Progress Doesn't Take a Holiday: How to not lose skills over the holiday break

This past year I have learned the importance of rest and giving myself a break. Being a business owner I often feel like if I am not working on or in the business the momentum of success will be lost. It has created exhaustion and an unhealthy scarcity mindset. Forcing myself to slow down and take time away I have discovered that progress is not lost. In fact, after a restful weekend I come back to work refreshed and find I am more creative and productive. And while therapy is not a job or a business it can feel that way to our clients. I want to promote healthy boundaries around work and rest and remind us all that the progress made in therapy is not lost during breaks. Here are a few other reminders as we move into the holiday season:

Progress is cumulative: Skills build on each other and while newly targeted skills may be more prone to getting lost when taking a break, solidified skills will likely not be affected.

Skills are more salient in real world scenarios: Being aware of specific skills and targets in therapy, noticing every day events and activities that involve those skills, and using those activities to try those skills is the most efficient way to generalize these skills. The best therapy sometimes doesn’t take place in a clinic at all.

Ask your therapist: Before the holidays ask your therapist what is one simple thing you can work on during your break. We’ll help you identify practical, individualized strategies that fit your life, so you can spend less time worrying about therapy and more time enjoying the moments that matter.

When you come back to therapy, take inventory of the previous goals for yourself or loved one. Ask your therapist what areas they noticed have changed for the better, or worse, and which areas were unchanged. 

From all of us at SaSSKC, we wish you and your family a safe, joyful, and restful holiday season!