by Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, & Dr. Mindy Eaves, DSW, CSW
World Social Work Day takes place on the third Tuesday of March. This annual occasion is designated to have a good time and promote the occupation of social work. This yr’s March 21, 2023, theme is “Respecting Range via Joint Social Motion.”
Throughout the globe, social staff observe in numerous environments. Contexts and different issues differ geographically, culturally, philosophically, and pragmatically. Nevertheless, the well-being of practitioners is a constant core aspect that crosses all boundaries and applies in all conditions. As conveyed within the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) Statement of Ethical Principles, self-care is a vital aspect of moral, efficient observe and, truly, basic human existence. Likewise, the National Association of Social Workers NASW Code of Ethics declares that self-care is “paramount.”
As a part of this World Social Work Day celebration, we take into account the important thing query: How does variety have an effect on our personal self-care and, by extension, our talents to affix others in social motion?
Be Attentive to Our Personal Experiences of Oppression and Marginalization
First, right here’s an often-unrecognized truth: Social workers are human beings. As such, now we have human experiences and dynamics that have an effect on us—negatively, positively, and neutrally. Now we have stressors. Historic and generational trauma don’t simply impression our shoppers and communities. Most social staff deliver numerous, intersectional social identities which were marginalized in compounding methods. We function in techniques embedded in poisonous and multi-faceted oppressive dynamics.
Navigating these dynamics and techniques—each personally and professionally—could be EXHAUSTING! This truth, alone, factors to the essential want for practitioners to take care of ourselves. One type of self-care is acknowledging and studying about how these dynamics have an effect on shoppers and communities and how they have an effect on us—in our observe roles and as human beings. And, then, creating expertise for addressing these. As one among myriad examples, merely having a time period for a phenomenon, equivalent to micro-aggressions/micro-inequities, may give us perception. Then, we are able to develop methods for addressing these dangerous phenomena.
Fostering our personal consciousness, information, and self-compassion helps us reject biases, offset internalized oppression, and advocate for oneself. These are all points of self-care! As nicely, taking note of our personal experiences reinforces the need of guaranteeing that we prioritize enjoyable, pleasure, reflection, respite, relaxation, connection, and attending to primary wants. What soothes, heals, restores you? What retains you breathing absolutely and freely?
Draw Energy, Knowledge, Gratitude, and Pleasure From Our Personal Cultural Backgrounds and Social Identities
Along with being conscious of oppressive forces, our self-care should embrace acknowledging, accessing, and celebrating the strengths of our numerous cultural identities. In oftentimes hidden methods, the dominant tradition insidiously creates narratives and buildings that exclude, reduce, and/or problematize numerous identities.
The resilience, “methods of figuring out,” connections, and celebrations of variety are strengths that nurture our well-being. Reclaiming, reinforcing, and honoring these sides of variety iteratively restores and builds our personal coping, competence, braveness, and compassion. Self-care contains participating our variety for power, knowledge, gratitude, and pleasure to foster the fullest human expertise.
Interact Individualized Self-Care
Self-care has many common points. For instance, all people want relaxation, diet, hydration, motion, connection, and that means. These common human parts have to be attended to as a part of self-care.
Concomitantly, we should honor our numerous identities, explicit life experiences, private circumstances, particular preferences, distinct values, and so forth. That’s, a “one-size-fits-all” self-care plan and strategy doesn’t exist. As an alternative, every of us should determine each common and distinctive points of our self-care. We should honor our variety, which incorporates taking note of our individualized state of affairs. What distinctive challenges and boundaries do you might want to take into account in your self-care? What explicit strengths, assets, values, and views do you deliver?
Joint Social Motion AND Self-Care
We don’t exist just for the service of others. That dangerous fantasy has been imposed on marginalized teams for hundreds of years. We, as human beings, are supposed to not solely serve, however to be sustained. Not simply survive, however thrive. And, in the end, as absolutely human beings: To flourish.
After we take care of selves, individually, we are able to be a part of a various collective in social motion. Our joint connection is stronger, more healthy, simpler, and extra significant. Collectively, via training self-care, joint social motion is strengthened and practitioner well-being prospers.*
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*We—together with co-author Dr. Jay Miller—additional develop this important connection in our guide chapter, “The You (and Me) of Ubuntu: Self-Care as Important for Collective Care” in The Ubuntu Practitioner: Social Work Views. IFSW will launch this thrilling publication on World Social Work Day!
Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, is a Accomplice in The Wellness Group, ETC. This LLC gives analysis, coaching, and session for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals. As a former college member and graduate program director, she and a small (however mighty!) group of colleagues carried out an initiative to advertise self-care as a part of the social work training curriculum. Beforehand, she served in medical and administrative roles. She has expertise with navigating toxicity and dysfunction, up-close and private! Likewise, as an educator, she noticed college students enter the sphere and shortly burn out. As a devoted social employee, she believes the well-being of practitioners is a matter of social justice and human rights. Thus, she is on a mission to advertise self-care and wellness!
Dr. Mindy “Dr. BE” Eaves is Chair and Program Director of the College of Social Work at Kentucky State College, a Whitney M. Younger Scholar, Advisory Board Member of Continued, guide for the Wellness Group ETC, and co-editor of The A to Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Employees and different Serving to Skilleds. She holds a Doctorate in Social Work and has 17 years of expertise within the areas of ombudsing, management, administration, social work training, baby welfare, neighborhood psychological well being, and advocacy.
