by Rebecca Roth
Photo credit: BigStockPhoto ssstocker
As social workers (or social workers-to-be), I think we can all relate to constructing well-thought-out, organized plans to help our clients with their challenges. Yet once we leave the office, cooking a healthy meal, squeezing in a workout, or reading a book for fun feels like another chore to tackle. There comes a point when telling someone how important it is to take care of themselves practically rolls off the tongue, but practicing self-care for ourselves? Forget about it.
So, if proper self-care minimizes burnout and helps keep us sane, why do we so often push it to the bottom of our to-do list? For me, de-prioritization happens because it doesn’t feel urgent. It’s not something I have to get done, just something I probably should do. If I don’t have time to read the last chapter of my latest thriller, sure, it’s a bummer, but at what point do all of those bummers begin to add up to something more?
Self-care doesn’t have to be something we schedule every single day or a two-week vacation that’s more stressful to plan than it’s worth. Instead, we need to take our own advice and make sure to do something we truly enjoy (no, I don’t mean polishing off a whole tub of ice cream), no matter how small it may seem. We must remind ourselves that leaving work at the office doesn’t mean that we care less. It just means we can recognize that constant stress isn’t the same thing as commitment.
It’s about time we started practicing what we preach—maybe not perfectly, but with intention. A little self-care isn’t selfish. It’s what keeps us from turning into the cautionary tales we warn our clients about.
Rebecca Roth served more than 10 years in the U.S. Navy as an electronic technician before being medically retired in 2024. In 2019, at the age of 25, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. A few months into treatment, she met her now-husband, whose support was a turning point during that challenging time. After retiring from the military, Rebecca began pursuing her Master of Social Work with the goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the future.