management in our role, which contributes to burnout and keeps us from staying in our zone of genius… working with our students!

Inside the Organize & Maximize program, you’ll learn how to:

• Allocate more time to meaningful counseling interactions with students rather than getting bogged down by administrative tasks
• Develop efficient and effective strategies to organize and manage your school counseling program
• Develop an increase in job satisfaction by putting some of the daunting tasks on auto-pilot

This experience is a game-changer when it comes to being able to manage your time, create streamlined counseling systems, and provide impactful support to your students. 

You could keep trying to figure this out day-by-day, paperwork pile by paperwork pile, or you could join us inside and develop a system for your counseling program that you can use this year and every year after that! 

Check in with Your Physical Well-Being:

Our days are a whirlwind of meetings, counseling sessions, and paperwork. But trust me on this, taking care of your body is just as important as caring for those amazing kiddos. 

1. Schedule regular exercise into your week. Whether it’s a brisk walk, a workout routine, or even some quick stretches between sessions… getting up and moving will help. I promise!
2. Keep snacks handy. No one wants a hangry counselor, am I right? Do yourself a favor and keep your desk drawers filled with protein-packed snacks to keep you full for as long as possible.
3. Don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Your energy levels and resilience skyrocket when you’re well-rested. If you’re a late-night scroller, try setting time limits on your phone. Take 2 minutes and set a reminder to turn off your phone at a certain time each night.

We do plenty of running around to put out fires, but it’s more than just movement. It’s about being intentional with the way we’re caring for ourselves.

Connect with Your School Counselor Peers:

Let’s face it. Counseling can be a little lonely. Sometimes you’re the only counselor in the school, or you have a small team you see only in passing between sessions. 

You may have to look outside your school to find your community, but you will find it! Being surrounded by like-minded peers enhances our effectiveness and helps us feel connected and supported in our careers. 

1. Look into counseling organizations or support groups to find a community that understands the unique challenges we face as school counselors. This is one of the main reasons I started this blog, to bring together the support and conversation school counselors need to stay fulfilled in their careers.
2. Attend counseling-specific professional development trainings. While some school-wide PD can feel entirely irrelevant to our goals as school counselors, finding a PD that covers the unique supports we need can be a refreshing change of pace!

Tell Me More about O&M:

When you join the Organize & Maximize course, you’ll get PD created especially to help school counselors thrive in their careers, and you’ll get access to a global community of your peers who are on this journey together! It’s a win/win.

Inside Organize & Maximize, you’ll learn the strategies you need to streamline your counseling program, so you can simplify your day as a school counselor. When you have these systems in place, you’ll have more time in your day to support your students and more space to sit back and take a few moments for yourself

It’s important to have a toolbox of specific strategies that support self-care for school counselors and the unique role we play. You need something to lean on, even on the toughest days.

Which one of these strategies will you try in your counseling practice this week? Let us know in the comments below.

Remember, you’re not alone on this journey, and together, we can thrive in our counseling careers because we’re maintaining our well-being!