Episode Details

In this special pop-up episode, I take a break from the regular content to talk about burnout and boundaries; and specifically how I use systems to help me set healthy boundaries and reduce burnout.

Back when I started working as an SLP in 2004, I found there was one area of my life (work-related) that caused an exponentially larger amount of stress than other things in my life.
 
So much, in fact, that this ONE thing was impacting me in other areas of life outside of work. Like health and relationships. That’s why in this episode, I share:
 
✅What I didn’t feel prepared to deal with when I first started my career (that I was NOT expecting).
 
✅How having one super stressful responsibility at work had a snowball effect on other areas of life.
 
✅Why not having a system for a challenging area at work took a toll on my relationships at home.
 
✅The questions you can ask yourself to identify the ONE area of your life causing the most stress (that if addressed, could lead to improvements in all other areas).

In this episode, I mention the Language Therapy Master Package, a 4-course bundle designed to give SLPs a COMPLETE SYSTEM for language therapy.

If you’re a pediatric SLP, the Language Therapy Master Package will show you set of evidence-based strategies designed to build language & vocabulary in a framework designed just for SLPs. Click here to learn how to enroll now: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagemasterpack/

The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding. 

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL and Renaissance:

Learn more about Renaissance:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for