Leadership Letter: An Active Approach to Prevent Burnout

I am incredibly passionate about helping students and the school counseling profession but doing both of these things to my full ability can be very personally taxing. For a long time, I felt like this work was so important that if I did not completely pour myself into it, I was not doing enough. As I have grown and developed as a school counselor, I know now that emptying myself was not sustainable. For me personally, if I am not actively trying to prevent burnout, it will happen. My autopilot is to pour until there is nothing left, but I have found some ways to ensure I still have energy to remain in this profession long term.

1. Finding my people. It is so important to cultivate a support system. Authentic relationships are invaluable to prevent burnout. If you are struggling with this, know that other school counselors across the state are actively working to support all school counselors. If you cannot find your support system within your area, expand your search!
2. Getting involved. I find that the energy I give to ISCA I get back tenfold. I am invigorated and excited to work with such a passionate and driven group of people. Even on the days when I feel I have nothing left to give, working on an ISCA committee to help improve school counseling in Illinois is like a recharge for my system. Find something that helps to charge your battery and keeps you passionate about the work we do.
3. Saying no. For a lot of us in the helping professions, this one is a doozy. I struggle with saying no, even when I am overwhelmed, but adding tasks to an already full plate is a recipe for my burnout. When I reflect back to the hardest and most stressful moments in my career, I can pinpoint a time when saying no to a non-counseling task would have made a world of difference.
4. Making work fun. There are days that are really hard and it can feel weird to try to incorporate fun when your students are struggling. I find I can be a better counselor when I have a fun outlet at work. I think it is important for students to see us being joyful at work.
5. Remembering my why. I have stickers all over my computer screen that remind me that the work I am doing is important. I have a file folder of all of the notes and cards I have received through the years. On the hard days, I pull them out to remind myself that I am making a difference in the lives of kids. Put reminders around your office of why you wanted to become a school counselor and hold on to those when the work feels impossible.

If you are feeling burnout start to creep in, please reach out to someone. We need passionate school counselors to stay in the profession. Reach out to someone in your district, region or state to help you before you feel like you are just done being a school counselor.

Amber Spaeth is a school counselor at Highland High School and ISCA Board secretary. Contact her at aspaeth@highlandcusd5.org.