Mindfulness for Mental Health Providers

As mental health professionals, we know our work can be a significant source of stress. Complicated clients, exposure to secondary trauma, heavy caseloads and documentation requirements are just some of the daily challenges. Stress manifests in a variety of ways including difficulty disengaging from work, poor eating and sleeping habits, muscle tension, exhaustion, self- criticism, depression and anxiety. Although we all understand the importance of self-care practices for long-term health and wellbeing, in reality most of us are not trained to manage the stress that arises regularly in our day-to day professional lives. Informal mindfulness practices designed for in-the-moment-use during the workday, can reduce the negative mental, emotional, and physical effects of stress, and bring balance and enjoyment to work and life.