To celebrate Social Worker Appreciation Month, we want to take a moment to shout out the phenomenal team of social workers on staff at Safe Shores.
We truly believe in the power of taking care to give care, and want to encourage all social workers to make themselves a priority this month, and every month, by practicing #selfcare. We asked our social workers on staff how they practice self-care. Scroll through their self-care tips below and join us in saying THANK YOU, social workers! You make our work possible.
Kalphria – LICSW
How Kalphria Practices Self-Care:
I enjoy listening to music, traveling (when it’s safe), spending time with loved ones, doing something artsy and taking long baths.
Lisa – LICSW, LCSW-C
How Lisa Practices Self-Care:
Being in nature has really kept me grounded during the past year. Above is a picture that I took to send to a client. He asked for a picture of me on a “nature walk” as we had often talked together about the healing power of being outside.
Katie – LGSW
How Katie Practices Self-Care:
My self-care practice is art (my favorite art is makeup artistry and painting). Art is a great way to ground yourself by being mindful of the colors and technique being used. Given that the left side of the brain tends to rationalize a stressful situation, then I find it calming to stimulate my right side of the brain. The right side of the brain is creative and helps calm what the left side will rationalize. So art is often calming to me!
Jocelyn – LMSW
How Jocelyn Practices Self-Care:
Tip 1: Boundaries! I’m learning each day how important boundary-setting is in balancing the many facets of life. I can’t say yes to everything and everyone cannot have access to me all the time. I create windows of time for my priorities and protect them by respectfully saying, “NO.”
Tip 2: Find joy in every moment! There is always something to complain or stress about but focusing on those things steals your joy. From drinking green tea out of my Frida Kahlo mug, to intentionally retreating to my car to enjoy some music and vitamin D, I am super intentional about seeking joyful experiences every day. The little things add up for me!
Sarafina – LGSW
How Sarafina Practices Self-Care:
I have been working really hard to re-frame what “self-care” means. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive. It can be cooking a homemade meal, taking a long shower, or reading a book. Lately, my self-care has been a morning walk while listening to music.
Natalie – LGSW
How Natalie Practices Self-Care:
A self-care practice that helps keep me grounded is crocheting. These are a few pictures of some projects I have completed and one of the materials I use.
Cara – LICSW
How Cara Practices Self-Care:
Self-care can truly be ANYTHING that helps you feel a little more grounded, a little more calm, and have a little more space to think. My favorite self-care practices are those that are free and don’t take any extra time, as there already aren’t enough hours in the day to juggle the many roles we all balance. For me, drinking coffee or tea every morning brings me a little extra joy and is something I can do either from my couch or while I work. Take it an extra step and try to be really mindful when you take a sip – noticing the smell, the taste, the warmth – to help you feel more grounded.
