Through the Lens of a Social Worker: Self Care

I can recall back to my graduate school days at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, listening to our professors drill in our young minds the value of self care. They were right.

We all talk about IT. We all think we do IT. But the reality is, practicing self care can be easier said than done. Working in this field, IT is a necessity..

From my experience working at the Alzheimer’s Association, on the 24-hr Helpline, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with so many caregivers about the importance of, “taking care of yourself.”

It was usually a part of my conversation with every consultation or phone call. Because the underlying theme was typically Caregiver Stress.

What do we really mean when we say “stress?” Overwhelmed, anxious, burned out?

It’s funny though, because there came a time during one of my Helpline calls, where I was met with the ugly truth…..

As I was speaking with a caregiver who was in high distress and tearful, I could feel the weight of their stress seeping through the telephone receiver. I felt MY eyes welling up.

Not only from empathy and disdain of this heartbreaking disease.. but also from the stress from the previous call I just received moments before, that had a similar tune.

I realized that I was not even practicing what I was preaching to so many caregivers, phone call, after phone call, after phone call. How could I be the most effective dementia clinician & practitioner, if I had not even practiced my own self-care? I was nearing what we call in the field, “compassion fatigue.”

Hard to recognize but so easily creeps up: stress in this field is inevitable. I want to encourage all the social workers, practitioners, and even caregivers today—without self care, we are depleting ourselves of our best resources; robbing our loved ones, and our community of the beauty we have to offer.

Not only is self care a gift to yourself, but it’s also a gift to all of those around you.

Imagine, walking around feeling lighter, more relaxed, joyful, and more connected because you took 10 minutes to decompress for a brief moment.

Self care does not have to be a huge concept or even a difficult one. We can all find ways to implement self care into our daily routines. It could be a pleasurable activity; a favorite song you sing when you’re frustrated; 5 deep breaths in-between your meetings; giving yourself permission to say NO; or a walk around the back yard garden after you’ve finished giving your loved one a shower.

Whatever your “IT” is, do IT! Big or small, do it! Know what IT is, and then do it. Take time for yourself, and give yourself room for a little bit of TLC. You are deserving!

Feel Free to share below self care tips that work best for you!