Self-Care for Human Service Professionals

As a Social Worker and Clinician, I have learned how to care for myself to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout. In this day, it is even more imperative to operate in self-care. In the field of social work, the term “burnout” has gained popularity. According to Ratcliff (2024), burnout is a psychological disorder brought on by ongoing stress while interacting with people or carrying our duties associated with one’s job.

High job demands, like handling a heavy caseload and going to unfavorable field settings, can contribute to it in social workers. Working with vulnerable groups, time restraints, and a lack of gratitude from superiors or other leaders are additional factors. Not only is this common in the field of social work, but also in other human service professions. 

The human service profession can be emotionally and physically taxing. Therefore, it is imperative that workers have a self-care regime to care for their holistic self. Ratcliff (2024) shares that engaging in self-care helps individuals maintain balance while also attending to the needs of others. 

Prioritizing self-care is crucial as it necessitates both prioritizing one’s well-being before being able to effectively care for others and taking responsibility for self-management and improvement. It also provides an opportunity to give to oneself and receive care and support from others by recognizing the importance of seeking assistance when needed.

From my experience, I submit the following approach to prevent burnout. Emerging and seasoned human service professionals must learn to set firm work-related boundaries. I learned from my 2018 internship that a self-care regime is useless without the establishment of boundaries (Hart, 2024). 

As a practicing social work practitioner, my boundary practice entails taking my lunch breaks, declining invitations for social gatherings, and working hard not to take work home. This includes working on progress notes and other documentation (Hart, 2024). Smullens (2015) notes if we are unable to say “no,” we will never be able to accept opportunities and protect our health. The dedication to incorporating self-care into our lives safeguards the enthusiasm and hard work that brought us to this line of work. Efficacy is impossible without this union. For this reason, our code of ethics has acknowledged self-care as an ethical responsibility of the social worker (Murray, 2021). 

Professionals can implement a plethora of strategies to combat burnout and preserve practitioner welfare. The following best practices for self-care are recommended for social workers and other practitioners: mindfulness practices, physical exercise, social interaction, and creative art engagement (Self-Care for Social Workers: Tips and Strategies, 2022). Mindfulness practice utilizes deep breathing techniques to promote feelings of calmness and assist the body’s management of stress hormones. 

Social workers and human service professionals can decide how they want to engage in physical activity. Data has shown exercise to be a powerful stress reliever, and it enhances mood. This can include pilates, rock climbing, yoga, and weightlifting. Engaging in community and other forms of social interaction to support the social worker’s job can be very effective. 

When people interact positively with their peers, friends, or family, they may experience physiological changes such as lower cortisol levels. Utilizing art can assist social workers with emotional expression. This could include painting, singing, spoken word, dancing, and theatrical activities (Self-Care for Social Workers: Tips and Strategies, 2022).  

References 

Hart, S. (2024). Reflections: A Narrative of a Young Social Worker’s Burnout Experience.  [Unpublished manuscript]. University of Kentucky.

Murray, A. (2021). 2021 Amendments NASW code of ethics: self-care and cultural competence. NASW. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=UyXb_VQ35QA%3d&portalid=0

Ratcliff, M. (2024). Social workers, burnout, and self-care. Delaware Journal of Public Health, 10(1), 26–29. https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2024.03.05

Self-care for social workers: tips and strategies. (2022, December 16). Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. https://onlinesocialwork.vcu.edu/blog/self-care-for-social-workers/ 

Smullens, S. (2015). Burnout and self-care in social work: a guidebook for students and those in mental health and related professions. NASW Press.