5 Ways That I Prioritise My Own Wellbeing As a Therapist

I’m often asked how I prioritise my own wellbeing when a) I work for myself, and b) a significant part of my job is working with my clients to help them to prioritise theirs. It’s taken me a long time and a lot of trial-and-error to find a balance that seems to work for me, and I am so glad that I’ve been able to do so.

In this post, I’ll share 5 of the ways I manage to do this, and why they’ve been so important for me.

I take regular time off to rest and recharge

One of the biggest lessons I learned in my first year of private practice was the importance of taking regular time off to rest and recharge. After working solidly for 8 months, I came alarmingly close to burnout, and realised that an urgent change was needed if I was going to build a sustainable business.

The first thing I did when I got my hands on a new planner for the following year was to block out regular breaks for the full year. My instincts told me to schedule them in for at least 1 week (and up to 3 weeks) after every 8-9 weeks of client work. This pattern seemed to align with my natural energy cycle, and it’s one I’ve stuck with ever since.

I make time for my life outside work

When you’re running a business, it’s incredibly easy to put all of your time and energy into work at the expense of your personal life. Of course it’s important to give your business regular and consistent attention, but if the only place you go to outside your home is the office and the supermarket, chances are you need to make a change!

This is another trap I fell into in the early days, and it was only when a friend pointed out that I hadn’t even met them for a coffee for 6 months that it dawned on me how much my work was consuming my life. These days, I have regular catch-ups with friends, and invest time and energy into reading, crafting, and getting out-and-about in the world.

I hold my boundaries around working days and hours

Although I’ve tweaked my working days and hours at various intervals over the years, I have always been clear about not seeing clients outside whichever ones I’m working with at the time. I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to offer sessions on weekends, and I also decided that Fridays would be an admin day to work “on” my business, rather than in it. In 4 years, I’ve only had 2 enquiries about sessions on a Friday or a weekend, so it seems to work well.

Occasionally I have a few bits of admin to catch up on outside my working hours, but I make a point of setting a timer and honouring it so that I don’t end up losing too much personal time to work.

I recognise my limitations and seek support as needed

I absolutely love my job, and it brings me so much joy to see the growth and changes my clients make in the course of our work together, and sometimes I still need to ask for help. Regular supervision is not only a requirement for my membership bodies, it’s a personal and professional necessity, as it gives me a space to reflect on my work and the challenges that can come from it, alongside the opportunity to receive invaluable advice, support and encouragement.

There are aspects of the behind-the-scenes stuff that I get support with, including an accountant who files my annual tax return for me, and my Business Support Manager who deals with invoices, appointment confirmations, and requests from clients to book, cancel and reschedule sessions. I’ve had many, many hours of personal therapy, and have also worked with different coaches to sharpen my skills and confidence in running a business.

I prioritise the “basics” that help me to function as a human

My top tip if you feel like you’re unravelling or at the point of burning out completely is to go right back to basics with looking after yourself. I’m talking about those things that are often allowed to slide as they’re deemed to be “less important”, when in fact they’re the very things that enable you to function as a human.

These are things like getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, gentle regular exercise, spending at least a few minutes in fresh air and natural light, and connecting with your favourite people. We can underestimate the toll that not prioritising these things will take, and that can have a significant impact on our long-term health and wellbeing.

I will absolutely acknowledge that there is often an extra layer of privilege to being able to do this when there are external factors that are outside your control that are limiting your resources, but if you don’t address these things as soon as possible, the recovery will take much longer. I didn’t take these things seriously for a long time, and eventually my nervous system shut down in such a way that I was forced to stop and make time to get back on track.

These are some of the key ways I prioritise my own wellbeing as a therapist, and there are probably lots of others that could go on this list! If any of this resonates for you, I hope you are able to take it on board, and use it as a guide for some of the changes you could make to reprioritise your wellbeing if you feel like it’s been allowed to slide.

Thank you, as always, for reading; your support is so appreciated! If you’re thinking about starting therapy and you’re interested in the possibility of working with me, feel free to get in touch so that we can see if we’re a good fit. You can contact me: using the form at the bottom of the page; via email to emma@emmapooleytherapy.com, or connect with me on Facebook and Instagram @emmapooleytherapy.