Self-Care Practices That Might Benefit Me as a Student and a Professional Social Worker

Self-Care Practices That Might Benefit Me as a Student and a Professional Social Worker

McGarrigle, T., & Walsh, C. A. (2011). Mindfulness, self-care, and wellness in social work: Effects of contemplative training. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 30(3), 212-233.

This article talks about contemplative practices such as mindfulness as preventative and coping strategies for self-care. It examines the effectiveness of eight-week contemplative practice training to increase awareness, self-care, and coping mechanisms for twelve human service workers. In their results, it is found that a meditative model shows that increased awareness via mindfulness enhances self-care and positively affects the services of social workers. This article will, therefore help me understand some mindfulness approaches to taking care of myself in the indulging work environment of social workers and as a student.

Smullens, S. K. (2019, July 17). I wish I had known about burnout and self-care in our social work profession. SocialWorker.com. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/field-placement/What_I_Wish_I_Had_Known_Burnout_and_Self-Care_in_Our_Social_Work_Profession/

In this article, Smullens, the author, talks about what social work professionals go through, including burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress, particularly for social workers who work with trauma victims. Based on her experience, she has written on some of the strategies of self-care as a remedy for burnout. For example, she writes on the importance of receiving peer group support, engaging in non-professional activities, employing stimulus control, seeking personal therapy, and using skills in other ways that replenish one. This article will help me effectively balance my work and mental health by learning to relieve stress, burnout, and trauma.

Stebnicki, M.A. (2008). Empathy Fatigue: Healing the Mind, Body, and Spirit of Professional Counselors. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Noting that counselors and other human service professionals/social workers are so much affected by the systems, families, groups, and individuals they serve, this book focuses on attending to social workers’ understanding of their empathy fatigue. The book gives a clear picture of empathy fatigue from the perspective of spirit, body, and mind. It also discusses strategies for treating empathy fatigue and foundational approaches to self-care, such as awareness meditation, listening, and breathing. This book will help me employ breathing exercises, meditation, and listening techniques starting as a student and prepare me to deal with empathy fatigue in my profession effectively.

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Find three sources that provide information about self-care practices that might benefit you as a student and professional social worker. The sources should include:
1 book (book can be physical, eBook, textbook, or audiobook)
1 journal article
1 website.
Prepare a reference list that includes all three sources using the APA 7 citation guide.