Should We Work Over Holiday Breaks?
This topic can bring up a lot of questions about our own balance and harmony, or whether using holiday breaks is a good time to accomplish important tasks such as report writing. Just like everything in our field, there is never a simple or straightforward answer. One question I like to ask myself is, “does this absolutely have to get done over my holiday break, or can it wait?” Some of you may want to use your vacation time to get ahead with report writing and lessen your overall workload, while others may feel it is more important to enjoy their time off with friends and family. Take time to reflect and choose what works best for you personally.
Is This Working for You?
I remember finishing graduate school and being so used to working on homework every night that in my first year as a school psych, I continued this pattern and spent my evenings writing reports. It didn’t dawn on me that I was doing this until a veteran school psych encouraged me to engage in more self-care. At some point, I had to reflect on whether or not this was working for me. Would I burn out at this rate? After being in the field for over 20 years, I recently added 15 minutes daily for report writing. I am excited to see how this helps with my procrastination.
What are My General Boundaries?
Some school psychs feel it’s important to be available during the day to their teams, students, and other faculty members, while other school psychs use some of this time to close their office door and get the report writing done. It’s important to reflect on your personal practices and preferences multiple times throughout each school year to make sure you are balancing self-care and your important role as a school psych.
Inside the Prepared School Psych community, we will do a check-in during December 2022 on our boundaries to see what has been working and what might need changes. Did you know that the Prepared School Psych membership site has an entire page dedicated to self-care? By becoming a Prepared School Psych member, you will have immediate access to Q&A videos with veteran school psychs discussing how they engage in self-care and articles and podcasts on the importance of avoiding burnout in our field. So take some time for yourself and click the link below to access Prepared School Psych and start engaging in self-care today!
Already a Prepared School Psych member?
Click Here to Access Jenny’s Self-Care Resources
