Social workers have difficult jobs. Not only is the work stressful but it is full of frequent disappointment. Many of the people who need the services of a social worker find themselves in this situation as a last resort. Unfortunately, they don’t always take to the services.
Frequent failure. Stress. Maybe even anxiety. These are all frequent experiences of even the well-seasoned social worker. Developing a carefully chosen wellness routine can help you navigate these hurdles and live a healthier life in the process. What values can help you heal from work-related stress? Let’s get into it.
Fuel Up
You wouldn’t set out for a road trip with your car on empty. Nor should you start your work day already feeling drained and worn out. There are a few things you can do to make sure you have adequate energy to start your day:
- Get good sleep– Only about 35% of adults report getting the 7-8 hours of sleep that doctors recommend. While you might feel functional with less, there are reasons this is the recommendation. Getting enough sleep not only allows you to start your day feeling a little better—it literally helps your body manage stress, anxiety, and even injury. It’s during sleep that your body performs so much of the maintenance that keeps you functional throughout the day. It’s actually for this reason that inadequate levels of sleep are associated with higher instances of dementia and Alzheimers.
- Prioritize nutrition- The “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” campaign might have been mostly a ploy to sell more cereal. There is, however, at least a kernel of truth to the advice. Think about it this way. If you go to work at 9 AM without eating breakfast it might be 15-16 hours since your last meal. Your body has shed a lot of energy in that time.
The good news is that neither one of these recommendations is hard or unpleasant. They do require a little bit of planning. Both benefit from a sensible bedtime. Sleep studies consistently show that having a fixed bedtime routine can dramatically strengthen your rest cycles.
Pick a bedtime that will give you time for the doctor-recommended eight hours. Make sure there is also time for a healthy breakfast before you leave the house.
Coffee Time?
Wellness is all about optimizing your body’s chemistry to work for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t drink coffee. It does mean you should consider getting strategic with when you do it.
Doctors recommend waiting 60-90 minutes before you drink coffee in the morning. Why? While you sleep, your body slowly accumulates cortisol—actually the chemical responsible for stress.
It’s cortisol that allows you to wake up and be immediately alert(ish). The time it takes for those cortisol levels to rise naturally, and then decline sustainably is just over an hour. Coffee interrupts the natural cortisol cycle that is supposed to take place.
If you wait for your brain to do what it needs to, you’ll soften the eventual caffeine “crash,” by allowing your body to get used to burning its own energy without relying only on caffeine.
Do you absolutely have to follow this advice? No. However, if you are able to make it work, it will allow you to into work that much more fortified.
Stay in the Moment
Mindfulness is a “buzzword,” of sorts but as a concept, it’s been around for thousands of years. From Seneca and Marcus Areleus to Thoreau at Walden Pond philosophers have been encouraging us to stay rooted in the moment for centuries.
Unfortunately, it’s never been harder. Thoreau retreated into the woods to escape the modern conveniences of inventions like the train. We have TikTok.
Why does mindfulness work? Here’s the simplest reason—no matter how stressed you are feeling, chances are pretty good that the exact moment you are in is manageable. Obviously, there are exceptions to this—situations where your immediate safety is in jeopardy, for example. But how often does that happen?
Most of the time, when people are upset it is because they are on the wrong side of “past/future orientation.” You’re upset not about what you are doing but because you’re half focused on something that already has happened or something you are worried will happen.
Let’s say you are seated across from the most difficult person on your caseload. You are explaining to them how it is their last chance to do X, Y, and Z. You are stressed because you remember similar conversations with this same person, none of which were very effective. You’re upset because you know what will happen if they don’t get this right.
How Bad is the Actual Conversation?
Mindfulness doesn’t mean ignoring the past or the future. Both are relevant to the hypothetical conversation described above. The key is to avoid getting overly emotional about things that are beyond your immediate concern.
Find Happiness Through Natural Means
There are certain habits and behaviors that are known to improve the way people feel naturally. Getting outside. Exercising. Limiting screen time. These can be challenging behaviors to integrate into your routine, but most people find that with just a little bit of effort, it’s easier than first assumed.
The secret might lie in the third factor: Limiting screen time. “I don’t have time to exercise,” you might think. “I certainly don’t have more time to get outside.”
For some people, those statements might be true. However, if you are spending two hours on Instagram every day, maybe rethink your perspective.
Instead of scrolling after dinner, go on a run. Instead of watching YouTube during your lunch break, eat while taking a walk through the park.
It’s easy to reach for your phone when you are feeling stressed. Screen time provides a short-term dopamine release that simply put, feels good.
Unfortunately, the quick rush you feel when you zone out on your phone isn’t a sustainable boost.
Healthy habits, on the other hand, can improve your emotional baseline. It may take you a little longer to see the benefits, but they will be more sustainable when you do feel them.
The important thing is to focus on developing a routine around which you can live a happy and full life. Workplace stress never goes away, but the way you deal with it can have a HUGE impact on your overall quality of life.
Conclusion
Being a social worker comes with an emotional toll—frequent stress, setbacks, and the feeling of pouring into others with little left for yourself. But your well-being matters just as much as the lives you strive to help. By building a thoughtful wellness routine that includes proper sleep, mindful nutrition, delayed caffeine intake, intentional screen time, and mindfulness, you equip yourself not only to endure the demands of your work but to thrive through them. The challenges may not disappear, but with the right habits, you can meet them with more energy, balance, and resilience each day.
Disclaimer: The content on Wellness Derive is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare provider for medical concerns.
