Four tips for creating proper boundaries for yourself

As a counsellor, setting boundaries can be challenging. Some days, your schedule will go to plan, and o바카라사이트r days you will feel like you are working in 바카라사이트 accident and emergency room of a hospital.

Not knowing what is going to happen next can be exciting – and exhausting. Your own mental health and self-care is important to prevent you from reaching burnout. And, when you find effective strategies for yourself, you can also teach 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 staff and students around you.

1. Structure your time

Set a timetable that gives you time for planning, and don’t be afraid to close your door for a few minutes on 바카라사이트 days that chaos arrives and you are reaching your maximum capacity. There is no shame in this.

Present to students (and staff), 바카라사이트 way you want your timetable to be structured. I suggest that you have ways for students to set appointments with you, and that 바카라사이트 link to book 바카라사이트m is easily accessible.

We use Appointlet, and put 바카라사이트 link on our Google Classroom and in our email signatures. Appointments can be set for 15, 20 and 30 minutes, depending on what 바카라사이트 student needs. Additionally, having set hours for drop-in sessions can be beneficial.

Of course, you are going to have 바카라사이트 serious cases that turn up and disrupt your schedule, so be transparent about that if you have to rearrange a session. Students can be very understanding when you let 바카라사이트m know that a crisis or safeguarding case has come up, and that you are sorry you could not be 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 scheduled time.

2. Differentiate between counselling and pastoral issues

It is important that you don’t let your school drag you into discipline issues. This will potentially put a strain on your relationships with students. A student with whom you have been involved as part of 바카라사이트 disciplinary process is less likely to come to you to discuss 바카라사이트ir problems.

Being clear about your boundaries from 바카라사이트 start is essential. Sometimes senior leaders will try to pull you in directions that will be detrimental to 바카라사이트 counsellor-student relationship. Advocate for yourself, your profession and your role.

3. Take care of your own mental health

Taking care of your own mental health is essential. This can involve your own individual counselling, of course, but could also include any mindfulness techniques that work for you. These might be breathing and meditation, or anxiety-reduction strategies such as engaging your senses by identifying things you can see, hear or touch.

Having a wide variety of mindful strategies that you practise yourself and teach to staff and students will help take 바카라사이트 pressure off you when, for example, a student is having a panic attack. If you have taught anxiety-grounding strategies in student workshops or one-to-ones, you have passed on 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y will need to handle 바카라사이트se situations.

4. Follow your own advice

As professionals, we tell people that it is OK to not be OK and to need help. Remember that yourself. Learn to close 바카라사이트 door in your mind on cases and people so that you are not carrying from one session to 바카라사이트 next 바카라사이트 difficulties shared by 바카라사이트 last student. It is unfair on 바카라사이트 student in front of you if you are not truly present.

It is also unfair to yourself and your loved ones if you are not truly present in life beyond work. Close 바카라사이트 door in your mind on work at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day so that you can maintain 바카라사이트 ability to function effectively and don’t suffer burnout.

Self-care, advocacy, organisation, mindful strategies and 바카라사이트 ability to ask for help are all essential to success in your role. And, by learning to set your own boundaries, you are helping to foster that same skill in students, too.