As the calendar turns to a new year, many school counselors find themselves holding a mix of emotions about heading back to work. Motivation might feel low, energy might feel scattered, and that sense of readiness may not be there yet.

In this New Year’s Eve re-listen, I'm revisiting Episode 41 of Counselor Chat Podcast, a conversation counselors return to again and again when break comes to an end.

This episode is a reminder that feeling unmotivated, heavy, or unsure about returning to school is normal. Motivation does not magically appear on January 1st, and you do not need to have everything figured out before heading back.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. Why mixed emotions after a break are completely normal
2. How different breaks can bring different feelings from year to year
3. The importance of acknowledging your emotions instead of pushing through them
4. How reconnecting with your “why” can ground you when motivation feels low
5. Simple strategies to ease back into work, including building white space into your calendar
6. Why prioritizing tasks and letting go of doing everything at once matters
7. The power of reconnecting with colleagues for support and perspective
8. Gentle reminders about self care and protecting your energy

You are not alone, and you are allowed to take this transition one step at a time.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Energy Inventory: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eXT5jXvwueU39AGvkFYq7-wvom9TiSns/view?usp=sharing

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

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Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

You're listening to the Counselor Chat Podcast, a show for school counselors looking for easy to implement strategies, how to tips, collaboration, and a little spark of joy.

I'm Carol Miller, your host. I'm a full time school counselor and the face behind counseling essentials. I'm all about creating simplified systems, data driven practices, and using creative approaches to engage students.

If you're looking for a little inspiration to help help you make a big impact on student growth and success, you're.

In the right place.

Because we're better together. Ready to chat? Let's dive in.

Hey counselor friends.

Welcome back to Counselor Chat.

I'm your host, Carol Miller.

Since today is New Year's Eve, I wanted to keep things simple, supportive and real.

I'm not sharing a brand new episode today because this time of year is meant for reflection,

rest and easing into whatever comes next.

You might be listening while you're taking a walk, finishing up some errands at the gym, or really just enjoying a quiet moment before the calendar flips.

And if that's the case, I wanted to make sure you had something to listen to that truly meets you where you are at.

So today we're going to just revisit episode 41.

What if I don't feel motivated to go back to work after break?

This episode continues to be one that I think counselors come back to again and again,

especially when the end of the year or the end of break brings up a mix of emotions. And if you've ever felt a little heavy, unmotivated, or unsure about returning to school after some time off,

this episode is for you.

It's a reminder that those feelings are normal, that motivation doesn't magically appear on January 1st,

and that you don't have to have everything figured out before heading back.

My hope for you is that this episode feels like a deep breath,

a validating conversation,

and a gentle nudge forward without pressure,

guilt,

or unrealistic expectations.

However you're spending this last day of the year,

this last few days of break,

I hope you're able to honor what you need most right now.

I want to thank you all for being a part of the Counselor Chat community.

It really, it means so much to me that you're here.

So enjoy this re. Listen,

Hi everyone, it's Carol. Welcome back to another episode of Counselor Chat. I'm so glad that you're here with me today. I'm especially grateful for you if you are listening as this episode comes out, because it means that you are in the middle of winter break.

And I really appreciate you spending some of your time with me today. Well, today we're going to talk a little bit about those feelings that you might be having as you think about heading back to work,

especially heading back to work after a little bit of a break.

And I know some of you are.

Probably like, woohoo, I'm ready to go.

And some of you are like, ugh, not yet, please.

Ugh,

I can't. I can't even.

And there are stages, my friend.

All those feelings, they're. They're normal.

And I can tell you I had. There had been breaks where I had been so anxious to go back to work. Like I really couldn't wait to go back.

And then there have been others where I felt I had been so busy during the entire break,

cooking and cleaning and carting kids from one event to another to going to different parties and being a chaperone and being a chauffeur and all the other mom duties as well as hostess duties and everything else that you could think of that I felt I didn't have a moment to really sit down and recharge and reset myself before going back to work.

And then there were times that I also was so satisfied with break that I was really enjoying my time off and vacationing and, and doing all the things that I.

The thought about going back to work just stressed me out because I wasn't ready to go back to that. And I think all those feelings are normal. And another thing, if you're just starting off, you might be surprised that in different years you might have different feelings about how you're feeling towards going back to work.

So there are really a big mix of emotions as the break comes to an end.

And today we're really going to dive into that because I want you to know that you are not alone and you really need to acknowledge your feelings and I'm here to help provide you some little bit of encouragement to get you started in the new year on a positive note.

So really you have to first acknowledge those feelings because it's completely normal to feel all those mixed emotions about returning.

To work after a break.

And like I said, we all need some time to recharge and relax and spend quality moments with our loved ones.

And so it really is a tough transition to go back. Last year, my son Charlie and I,

we did something a little bit different for Christmas. I mean, we left the rest of my family home and Charlie and I He's. He's one of my youngest sons, one of the twins.

