But I Went Anyway
I really didn't want to go to work yesterday, but I did. I was the semi-responsible, cranky therapist yesterday who went to work and did my job. My cranky attitude did have one benefit - I FINALLY got a time to take CPR/First Aid, so I should be able to start individual treatment sessions in July!! Hooray!!
Today has already started off a bit better. I awoke at the same time I did yesterday, but didn't feel the need to stay in bed. I got up, took my shower, and am now writing...at my usual time...with lots of time in front of me. I will be getting myself a big glass of ice water here in a couple of seconds - be right back. Ah, better.
The high humidity and heat that's upon us this day affect me in ways that reach all parts of my life. When things are humid, I ache. My legs, especially, ache all up and down. The joints ache which makes the muscles work differently, and then the muscles ache. I stagger and hobble around all during these hot, sticky days. On these days, my asthma flares up and complicates my breathing. I feel like I am constantly struggling to suck air into my lungs, even after taking all of my medication.
All of these things affect my therapy interactions. It would be ridiculous to pretend that what is going on in and around my body doesn't affect how I respond to the people and situations around me. I am human, and I bring human emotions, responses, and reactions to every session.
What is most important is how I end up responding during sessions when I am affected by things that happen outside the session or inside my own body.
Here are my strategies for the days that I just don't want to do anything.
First step: Acknowledge what is happening. I spend some time responding to my situation before clients arrive. I work through my emotions and try to figure out why I feel the way I feel.
If my clients ask me how I'm doing, I tell them honestly. I will disclose that my body hurts because of the weather. I will let them know that I am grumpy. I believe that acknowledging what is happening in healthier than trying to pretend otherwise.
I don't disclose things that are personal in nature - my clients never need to know when I am worried about my financial situation or family interactions - but I do let them know what effect I experience due to what is happening. They are already aware of my emotions and acknowledging those emotions helps my clients recognize their own emotions and be a bit more comfortable with sharing them with me.
Second step: Adjust session plans as needed. If I have a migraine, I need sessions to be quieter than usual. I may need to put the instruments away and break out the rain sounds. Other times, having the drums playing loudly in my environment helps with the pain - it takes it away.
I have a policy that I never tell my clients what we are doing in sessions - I have many reasons for this that I've probably shared here before and will probably share at some point in the future - mainly because I never truly know everything that we are going to do and because I need the flexibility to change things to accommodate client needs. So, my clients never really know what was supposed to happen. That allows me to adjust things as much as I need to for personal reasons or, more importantly, for client-driven reasons.
Third step: Take time to be mindful. I laid on the floor between sessions for a time on Monday and focused on my breathing. I know that anyone peeking into my music therapy room would have thought I was either sleeping or had collapsed due to my positioning, but it was important to take some quiet time for myself before sessions to help me acknowledge what was happening inside my body and then to work on shifting my focus from me to others. I didn't take long, only about 5 minutes, but that time really made a difference in my motivation and energy.
Fourth step: Make music just for me. I had a group that had to cancel due to staffing issues yesterday, so I played the piano and sang during their session time. It was heavenly to choose music that spoke to me and to breathe through the songs. That extra hour helped me to use music to self-regulate. I firmly believe that music therapists should use music for therapeutic purposes in order to best understand how music affects our clients, so I take a chance to do so when I need to do so. For me, the best therapeutic use of music is to make music. I don't do as much of it as I should/could (goblin!), especially at home, but I am remembering the benefits available to me and am taking advantage of the piano at work.
So, I am going to head out into this muggy, hot, and jam-packed day to do my job. I still don't feel very well, but my attitude is much better, so it is easier to head out that door and get into the car. I will continue to use my strategy and move through this day.
Today has already started off a bit better. I awoke at the same time I did yesterday, but didn't feel the need to stay in bed. I got up, took my shower, and am now writing...at my usual time...with lots of time in front of me. I will be getting myself a big glass of ice water here in a couple of seconds - be right back. Ah, better.
The high humidity and heat that's upon us this day affect me in ways that reach all parts of my life. When things are humid, I ache. My legs, especially, ache all up and down. The joints ache which makes the muscles work differently, and then the muscles ache. I stagger and hobble around all during these hot, sticky days. On these days, my asthma flares up and complicates my breathing. I feel like I am constantly struggling to suck air into my lungs, even after taking all of my medication.
All of these things affect my therapy interactions. It would be ridiculous to pretend that what is going on in and around my body doesn't affect how I respond to the people and situations around me. I am human, and I bring human emotions, responses, and reactions to every session.
What is most important is how I end up responding during sessions when I am affected by things that happen outside the session or inside my own body.
Here are my strategies for the days that I just don't want to do anything.
First step: Acknowledge what is happening. I spend some time responding to my situation before clients arrive. I work through my emotions and try to figure out why I feel the way I feel.
If my clients ask me how I'm doing, I tell them honestly. I will disclose that my body hurts because of the weather. I will let them know that I am grumpy. I believe that acknowledging what is happening in healthier than trying to pretend otherwise.
I don't disclose things that are personal in nature - my clients never need to know when I am worried about my financial situation or family interactions - but I do let them know what effect I experience due to what is happening. They are already aware of my emotions and acknowledging those emotions helps my clients recognize their own emotions and be a bit more comfortable with sharing them with me.
Second step: Adjust session plans as needed. If I have a migraine, I need sessions to be quieter than usual. I may need to put the instruments away and break out the rain sounds. Other times, having the drums playing loudly in my environment helps with the pain - it takes it away.
I have a policy that I never tell my clients what we are doing in sessions - I have many reasons for this that I've probably shared here before and will probably share at some point in the future - mainly because I never truly know everything that we are going to do and because I need the flexibility to change things to accommodate client needs. So, my clients never really know what was supposed to happen. That allows me to adjust things as much as I need to for personal reasons or, more importantly, for client-driven reasons.
Third step: Take time to be mindful. I laid on the floor between sessions for a time on Monday and focused on my breathing. I know that anyone peeking into my music therapy room would have thought I was either sleeping or had collapsed due to my positioning, but it was important to take some quiet time for myself before sessions to help me acknowledge what was happening inside my body and then to work on shifting my focus from me to others. I didn't take long, only about 5 minutes, but that time really made a difference in my motivation and energy.
Fourth step: Make music just for me. I had a group that had to cancel due to staffing issues yesterday, so I played the piano and sang during their session time. It was heavenly to choose music that spoke to me and to breathe through the songs. That extra hour helped me to use music to self-regulate. I firmly believe that music therapists should use music for therapeutic purposes in order to best understand how music affects our clients, so I take a chance to do so when I need to do so. For me, the best therapeutic use of music is to make music. I don't do as much of it as I should/could (goblin!), especially at home, but I am remembering the benefits available to me and am taking advantage of the piano at work.
So, I am going to head out into this muggy, hot, and jam-packed day to do my job. I still don't feel very well, but my attitude is much better, so it is easier to head out that door and get into the car. I will continue to use my strategy and move through this day.
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