Occupational therapists spend much of their time supporting the health and well-being of others, but caring for themselves can be challenging amid the demands of work and daily life. Workplace demands, occupational imbalance, and situations that conflict with professional values can contribute to stress, burnout, and moral injury. Developing a personal approach to wellness can help reduce stress and anxiety, manage symptoms of burnout, support overall health, illness prevention and recovery, and promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
In this interactive class, you will learn and experience practical ways to support your wellness through mindfulness, relaxation, stress management, and everyday self-care. Guided experiences will include breathwork, progressive relaxation, mindfulness meditation, guided imagery, and self-compassion. These practices can also help you connect with your intuition, increase self-awareness, recognize your needs, and make choices that support your health and occupational balance. You will explore ways to incorporate these practices into daily activities, recognize sources of stress and occupational imbalance, and make realistic adjustments to support your well-being. You will have the opportunity to explore a wellness inventory and begin developing a personalized self-care and wellness plan, while considering how these strategies may also benefit your clients. Drawing from Intuitive Development, a book by Emmy Vadnais, and her 30 years of experience as an occupational therapist, this class offers practical tools to support your personal and professional well-being.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this class, participants will be able to:
- Identify at least three signs or sources of stress, burnout, and occupational imbalance, and describe their effects on physical, mental, and emotional well-being and daily occupational performance.
- Describe at least three benefits of mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation practices for managing stress and anxiety, supporting burnout prevention and recovery, and promoting overall health and wellness.
- Demonstrate at least two mindfulness or stress management techniques, such as breathwork, progressive relaxation, mindfulness meditation, or guided imagery, to support relaxation and well-being.
- Describe at least two potential benefits of intuitive development and self-awareness for recognizing personal needs, making informed decisions, managing stress, and supporting occupational balance and well-being.
- Identify at least three opportunities to incorporate mindfulness, self-compassion, and wellness practices into everyday occupations, work activities, and daily routines, including appropriate applications with clients.
- Identify at least two mindfulness or stress management strategies to incorporate into a personalized self-care and wellness plan that supports occupational balance, resilience, and overall well-being.
CEU: 2 Hours
Certificate of Completion:
Upon successful completion of the course, you will automatically receive a certificate of completion. We will send out the official certificate within 72 business hours.
PDUs:
These courses meet requirements for NBCOT – National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Check with your state occupational therapy or professional health care board or association to learn about what is required for your state or local license. This course offers a class evaluation and a class quiz. Therefore, you may be able to earn more PDUs.