Self-Care Strategies

Self care prevents burnout, reduces the negative effects of stress, helps you refocus and is beneficial for your overall well-being.

  • Join professional and personal groups you enjoy.
  • Ask for help if you need it.
  • Build downtime into your day.
  • Conduct regular reality checks.
  • Put up relaxing photos of people or places that are important to you and look at them often.
  • Pace yourself – make time for unplanned events.
  • Diversify your work activities to provide variety in daily routines.
  • Keep up with technology. Take computer classes. Watch YouTube videos to learn a new skill on the computer (e.g., Excel, Word, etc.)
  • Take vacations.
  • When you return from vacation plan another one to anticipate.
  • Try to change the little things that gnaw at you if you can’t change the bigger things.
  • Manage your time wisely.
  • Learn to prioritize.
  • Meditate
  • Have a greenspace in your surroundings.
  • Take naps.
  • Eat well.
  • Read something fun for yourself.
  • Set realistic goals.
  • Have regular supervision with your supervisor.
  • Celebrate interventions that do make a difference.
  • Recognize small successes.
  • Develop ways to manage grief as you need to.
  • Keep work at work.
  • Set professional and personal boundaries at work.
  • Take care of yourself; no one else will do it for you.
  • Take lunch breaks.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Take a walk at lunch.
  • Delegate if you can.
  • Keep up social outlets and supports.
  • Learn to recognize warning signs of stress.
  • Recognize when a personal disaster, experience, or loss interferes with your effectiveness.
  • Balance work and home life.
  • Celebrate the social work profession.
  • Offer solutions to problems versus negativity.
  • Laugh A LOT.
  • Don’t forget your strengths!
  • Take time to do the things you enjoy.
  • Limit your work day.
  • Do work in smaller chucks.
  • Rotate from high stress to low stress functions.
  • Figure out if you are a morning person – if so do tasks that require more brain power in the morning when you have more energy.
  • Make self-care a priority