September
by Erlene Grise-Owens, Ed.D., LCSW, MSW, MRE, lead co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals
September 2019 marks the third year anniversary of our blog! Anniversaries are good times to reflect and recommit. Gretchen Rubin calls September the new January. She promotes using September as a “new year” month to assess work life.
This anniversary, let’s use September to focus on professional self-care. As contrasted with self-care outside work parameters, professional self-care is how we integrate and prioritize self-care as part of our work. (See previous blog posts for more details and examples.)
RE-SET (Reflect, Envision, Strategize, Enact, and Test)
My RE-SET framework provides a structured, iterative approach. Use September to go through an initial RE-SET. (RE-SET can also be done with a colleague or team.)
Reflect
Reflect. Set aside time to consider your current professional situation. Reflect on progress on any previous goals. What’s going well? What concerns do you have? Rubin encourages asking: How can you be happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative in your work-life?
Envision
Envision. This reflection helps inform a vision—a broad view. Explore the appreciative inquiry question: What do you want more of in the future? You might design a vision board that portrays your response to this question.
Reflection could lead to a vision of something as mundane (but, potentially, important!) as “having an organized workspace” or as ambitious as “finding a new job.” It could be as broad as “finding more meaning in my work” or specific as “doing work stuff only at the office.” A colleague envisions “incorporating restorative practices at the office.” I envision “writing more.”
Strategize
Strategize. Funnel that reflective vision into specific strategies. Set SMART Goals—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Limited. Identify supports and anticipate barriers. Do a power analysis and environmental scan. Who and what can help you achieve your goals? Who and what are hindrances? Identify resources, particularly accountability measures.
For example, SMART goals for finding a new job might include updating a resume by a specific date and attending monthly networking meetings. A professional mentor could serve as an accountability measure. Similarly, my SMART goals for writing more include putting writing time on my calendar. Accountability includes having a writing group that meets regularly.
Enact
Enact. Put these SMART goals into action!
Test
Test. View this initial enactment as a piloted experiment! See how it goes for a week or so. Go back to the reflection phase to evaluate this “test drive.” Then, continue to RE-SET toward sustainable professional self-care.
Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary!
I’m grateful for the privilege of hosting this space, colleagues who write guest posts, readers who discuss and share the posts, and Linda Grobman for providing this forum to promote the self-care movement. On this anniversary, remember that this space is for all of us to share our successes, struggles, and strategies. So, please, contact me if you want to contribute.
Thank you for all you are doing to promote self-care as part of our profession—including crucial investment in your own self-care! As we RE-SET for this “new year,” I hope you receive the exponential energy of Peace, Love, & Self-Care.
Erlene
Dr. Erlene Grise-Owens, Ed.D., LCSW, MSW, MRE, is a Partner in The Wellness Group, ETC. This LLC provides evaluation, training, and consultation for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals. As a former faculty member and graduate program director, she and a small (but mighty!) group of colleagues implemented an initiative to promote self-care as part of the social work education curriculum. Previously, she served in clinical and administrative roles. She has experience with navigating toxicity and dysfunction, up-close and personal! Likewise, as an educator, she saw students enter the field and quickly burn out. As a dedicated social worker, she believes the well-being of practitioners is a matter of social justice and human rights. Thus, she is on a mission to promote self-care and wellness!