The topic of burnout is something that is often discussed in the counseling field, due to the intense nature of the work required of counselors in their work with clients on a work plan. daily basis. As helping professionals, counselors are tasked with listening to and supporting clients in difficult situations, putting the counselor at risk for burnout. When I heard about the suggestion to write an expository essay about maintaining a stress-free life, I was really excited to have the opportunity to sit down with a graduate student and examine my current self-care habits, as well as the opportunity to create some of new ones. Writing this essay has also helped me understand how changes in your personal life can greatly affect your self-care and coping techniques, and how it is important to continue to evaluate your burnout prevention plan and techniques over time. The burnout epidemic is something seen throughout the counseling field, “as research has shown that approximately two in three mental health workers may experience high levels of burnout.” Burnout is definitely something I have thought about before embarking on my future career as a consultant, as I know it is something that could greatly impact my life both personally and professionally. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Entering college, I initially struggled to find time for myself and my passions due to the intensity of my course work. Initially as a nursing major, I struggled academically with the intense coursework and spent much of my time focused on academics. As time went on, however, I began to understand that to succeed academically I needed to find a way to participate in all of my passions, including different forms of exercise. Throughout high school I really enjoyed various forms of exercise, including playing field hockey. Even though I no longer play, I have continued to go to the gym since freshman year and really enjoy aspects of the gym like the elliptical and spin classes. Even though I eventually changed my major, I continually turn to exercise in times of stress to take care of myself, and I always feel accomplished after exercise. I started creating my burnout prevention plan with Geoffrey. My coping mechanism during training was one of the first areas we talked about. In speaking with Geoffrey I explained that it was something I enjoyed and that I definitely had a desire to continue both in graduate school next year, and beyond as I enter my professional life. In conducting the research, I was able to discover that many other college students have turned to exercise as a source of stress relief, as the study conducted at a Midwestern university demonstrated. The study examined nine students, including seven males and two females, all of whom engaged in using exercise as a coping mechanism over an extended period of at least three months. Just like me, “all participants responded that they felt positive emotions after doing physical exercise.” Many also said they had improved well-being and life satisfaction from active leisure activities such as physical activity, compared to more passive activities such as watching TV. Participants also reported increased self-esteem, a greater ability to engage in problem-focused activities, coping mechanisms after physical activity, and weremore likely to engage in other healthy behaviors. Through my personal experiences, my research, and also talking to Geoffrey about the benefits of physical exercises, we decided it was important to include them in my burnout prevention plan. In our plan, we've discussed making sure I go to the gym about 3 times a week for about an hour, as well as taking spin classes, because I find them both fun and stress-relieving. In putting myself on more than a written gym schedule I feel more confident that I will be able to dedicate myself to exercise when dealing with burnout on both a personal and professional level. Another area I talked about often in creating my burnout prevention plan was relationships with those close to me, including my family and friends. As I spoke with Geoffrey, I realized that while my schedule will likely be rigorous both as I enter my undergraduate studies and later in my professional career, I also understand the importance of maintaining my social relationships outside of academic fields and working. Throughout my life, relying on those closest to me has always been a major source of stress relief in times of turbulence. Research has also shown the importance of maintaining your social support system during times of stress, as there is evidence to show that “social support is exceptionally important for maintaining good physical and mental health.” In the research, a person's social support system is described using two main categories, including a network of people and the frequency of interactions with them, as well as the emotional and instrumental components provided by the support network. It has also been shown that resilient individuals often use more active mechanisms to cope with stress, such as social interaction and performing activities with people close to them. While I'm not sure what my future will look like next year, I've been working with Geoffrey throughout the semester to ensure I have plans ready to make time spent with friends and family a priority. One of those plans includes maintaining a stress-reduction technique I developed during my college experience in college, namely Thursday night date night with my boyfriend. Since I started this tradition, it's something I've looked forward to on a weekly basis, and it's something that's gotten me through many tough weeks. Something I also talked about in my sessions with Geoffrey was the difficult decision I made to stay in the Scranton community, as, although I am extremely excited to continue my studies at the University of Scranton, I will be about three hours away again away from family and close friends. In creating my burnout prevention plan, we made sure to include the importance of maintaining my relationships with family and friends at home, and we also discussed opportunities for me to occasionally travel home, and included in my burnout prevention plan to have a weekly phone conversation with my parents and siblings, and also included going home to visit them every six weeks. I know that as I enter my professional career, I will face many challenges which in turn can lead to stressful situations and eventual burnout, however I believe that by remembering my plan, I am in place to maintain an active support system through interacting with those in my personal life, I will feel supported as I enter my professional journey. Over the course of this semester and my sessions with Geoffrey, I have experienced the tremendous loss of my best friendJess, who died suddenly at the age of twenty-one due to a medical problem. Since Jess' passing, my life and the world around me have seemed so different in inexplicable ways. Jess was one of the strongest people in my support system for almost fifteen years, and even though it was difficult, I forced myself to finish the semester the way she would have wanted, and to live each day celebrating the beautiful light that she was in. world. With the loss of Jess, my coping mechanisms have changed significantly, which Geoffrey and I have discussed at length. Research has also shown how a person is often never the same after a loss, as people often feel stuck between “the impulse to cry, look back and search for what has been lost, and the conflicting impulse to try to move forward, discover what you can take with you from the past." Although many people try to avoid grief by avoiding things that remind them of the person they lost, not allowing themselves to fully experience the loss has been shown to have negative effects over time on the person experiencing the loss. It has been shown that even excessive grieving can be harmful, and that the goal should be to allow yourself to let go of your feelings about the loss and begin the process of looking to the future. Something I've learned over the past few weeks and through research is that grief is often a lifelong process, as although the initial intense feelings may begin to pass, they often resurface at unexpected times. One of the most important things that has been proven to help those going through the grieving process is staying connected to your support system whether in the form of personal or healthcare support. In the weeks following Jess' passing, I noticed changes in my coping mechanisms and self-care techniques. I've noticed in the last few weeks something that has become important to me is time spent alone and relaxing. I feel like my interactions with people around me are a little awkward sometimes, as I feel like a lot of people in my life don't know what to say to me. However I feel comfortable in my room, as I feel is when I really allow myself to feel the loss of Jess, and Geoffrey and I have discussed how time alone to recharge can be helpful for me now and in the coming months. Over the past few weeks, I have been deeply focused on taking care of myself in the form of basic needs like eating, sleeping, and other basic self-care techniques. Something that also helped me a lot was my work with an advisor on campus. I really enjoy being able to open up to her about my thoughts and feelings in a safe environment, and it's something I've worked with Geoffrey to ensure that seeing a counselor for both this and subsequent summers is included in my heart attack prevention plan. burnout, and I've also talked to my counselor about our ability to continue meeting in the fall. Over the past few weeks I have also relied on some close friends and family who have acted as an important support system for me as we have grieved this tremendous loss with each other's support. While I would give anything to change that, I did my best to remember the amazing person Jess was and to live my life in the image of the good life that she was. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay By working with Geoffrey, I was able to see the topic of burnout in a different light and also better understand how personal changes in your life can have a big2921311/