Just One Thing for Sustaining Your Health
Micro-practices that protect your energy, resilience, and purpose
As a psychologist or psychological associate, your work is rooted in helping others heal, reflect, and grow. But that same work can also leave you emotionally drained, especially when boundaries blur and stress accumulates. Over time, even the most passionate practitioners can face burnout, a very real, well-documented occupational hazard in the field.
The good news is that you do not need to overhaul your entire life to restore balance. Research shows that small, sustainable practices can have a significant impact on your ability to stay grounded and effective. This blog is an invitation to explore just one thing, one simple, high-impact habit, that you can integrate into your routine to support your mental health.
Why It Matters
The demands of clinical work are constant and wide-ranging, from seeing clients and providing supervision to returning calls, responding to emails, signing supervisees’ notes, completing documentation, and meeting ongoing continuing education requirements. For many psychologists and psychological associates, the paperwork alone often spills into evenings and weekends. Finding time for rest and reflection can feel like a luxury, and stepping back is often accompanied by guilt.
But ignoring your own needs is not just unsustainable, it can compromise the quality of care you provide. Sustaining your health as a clinician is not an indulgence; it is a professional responsibility. Prioritizing your well-being helps you model healthy boundaries, maintain ethical clarity, and preserve the emotional energy required to do meaningful, long-term work in the field.
This perspective is echoed in the College of Psychologists of Ontario’s Quality Assurance guidelines, which include a dedicated Self-Care Plan as part of professional standards. Maintaining your own health is not optional, it is integral to competent, ethical practice.
The Case for Micro-Practices
What do we mean by "just one thing"? These are evidence-informed practices that do not require hours of your day. They are small, intentional habits shown to support well-being, manage stress, and improve clinical focus. Some are familiar, like deep breathing or physical movement. Others may be more surprising, such as peer connection or scheduling time for joy.
You do not have to do them all. Try one. Give it a week. See how it fits.
1. Mindfulness in Micro-Moments
Mindfulness does not require a retreat or an hour-long practice. It can be as small as pausing for a breath before entering a session, or placing your hand on your heart between appointments.
Try this: Name three things you see, two things you hear, and one thing you feel in your body. This grounding technique takes less than a minute and brings you back into the present.
2. Sleep Hygiene That Supports Your Work
Sleep affects everything: attention, memory, emotional regulation, and empathy. If there is one area to focus on for long-term well-being, it may be sleep. Small changes like turning off screens earlier, maintaining consistent sleep and wake times, or using a white noise machine can help.
Try this: Use a free app like CBT-i Coach to explore sleep patterns and set one new goal per week.
3. Peer Consultation as a Preventative Tool
Consultation is not just for complex cases; it is a safeguard for your emotional health. Having a trusted colleague to talk with about clinical uncertainty, emotional impact, frustrations, or even professional boundaries helps reduce isolation and decision fatigue.
Try this: Set up a recurring peer check-in, even just once a month. Protect the time and treat it as part of your practice.
4. Boundary Reflection
Over time, it can become difficult to recognize where your boundaries are shifting. Taking time to reflect, without judgment, helps realign your practice with your values and needs.
Try this: At the end of your week, ask yourself, “Where did I feel energized? Where did I feel drained?” Use this to guide adjustments for the week ahead.
5. Connect With Someone and Nourish Yourself
Therapists often give energy outward all day. Reconnecting with people who know you outside of your role can re-anchor your sense of identity and boost emotional resilience. And while social connection is vital, so is physical nourishment — yet many clinicians skip lunch or eat only if a client no-shows. Over time, this can wear down your energy, mood, and focus.
Try this: Schedule a walk, call, or short visit with someone you enjoy who is completely outside your professional circle, and pair it with a proper meal or snack. Even a 20-minute break to eat and connect can improve both mental and physical well-being.
Resources to Support You
Just One Thing: Develop a Buddha brain one simple practice at a time
OPA Membership: Includes tools, peer forums, and learning opportunities tailored to clinicians' mental health and well-being.
Your Health is Foundational to Your Practice
Psychologists and psychological associates are human beings first. It is easy to forget that when we are deep in the work of helping others. But your ability to practice ethically and effectively relies on your own well-being. Start with just one thing. Make it part of your routine. Let it be enough for now.
And if you need more, support is available. The Ontario Psychological Association is here to help you sustain a meaningful, balanced, and healthy career. Utilize our website to explore professional resources, connection opportunities, and community spaces built for you.