Self-Care: It's Still and Will Always Be Important

I have learned so much about self-care and how it is a necessity if counselors are to be, and stay successful in the field. Personally, I went into the field of counseling because I enjoy helping people, especially children and adolescents. I have learned that in order to help my students the best that I can, I must first help myself. This means taking time out of my busy schedule to make time for me.

Taking this time has been liberating, frustrating and sometimes extremely hard. One of my self-care activities is reading a book for fun every night before I go to bed. Often times, instead of concentrating and enjoying my book, I find myself drifting away and thinking about what I could be doing related to school or my internship site. When this happens, I get angry with myself and then the time I am taking for self-care is not really self-care at all.

On the flip side, I do know that if I continue to schedule this time for me it will get easier. Practice makes perfect, right? I have no doubt that self-care does and will continue to be a part of my life. Not only am I doing it for myself, I am doing it for my students as well.

This week I am (along with many others in the program) attending the Wisconsin School Counseling Association (WSCA) Conference in Madison. Not only is this a great way to meet and make connections with school counselors from all over the state, it is a way to get away from the daily grind and take some time for yourself and your professional development. There are sectionals all day Wednesday and Thursday which range from how to use data in the schools, to ways to implement mindfulness in guidance curriculum. If you have not gone yet, plan to next year!

I have attached a link to this years sectionals if you would like an idea about what is presented at WSCA. 

2016 Conference Sectionals

Again, it is so important to take time for yourself. Reading for fun and attending WSCA are a few ways that I practice self-care. What are yours? Feel free to post below some of the ways you take care of yourself!



Happy Monday!

Amanda