Handling Stress

Hi Friends,

After the work week I've had, I find myself thinking a lot about the stressful aspects of our jobs. Sure, working with these kiddos can be a whole lot of fun and amazingly rewarding, but we all have days where we get overwhelmed and are reaching for strategies to help us cope. I personally had a very draining day yesterday and frankly, an exhausting week overall at work. I am thankful that at the end of the day, I love the core of my job... because if I didn't then this week would have been much harder.

 

I find my most stressful times involve intense IEP meetings and piles of paperwork. The kiddos themselves are rarely the thing that stresses me out. So after an intense week of IEPs, assessments and paperwork, I'm looking back and sharing the functional and not-so-functional ways I coped with my stress.

 

1) Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" Memes always seem to make me giggle and I instantly feel a little better. Wine helps too.

 

 

2) A run outside with my happy pup really helps me put things into perspective and appreciate all the good things.

 

 

3) I sometimes cope with stress by being sassy. Yep, that's the not-so-functional way to cope. It doesn't really solve anything but it makes me feel a little better sometimes, honestly. :)

 

 

4) A night with girlfriends  is also a great cure for a stressful work week. Especially if some of those girlfriends happen to be SLPs. I'll be doing that tomorrow night, actually.

 

 

5) I lean on my husband. Even when he is stressed out with his own stuff, he makes time for mine. Even if he just lets me vent and says nothing back, it's nice to cuddle up next to him and feel heard.

 

 

6) I pray about it. I pray for patience, I pray that I can take something positive from a stressful experience. I have to admit that this isn't usually my first line of defense when I'm stressed, but it should be.

 

 

 

What are the most stressful aspects of your job as a special education teacher, general education teacher, OT or SLP? How do you cope with stress?