by Victoria Brewster, MSW
I remember
from my own graduate school days, 5 classes a week, 3 hours each, 2 full days
of internship, course work, a part-time job, and trying to maintain some
semblance of a social life.
Staying and
being busy is good, but down time is just as important. What exactly is down
time? What does that mean for you? As a graduate student in social work or a
newly minted social worker, down time equals self-care.
I cannot
stress enough the importance of self-care in the social work profession and
instilling the concept and importance of it as a student or new professional.
Not practicing self-care can lead to burnout. Many students meet with friends to chat or
go to parties for needed and important socialization time, and this is a good
thing.
Social
workers, by their very nature, are nurturing, caring, helpful, want to make a
difference, and often put others before themselves. If one wants to still be
in the profession in 5, 10, 25, or 30 years, practicing and implementing
self-care is a must.
Self-care promotes
relaxation, a needed break from work and work related thoughts. I know many
helping professionals who do not practice self-care, who lack the motivation,
the inclination, the skills, the knowledge, and/or willingness to seek ways to
minimize stress. You see it in their interactions with clients and
colleagues and by their body language and facial expressions.
Examples of
self-care are: take your lunch break, visit with colleagues and chat about non-work
related things, take a walk at lunch, eat lunch outside of the office, engage
in hobbies that interest you (i.e. knitting, scrap booking, reading, painting,
listening to music, playing sports), take a vacation every 6 months or so (even
if it is just a weekend away), practice meditation, and--probably one of the most
important--"unplug" every once in a while. No computer, e-mail, Twitter,
LinkedIn, or other social media. Institute a no electronics rule--no TV, no iPod
or iPad, turn your cell phone to quiet, or better yet turn it off for a few
hours. Relax with family and friends, and when you leave work, leave work.
This means do
not take your work home with you, and leave thoughts of work behind. This is
difficult for many, and there are times when you have to take your work home to
finish paperwork or to prepare for a workshop or presentation.
Perhaps you are "on call" for your job after hours or on a weekend. Add some
self-care to the mix, and balance your work and non-work life.
A colleague
suggested the term "perpetual social work mode." It has to be left behind. As
social workers or social work students, often it is part of our nature to be
helpful, to assist, to rescue, to say yes even if we are feeling overwhelmed,
overworked, and stressed. It is okay to say no.
Many get bogged down with papers, studying, and group projects while trying to perhaps
balance a social life and employment. Be supportive of one another, mentor a fellow
student, and remember you will leave graduate school behind and enter the
professional world. Instill and carry the self-care concept with you into the
work world.
Victoria Brewster, MSW, has 16 years of social work experience, 13 of which have been as a case
manager and group facilitator with seniors/older adults. Her areas of interest are
aging, healthcare, end-of-life issues, improvements in education for youth,
advocacy, and social justice. She is is Coordinator of Member Relations and a staff writer at SocialJusticeSolutions.org.
