Don’t let burnout burn up your career as an SLP or SLPA. Stave off burnout and recharge your speech therapy career with these tips!

<p> As a speech-language pathologist, you’re uniquely qualified to help others express 
  themselves and engage fully with the world around them. What a rare opportunity! But, 
  as you know, the job can be just as challenging as it is rewarding. The daily demands 
  of <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/slp-paperwork-getting-it-all-in-order" target="_blank">paperwork</a>, 
  <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/slps-play-a-vital-role-on-the-iep-team" target="_blank">meetings</a>, 
  high caseload, and emotional interactions can leave you feeling 
  detached, drained, or even questioning your ability. It can even lead to SLP burnout! 
  Burnout has profound and far-reaching impacts, many causes, and various solutions, 
  which we’ll discuss here. The good news is you can view burnout not as a roadblock 
  but as a signal to take action, make changes, and, as a result, improve your career!
  
<p>
  <h2>What Is SLP Burnout?</h2>
<p> 
  SLP burnout is physical, emotional, and/or mental exhaustion due to the daily 
  demands of work as a clinic- or school-based speech-language pathologist. Burnout 
  can impact anyone but often affects those in healthcare and education. Within the 
  field of speech pathology, burnout not only affects SLPs; it can also impact 
  speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) as well. 
</p>
<p>
  In general, stress can cause physiological problems like increased cardiovascular 
  risk, infections, anxiety, alcohol abuse, etc. That’s why managing our stress levels 
  is critical to promote overall health. 
</p>

<p>
  Besides, being an SLP or SLPA is a fantastic career – so even if you’re feeling 
  burned out, it’s possible to rekindle the light in your job and enjoy it!
</p>

<h2>What Does SLP Burnout Feel Like?</h2>
<p>You can watch for signs your stress is reaching burnout levels. For SLPs and SLPAs, 
  burnout can manifest in various ways, including (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7732050/" target="_blank">Brito-Marcelino et al</a>):
</p>

<ul>
  <li> Emotional exhaustion </li>
  <li> Depersonalization </li>
  <li> Feeling ineffective, unskilled, unaccomplished, or cynical </li>
  <li> Decreased overall sense of well-being </li>
</ul>

<h2>What Can SLP Burnout Lead to?</h2>
<p>Burnout doesn’t stop there. Burnout among SLPs and SLPAs can lead to (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29504804/" target="_blank">Heritage et al</a>):
</p>
<ul>
  <li> Detachment from job </li>
  <li> Decreased job satisfaction </li>
  <li> Reduced productivity </li>
  <li> Higher absenteeism </li>
  <li> Tense interpersonal relationships </li>
  <li> Lower quality of service </li>
  <li> High turnover rates </li>
</ul>

<h2>What Factors Lead to SLP Burnout?</h2>
<p> Take note if you’re experiencing high stress in your career. 
  Various factors contribute to burnout among SLPs, including 
  (<a href="https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-22-00047" target="_blank">Marante</a>):
</p>
<ul>
  <li> High caseload</li>
  <li> Pressure to meet quotas</li>
  <li> Administrative burdens</li>
  <li> Limited resources</li>
  <li> Diverse needs of students</li>
  <li> Challenges collaborating with parents, teachers, administrators, educators</li>
  <li> Excessive meetings</li>
  <li> Demanding schedule </li>
</ul>
<p></br> </p>
<p>SLPAs, in particular, can experience burnout because they feel they:</p>
<ul>
    <li> Lack autonomy </li>
    <li> Don’t have enough support </li>
    <li> Lack flexibility </li>
</ul>

<h2>How Does SLP Burnout Impact Others?</h2>
<p>Burnout doesn’t just impact SLPs and SLPAs; it can also trickle down and affect students, colleagues, families, the school, and more. </p>
<p> Burnout impacts how you feel about being an SLP, how you interact with your clients or students, and the level of care you provide to them. </p>
<p>Further, because the children you’re working with often have communication challenges and disabilities, and they experience frustration when they struggle to make progress or meet their goals, this can wear on you as an SLP.</p>
<p> The emotional connection that develops between the client and SLP can cause emotional attachment, so you internalize the successes and failures of treatment.</p>
<p> SLP burnout can lead to fewer SLPs and increased workforce demand for clinics and schools. This can lead to existing SLPs having a higher caseload, which can, in turn, burn them out and continue the cycle. </p>

<h2>Is there a Way to Predict SLP Burnout?</h2>
<p> Yes! There’s evidence that the most significant predictor of burnout is SLPs' 
  perception of how manageable their workload is. Researchers found that perception 
  of work manageability was the best predictor of stress levels: exhaustion, 
  depersonalization, inefficacy, and feeling overextended. This means you can take 
  action to stave off burnout!
</p>

<h2>How to Combat SLP Burnout</h2>
<p> As an SLP or SLPA, you can take steps to prevent burnout at the system, school, and individual levels. </p>
<p> At the system level, you can get involved in policy and advocacy to seek improved funding for services and better student-to-provider ratios. You can also join advocacy and professional organizations like ASHA. </p>
<p> At the school and district level, you can talk with administrators to establish more manageable caseloads, ask for tools that help you manage time more effectively, seek adequate resources, ask for better delegation and distribution of workload, and work to establish a culture of appreciation and respect.</p>
<p> At the personal level, you have the power to change the most! You can:</p>
<ul>
    <li> Practice self-care by engaging in relaxation, hobbies, exercise, eating well, managing stress, prayer, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing.
    </li> 
    <li> Set work-life boundaries and avoid taking work home with you.
    </li> 
    <li> Seek support from friends, family and colleagues, and seek professional therapy if needed.
    </li> 
    <li> Supercharge your career through professional development. Take workshops and seminars and learn as much as possible to deepen your speech therapy knowledge and skills, learn about a specific communication disability, and reinvigorate your practice. 
    </li> 
    <li>Pursue continuing education in leadership if you want to become a school or district leader or coordinator in your field.
    </li> 
    <li>If you’re an SLPA, consider enrolling in an SLP program. Meanwhile, you’ll be gaining all that experience as an SLPA as you learn to be a fully licensed SLP.
    </li> 
    <li>Get involved in peer groups and connect with other SLPs on social media, in-person meetings, and networking organizations. This is an outstanding way to crowdsource solutions to your challenges and develop strategies to manage burnout and stress.
    </li> 
    <li>Find a mentor at school, nearby or virtually, or be a mentor for someone else.
    </li> 
    <li>Set aside time to reflect on your career. Consider where your job is now and where it’s headed and chart out your short- and long-term goals.
    </li> 
    <li>List the issues you feel are leading to burnout in your career and flip them into workable solutions.
    </li>
</ul>
<p></br> </p>
<p> While it can sometimes be overwhelming to be an SLP or SLPA, the reward is indeed 
  worth it. You’re making a massive difference in the lives of children, not just for 
  today but for a lifetime. You have a unique opportunity to impact their lives and the 
  lives of those around them, including their families, teachers and friends. With some 
  consideration and planning, you’ll be well on your way to safeguarding yourself from 
  burnout and propelling your speech pathology career into the future.
</p>

<p> <strong> Find your ideal <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/education" target="_blank">SLP or SLPA job</a> 
with Cross Country Education. </strong>
</p>

How to Avoid SLP Burnout and Supercharge Your Career