It's interesting to me that the very professionals to whom we are supposed to turn for stress relief solutions and help with stress management, suffer from stress more than many other people. And it's not only social workers who suffer from stress, it's psychologists, counselors, doctors, physician assistants, nurses and any other professional person who works with people in crisis.
First of all, the volume of work itself can be overwhelming, not to mention the associated forms one has to complete in order to be at least partially paid for one's work. Plus, hearing about clients' and patients' very real pain, day after day, can be hard to take after awhile.
If you are a social worker, psychologist, nurse, or other helping professional, you owe it to yourself to make sure the effects of stress don't ruin your health, and by extension, your career. Take some time everyday, even if it's only fifteen minutes, to quiet your body and mind. Nature is especially restorative and you don't have to excape to St. John's to take advantage of it. Simply walking outside, placing a green plant in your office or taking breaks to look out into a green setting have all been proven to have good effects in helping to increase your stress resiliency.
So take care of yourself. Not only will you benefit, but so will your clients, patients and family as well.
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