The Importance Of a Mental Health Check-In And Reset for Social Workers
Oftentimes, social workers feel overwhelmed by the pressure to perform, achieve goals, and balance work, family life, and personal relationships. This is why it’s so important for social workers to practice self-care — not only for your own mental health, but also for the well-being of those you care for. As social workers, we spend our days working with people who have complex needs and circumstances that are sometimes difficult to navigate and reconcile. There are potentially harmful effects on our well-being and mental health if we over-commit ourselves at any given moment.
Mental Health Check-in And Reset
It’s important for social workers or any caregivers to regularly set aside time for ourselves, to take a mental health day, and to reset our internal operating systems. This check-in and reset time can be used both to take care of your own mental health and to practice self-care skills that can be helpful to others. It can also be a time to reflect on our work and see if there are ways you can make your job or profession more accessible or inclusive to others. Try setting aside at least 20 minutes each day to check in with yourself on a mental health level, including how you feel and how you’re coping with your day.
You can implement self-care on every level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs:
- Biological and physiological needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
- Safety needs – protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.
- Love and belongingness needs – friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love. Affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work).
- Esteem needs – which Maslow classified into two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, mastery, independence) and (ii) the need to be accepted and valued by others (e.g., status, prestige).
- Cognitive needs – knowledge and understanding, curiosity, exploration, need for meaning and predictability.
- Aesthetic needs – appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.
Reset, Regroup, Recharge
The social work profession requires you to put the oxygen mask on yourself first. So pausing, even if only for 20 minutes a day can help you recognize your thoughts and feelings so they don’t overwhelm you. To deal with anxiety or depression on all levels, mind, body, and spirit, utilize the many free self-care tools!
- Calm https://blog.calm.com/about
- Headspace http://www.headspace.com/
By going through a self evaluation of your own needs you can find the right kind of support and apps for meditation, self reflection, sleep, hygiene, and more.
Self-Care Guide
- Eat dinner with family or friends
- Walk in the woods
- Picnic in nature
- Hike with friends
- Take a Zumba class
- Conversation with a loved one
- Fostering an animal
- Time with your pet
- Listening to music
- Taking a nap
- Enjoying a bath
- Going for a massage
- Go to therapy
- Sing and/or dance
- Journal or write
- Color or draw
Self-Care Resources
Another important way to check in with yourself, and to practice self-care skills that can be helpful to others, is to pursue personal development by reading a self-care book or going to therapy. Learning to better understand and process your emotions, especially those in social work is the key to a calm mind. Reading a self-care book can be an effective way to check in with yourself, process emotions, and to better understand social work for yourself and as a profession.
Or, there are many sites and opportunities for you to pursue,
- BetterHelp https://www.betterhelp.com/
- Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
- Talk Space https://www.talkspace.com/
Compassion That Knows No Bounds
I’m Wendy Alias, a practicing licensed clinical-level social worker for over 25 years. I’ve turned my vast experience as a manager, professor, and mentor, into founding the Social Work Exam Prep Course. I am a resource for you as a social worker preparing for the exam. I’ve put together all the tools necessary for you to learn at your own pace, enhance your comprehension, and be confident during the ASWB exam. If you have questions, are struggling, or want one-to-one support, please feel free to contact me directly. https://socialworkexamprep.net/contact/.