We went to Puerto Rico and we spent five days in the sun and the sand, just loving life,

touring the city,

exploring everything that San Juan had to offer.

We did a trip to the rainforest.

We saw the bioluminescent bay.

We swam in it.

We did some really cool things. And so I can tell you,

when we got back,

I was pretty tired. You'd also walk so much that the muscles in my legs were achy. I think we walked about 10 miles every day. And so as we were heading back into the new year, I totally was.

Not ready to go back, even though.

I was totally refreshed and feeling really good about life and having that time with my son.

But it was okay. I think we. One of the things that is really helpful as we head back is to really think about our why.

And my friends,

I know each of you has your own reason why you feel like you were called to this profession,

and you have to remember your why.

I think sometimes we lose a little.

Bit of sight of that. But as school counselors,

we have the incredible opportunity to really make a positive impact on the lives of our students. We are the ones who provide guidance,

support, and a listening ear when they need it the most.

And our work is meaningful and it matters.

So as you prepare to return,

remind yourself of the difference you make in the lives of those you serve.

Now, let's talk about some strategies that can really help you ease back into the swing of things.

Because one of the things that I do that has been really one of the most effective approaches that I've done for myself is pretty easy. I always try to give myself a little wiggle room to get back into the swing of things.

And what I mean by that is.

I try to have my calendar for January planned before I head back into the new year. And I always give myself a little extra white space in my calendar on the first couple days of returning to work.

So that means I try not to have things tightly scheduled in those spaces.

Because let's face it, who knows what's going to pop up on those first couple days of returning. Nothing ever really seems to go as planned.

So if you can allow yourself a.

Little extra white space in your schedule.

I think you're going to find that it's going to give you a little extra time to breathe, and then you.

Can kind of look to see what.

Comes up and kind of prioritize those needs as you feel works best for you.

You need to also remind yourself and give yourself permission to take it one step at a time.

As you do go back and to prioritize your task, make sure you break down your workload into really manageable chunks so that you feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

I know that you're probably thinking I have all these things to do, but you know what, there's always going to be more work,

but there's not always going to be more time.

So just prioritize the highest needs and make sure that you're getting that done.

It's okay if you don't get it all done in one day,

and I don't know if you needed to hear that or not,

but it's okay not to do all the things.

So just prioritize and just really get done what you need to get done. Another really effective strategy is to reconnect with your colleagues, reach out to them, share your experiences from the break and listen to theirs.

Sometimes just knowing that you're not alone and feeling a bit reluctant to return to work can be comforting.

And collaborating with with your fellow counselors can also provide some fresh perspectives and ideas to help you navigate any challenges that might arise.

If you do work with another counselor, it could also be really good to let them know how you're feeling because they might be energized. And maybe you're the one saying, eh, I'm not really feeling it so much and you can kind of bounce off each other and balance each other off.

And so having a good colleague is really important and being able to collaborate and share and commiserate with them is really important.

One other thing if you're working with your colleagues is to maybe plan for something with them that you think might bring joy. Because if you are working on a project that you get excited about,

you're going to be more excited to be at work.

So try to find something that's going to bring joy and spark a little bit of energy. The last thing to remember is to really take care of yourself because self care is crucial.

And I know we don't like the word self care, but we really have to prioritize ourselves.

And if you are really running ragged over break,

make sure you take some time for yourself. Take care of your own well being so that you're better equipped to support others.

Go for a walk, read a book,

practice a little mindfulness,

spend time with your loved ones, maybe spend time without your loved ones.

Whatever you do, take some time for yourself because that and clear your mind.

Put yourself in the energy that is.

Going to make you feel good.

You have to surround yourself with that energy sometimes. So as we wrap up today's episode.

I really want to remind you that.

It'S normal to have all these mixed feelings about returning to work after a break.

Make sure you acknowledge those feelings, but also remember the impact you have as a school counselor. Set realistic expectations,

reconnect with your colleagues,

and prioritize your self care.

You've got this my friends.

Anyway, thank you for tuning in to this episode of Counselor Chat. I hope you found it helpful and encouraging.

Remember, you are making a difference in the lives of your students every day. And as a thank you for listening,

I am going to include in the show notes an energy inventory because I think as we head into the New year, it's important to figure out what things steal our energy and what things give us energy.

And I think knowing that can also be helpful into putting us into a space where we feel good about not only being ourselves, but in helping others.

So I'm going to share this in the show notes with you.

I hope you take a look at it. I hope you you try it out and I want to know how you.

Feel or what you learned after doing it.

So if you can, send me an email@carolounselingessentials.org or get in touch with me on Facebook or Instagram @CardeningEssentials. Anyway, friends, until next week.

I hope you have a great week.

Thanks for listening to today's episode of Counselor Chat. All of the links I talked about can be found in the show notes and at counselingessentials.org podcast. Be sure to hit, follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast player and if you would be so kind to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.

Want to connect? Send me a DM on Facebook or Instagram at Counseling Essentials until next time. Can't wait till we chat.

Bye for now.