Hi friend,

One of the biggest “traps” of being a therapist—and honestly, this is probably true of a lot of jobs—is giving so much of yourself at work that there’s not enough left of you when you get home.

As therapists, we spend our days listening, holding space, caring, problem-solving, empathizing, and showing up for people who need us. That’s meaningful work! But it can also be exhausting work. And sometimes, without even realizing it, we can start giving away so much of our emotional and mental energy to our clients that we come home with very little left for ourselves or the people we love. No matter your job, I'm sure you can relate at least a little bit.

I want to encourage you to pay attention to how much of yourself you’re giving away to your work.

How are you feeling when you walk through the door at the end of the day? Do you still have the energy to be present with your partner, your kids, your friends? Do you have anything left for the things that make you feel like you?

There’s only so much any of us can give. And giving everything you have to your work doesn’t necessarily make you a better therapist. Sometimes, it just means you’re running on empty.

Your loved ones deserve your presence, too. And you deserve some of your own energy.

So give yourself permission to have boundaries. Close the laptop. Stop checking your work email. Take the walk. Sit on the couch. Make dinner with someone you love. Read a book. Do absolutely nothing for a while!

You’re not a robot. So stop treating yourself like one!

Your clients and your colleages don’t need every last ounce of you. They need the version of you who is able to show up, do meaningful work, and then go home and live your own life, too.

Coach Jose 💛

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