Description
Review pages 123–126 of the assigned reading in The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook and the NASW core values. What are some of your core values, and how do they relate to the profession’s values? Have you experienced times of “losing yourself” and your core values? How do your values relate to self-care? Consider how self-care is an ethical obligation. What does this consideration mean for your practice?
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SOWK 250
DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
The student will complete four Discussions in this course. The student will post one thread of at
least 350 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of the assigned Module: Week. Each thread
must demonstrate course-related knowledge supported by at least one citation from the course
materials and at least one biblical principle. The student must then post two replies of at least
150-250 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of the assigned Module: Week. Each reply must
support assertions with course-related knowledge or at least one biblical principle or at least one
scholarly citation. All posts and citations must be in current APA format.
1. It is best to avoid using direct quotations from the textbook or any other source (except
possibly a short Scripture verse) in any of your threads or replies. These submissions must be
paraphrased in your own words so that you clearly demonstrate your mastery of the material.
2. Do not attach a Microsoft Word document; rather, type directly into the textbox or copy and
paste from a Microsoft Word document directly into the textbox.
3. Be conversational but stay on topic. Do not simply repeat information you find in our
textbook, but incorporate your ideas and unique perspectives. After you write your thread
and reply posts, compare what you have written to the assignment instructions and grading
rubric to ensure that you have addressed each required element.
4. When required, include citations and references in current APA format.
5. Finally, proofread your work carefully to catch spelling, capitalization, grammar, and
sentence structure errors. Refer to the grading rubric to ensure an outstanding grade.
U R Worth It
Learning that I am worth engaging in self-care wasn’t easy. In a society where employers are not
required to pro-vide paid vacations for employees, self-care is not a high priority in the United States
(Mohn, 2013). Paid time off is not valued and, therefore, is not required. The modern norm is to go, go,
go until you crash, crash, crash.
And crash is exactly what I did three years ago. While working a high stress, high demand job in
social services, I nearly lost everything that was important to me. I hope that by sharing my discovery of
the critical need for self-care, you will also recognize a need in your own life. With a sense of worthiness
for self-care and priority setting, we can all lead less stressed and more productive lives.
Discovering My Worth
My grandmother always said, “Sweet Cake, stress will kill you.” She was almost right. I worked so
much that I did not take time for my family or myself. My health began to deteriorate. For most of my
adult life, I had lived with migraines. But, increasingly, they came more often and the in-tensity was
worse each time. As a result, I began to evaluate the role my job was playing in the condition of my
health and neglect for self-care.
I began to ponder what brought me to this point. Why had I neglected my family and my health?
At the time, self-care was not on my radar. My day was filled with a stressful and never-ending job that
often took over my nights and weekends. I did not feel I was worth engaging in “me time.” I had a small
child, worked, and had a husband. Being in a helping profession, such as social work, I suspect I was not
alone in putting self-care on the back burner.
Shaw (2013) discussed mothers being first responders and needing to engage in self-care/me
time in order to respond well. Further, Shaw said we are more responsive and enjoyable to be around
when we take time for ourselves. This information is also true for social workers. Often, social workers
are the first responders to very complex issues and, therefore, should strive to maintain a level of
balance to best serve clients in their time of greatest need. In her blog, Goldman (2013) wrote, “If
everyone else around you is worthy of care and attention, then, so are you.” (See Aware-ness entry
regarding self-compassion.)
After realizing my health and closest relationships were in shambles, I began a journey of
restoration. I vowed that I would never take my family or my life for granted again. Although the start of
my journey began with the evaluation of my health and stressful job, self-care came to fruition in my first
year as a social work graduate student. In the MSW program, I began to develop the skills needed in selfcare and cultivating a self-care plan that was SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time
limited). (See Appendix A—Self-Care Planning Form.) Implementing a plan, I soon learned the
importance of prioritizing self-care.
Learning to POP: Prioritize, Organize, and Partialize
Learning to prioritize isn’t an easy task, either. Priority setting is not just about how and when to
complete tasks. Priority setting is also about making myself a priority and not feeling guilty about it.
Goldman (2013) suggests setting aside 15-30 minutes daily to make “you” a priority. This prioritizing can
be reading a book, taking a walk, or watching your favorite television show. When I take time for myself, I
am present in mind, body, and spirit—not just physically. I am able to truly enjoy my family, and they
enjoy me.
Prioritizing is also about the inevitable array of tasks we must complete. From going to the
grocery store to completing labor-intensive assignments for graduate school, I prioritize my
commitments and activities. Grise-Owens (2008) provides helpful advice for graduate students seeking a
degree in social work; she uses the acronym “POP” (prioritize, organize, and partialize). This advice is
applicable to everyone, not just students seeking a degree in social work.
I organize! I put activities on my planner. I make lists for meetings, assignments, deadlines, and
even my daughter’s activities. I partialize! I break assignments, work projects, and home projects into
increments so they are not as over-whelming. I prioritize! This prioritizing includes scheduling self-care,
including time for myself to catch up with friends and family. It is part of my self-care plan. (See Yes List
entry for more discussion on this idea.)
My experience in being a mom, wife, employee, and student may differ somewhat from others’
experiences. Leading a stressful life is not restricted to married individuals with children; everyone leads
busy, stressful lives. To some degree, it is the nature of the society in which we live. Social workers need
to recognize the necessity of taking care of ourselves to better take care of those we serve.
Each of us is on a journey to discover one’s self-worth in self-care. My journey took some twists
and turns. But, in the end, I realized that self-care allows me to be a better mother, wife, social worker,
citizen, friend, daughter, and sister. When I take time for myself, I am refreshed, focused, and present.
I learned that setting priorities begins with making myself a priority. Not taking time for
ourselves causes us to be out of balance and lose sight of what is really important in life (Goldman,
2013). Cooper (2015) emphasizes the im-portance of discipline and prioritization in dealing with the
“busy-ness” of our lives. For me, an excellent week in self-care is being prepared, organized, and tackling
projects incrementally. Self-care is what each of us makes of it. I hope sharing my experience can
encourage you to realize UR worth it!
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