SLP Self-Care Hack: Use Audiobooks to Recharge

Speech therapy is a rewarding profession, but if you aren’t careful it can lead straight to burnout. Why? First, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) spend our days helping others. While this service can be gratifying, it is emotionally charged work that literally taps into every part of our brains.

We have to be professional, empathetic, and organized while conducting research, interacting with teams, and advocating for others. It is essential to use strategies when you are off the clock that let your brain relax and recharge. If you are like me, you need some noise in the background to silence the chatter in your own mind.

With speech sessions, progress reports, and IEP meetings SLP burnout is a real concern. I certainly don't want to invalidate anyone who is feeling spread thin, or gaslight you into believing that you should be living in fight or flight mode. By the time the day ends, there’s often little energy left for you or any caretaking responsibilities you may juggle after work. That’s why I believe self-care is the only way to sustain longevity in this profession.

The good news is self-care doesn’t have to mean long breaks or a career change. You can recharge with small, consistent routines each day.

One of my favorite simple self-care tools has become audiobooks. Keep reading to find out how you can get an audible audiobook membership for $0.99 your first 3 months, and books I recommend.

Why Audiobooks Boost SLP Self-Care

If you’re like me, your schedule is packed. I love to read paper books. Unfortunately, my time is so limited it takes me months to get through a paperback. If you are in a stage of life right now that makes sitting down to read unrealistic, audiobooks solve that problem. They let you enjoy mindless stories, solve mysteries, or relax without carving out quiet time.

Most SLPs are hard working and high achievers. It may be hard to lean into a hobby just for the sake of relaxing. Not to improve your skill set, not to earn CEUs, not as a side hustle. Just a hobby to relax. For that reason, I recommend books that have nothing to do with speech therapy, but will occupy your interest enough that your brain can relax.

Here’s how you can use audiobooks to practice SLP self-care:

• Start your day gently. Listen to an uplifting audiobook on your morning walk or commute to set a positive tone. For the novel equivalent of a Hallmark movie, I recommend The Summer that Changed Everything by Brenda Novak. She also has a really active online community if you are looking for a book club or monthly boxes for book lovers.

• Take a mental break. During lunch, you don’t need to learn a second language or cram in a CEU. I absolutely love biographies and for the past few years have been listening to a biography of every U.S. President in order. There is no decision fatigue or heavy mental lift. You could pick another topic, like biographies of Nobel Prize winners, Olympic Athletes, or famous Oscar winners. Whatever floats your boat. Biographies will transport you a bit to recharge, but won’t be hard to disengage from when lunch is over.

• Turn off “work mode.” On your drive home, use an audiobook to chill out. I have recently found Patricia Cornwell when I listened to the book Postmortem: A Scarpetta Novel who has written countless mystery novels. By all accounts, her research is flawless. The mysteries often follow her heroine, Kay Scarpetta, so you can listen to multiple novels while tuning out and navigating traffic.

• Weekend restoration. Weekends can be as busy as your work week, but if you have a consistent time of day you listen to an audiobook, you can keep moving through the stories whether you are shopping, exercising, or running kids to sports. If you want non-fiction, Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson action packed. Larson is my favorite modern author and his books are meticulously researched. His books are so engaging and informative you will feel smarter just listening.

• Vacation mode. If you are on a school break, or holiday, treat yourself to Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. She is my favorite fiction author and I have enjoyed every book she has written. Based on how many Moriarti books have been made into movies, I am not alone. These are perfect for long days when you won’t want to stop listening, or long plane rides when you travel.

Listening Is a Form of Rest

When you have a busy schedule, it's hard to decompress. Your nervous system may feel jittery as you switch gears to being off the clock at work. My therapist compared it to going in the high speed carpool lane and then slamming on your breaks.

A softer approach is to get comfortable slowing down, coasting in the middle lane before your day ends. If you feel stuck in survival mode, listening to books can be an easy off ramp to self-regulation and keep you from ruminating about work on your way home.

Try Audible trial for 3 months

If you’ve never done a deep dive into audiobooks, Amazon Audible makes it easy to start.
Click here to sign up for an Audible trial membership for only $0.99 your first three months, cancel anytime. You’ll also get:

• Unlimited listening from the Audible Plus catalog

• 2 Free audiobooks with trial

• Exclusive deals & discounts
  

Below are a few direct links to more excellent audiobook recommendations that I have loved, in addition to the title listed above. As an Amazon affiliate I may earn a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase using these links. Thanks for your support!

Audiobook Recommendations

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell

Postmortem: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell

The Summer that Changed Everything by Brenda Novak

11-22-63: A Novel by Stephen King. This time travel book about the JFK assassination will transport you to a different space completely.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Murder, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard

Conclusion: Recharging Makes You a Better SLP

Speech therapy self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Recharging is more about creating boundaries from work and carving out space that helps calm your nervous system. Even though I need to take my own advice some weeks, having mental space from a consuming career makes me more creative and efficient.

If you feel like you don’t have time for self-care, or don’t have the patience for meditation, audiobooks can be a perfect solution. Decompress during everyday routines with audiobooks.
Try Audible for 90 days and start recharging one chapter at a time.