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Photo credit: BigStockPhoto/voronin76
by Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, lead co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals
Late-career social workers often wish they’d “wised up” sooner about taking care of themselves. From our interchanges, I’ve distilled six practice-wisdom pointers. What might you add?
Remember your “Why.”
Sounds cliché. But, it truly matters. Value congruence is an important aspect of self-care. Values evolve over time, but—at core—they stay pretty consistent. Seed meaning into every day—even in small ways. Savor a client’s positive feedback. Celebrate a professional goal. Seek out supportive colleagues. Acknowledge courage in doing the right thing, even when unrecognized or perhaps actively countered.
Through challenging experiences, “Eleanor” learned to be intentional in reflecting on how to better refine and (re)align her why. She learned to be motivated by principles, purpose, and passion, not by external approval. This approach helps her stay true to her “why” and to sustain and flourish.
Match your investment of self with the organization’s investment in you.
Keep it real. Maintain perspective regarding the reciprocity of your professional role. Too often, people burn out by thinking they must give their all to the work—and the workplace uses them up! Ask: Is the organization using me more than I’m using it? Not in a cynical, unethical way, just a practical, self-care way. Know your job description-parameters. Focus on how it matches your “why.” Understand your organization’s policies and procedures. Make them work for you.
“Terry’s” organization’s salary scale/package was woefully below industry standard. The work had several positive aspects, including flexible schedule, interests/skills congruence, and meaningful roles. Terry decided to match their investment with the organization’s investment. With humor and clarity, Terry realized the agency’s salary merited a “part-time” position effort. Terry didn’t announce this shift; they just quietly quit doing extra stuff. Terry competently does his core job roles (resulting in solid evaluations), with less resentment and more satisfaction.
Consider goodness of fit.
Not every job is for every person, and things change. Sometimes we stay in positions because we’re convicted about mission or we just feel stuck. “Goodness of fit” is a systems term that applies for our professional contexts. Consider the fit of your professional environment with your personality and circumstances.
Early in her career, experiencing severe anxiety in her public child welfare work, “Kassie” considered leaving social work. Through mentoring, she decided to try a different context. She took an emergency room social work position and loved it. The fast pace suited Kassie’s high-energy personality. She worked with a team, had a set schedule, and could “leave work at work.” Later, when Kassie’s growing family needed a more flexible schedule and she was increasingly exhausted, she moved to a clinical position to obtain her licensure. With this credential, Kassie started a private practice. Attention to goodness of fit over the trajectory of her career keeps Kassie energized and satisfied.
Realize that self-advocacy is crucial.
Self-care is not just the “fluffy” stuff; it’s also the tough stuff. Learning to advocate for oneself is tough self-care. We’re often better at advocating for others than for ourselves. Apply your professional skills to your self. Even small steps add up over time and affect larger systems.
After burning out, “Toya” realized she needed to take charge of her own well-being. She sought out an agency where she saw a good fit. Before the interview, she researched the benefits package, including salary range. In the interview, she negotiated a higher salary and schedule flexibility. From the outset, she established boundaries, used supervision, and continued her personal therapy. Over time, Toya rose to a leadership position where she instills self-care/workplace wellness into the culture.
Use all resources available to you.
Access all benefits. Ask for help—and do so before it’s urgent!
“Serenity” recently retired. She continues professional engagement through activism, consultation, and mentoring. One of Serenity’s wisest moves was to consistently use her professional benefits. Maximizing retirement contributions, beginning in her 20s, means she can retire in her 60s. In her career, Serenity assiduously accessed her organization’s benefits—including supervision, professional development, peer support, time off, and employee assistance programs. Ironically, when a toxic organization’s leadership instituted superficial “wellness” offerings, Serenity took advantage of them, and discovered yoga as a life-line amidst toxicity. She also prioritized personal relationships, hobbies, and other interests. This approach sustained her for contributing through a meaningful career path, whilst flourishing.
Prioritize self-care as a lifestyle.
Adapt all of the above for your life and peruse this Self-Care, A-Z forum to Wise-up! Whether beginning your career, toward retirement, or somewhere along the path, NOW is the time to wise up! And, this blog is here for it. As ever, I invite you to share your practice wisdom about self-care. We’re Wiser, Together!
Peace, Love, & Self-Care,
Erlene
Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, 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!