Hello
I'm hoping to get some advice on how to switch off at the end of the day! Im newly qualified and am lacking in strategies.
Currently I am thinking about work all evening and recently have been dreaming about work too. I also think about work on the weekend ...friday evenings I talk over the week with other social workers which I find helpful, saturday I still think things over and on Sunday I prepare for the next week again. I have a long journey to and from work by train and so leave early and get home late.
I'm not overly stressed about anything in particular, I just find it difficult to leave my work head at work.
Ive been advised that visualising leaving things like my diary on my desk as I leave the office would be helpful, but i havent found this to be the case.
any suggestions gratefully received!!
Hi...I will be interested to hear your replies as I too have a similar problem.
I have, however been managing better than before as I know I have the propesity to bu unable to switch off.
I like to have a bath or shower when I get home to try and 'wash' the day off me. One thing I have done a couple of times is to take my worries/thoughts/things I dont want to forget and I will email myself from bed and then collect the email at work in the morning and deal with these things then!!
My OH and I agree to have a time on a Friday when we reflect on our week over a beer then try and leave it at that. As I am a student I still write my reflective journal most weeks and that helps to get it on paper and not in my head.
I have always been a person who struggles to leave work at work and don't expect a miraculous change over night but I am getting better.
Hi
Just wondering what areas of social work you both work in?
Hi, I am a student in a children and families team.
I have always had a problem switching off no matter what job....including when I ran a pub and woke up to find myself standing at my bedroom window shouting 'who want turkey' one rather stressful Christmas!!!!!!
I am not finding the work overly stressful but more just working through things in my head. i wish we could have a pensieve like Dumbledore to store our thoughts until we have time to deal with them!!!
you're not alone in not being able to switch off from work, lots of SW's have the same problem. I've had dreams about work and often wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts of what i've got to do the next day, in fact I keep a notebook by my bed so I can scribble stuff in as I think of it!
My biggest fear is forgetting to do something really important
Come Sunday tea time my thoughts are on the coming week ahead, preparing and wondering what the coming week will bring.
Love the idea of 'washing the day away' might try that :)
This issue came up a lot in my last social care job and we worked on it on a training day - this is what we came up with. It worked for us, so hope its useful.
Before you leave work, write down any of the things that are buzzing round in your head, and anything you have to do first thing. Leave the list at work. Assure yourself that you can allow the rest to leave your brain that evening as you have the concrete stuff down and anything else can wait.
If possible plan something in immediately after work that you have to concentrate on. In my team, going to the gym, cycling home from work, reading a chapter of a book or trying out a new recipie for tea were the favourites! Doing this straight from work can act as a buffer between work and home. TV doesn't work because it doens't engage us enough.
The idea above about the shower is a good one - we also tried keeping work clothes and home clothes separate, and getting changed when we got home. Similarly using a work handbag and a 'home' bag, so we cut that association.
The last one came from our manager - she told us when we started thinking about work, to tell ourselves that we work better after a rest. Might sound daft, but I suppose part of the problem is we're concientous about our work and feel a bit guilty about forgetting it, even if it is just for a few hours!
Like has been said we are creatures of association so keeping things phisicaly seperate can help. i love the idea of washing the week away.
How do I de-frag? Well spending time with friends who have nothing to do with social work, and are not really that interested in social work, is really good. My gf has nothing to do with social services and, although she finds it interesting sometimes, does not really want to hear me talk shop all the time....so we talk about other things....like pets we may like My other friends come from so many different jobs we find we hardly ever talk about our own jobs so we just chat about anything....its amazing for forgetting about work.
My second bit of advice is DO something with your time thats for you, like a hobby. Something you have passion for is very distracting....in fact you may find it distracts you in the week. i love a project....like painting...and i really look forward to getting on with that work when i have free time.
I find if i just sit and chill out without motivation my mind wanders back to stress subjects.
"We speak, and the word goes out beyond us, to consequences and ends which we had not conceived of." - Gadamer
A hobby is a brill way of forgetting about work. I go to aerobics classes and the gym and sometimes tennis in the summer. I may say before I started going I was the least energetic person in the world and dredded the thought of dragging myself to the gym after work but you do get used to it. As I'm with friends and a family member runs the class we usually end up on a heap in the floor laughing at ourselves trying to be sporty when we just aren't. I seem to forget about work which is great. If I'm sat at home doing nothing I usually keep coming up with things I have to do and although I write lists I keep thinking to myself "try to not forget to do this and that". My sister is a beauty therapist so I get some nice pampering on the cheap and my boyfriend is a musician so I go to music gigs which is a great way to forget work also.
I concur with all the other posters here. I work with adults but we have a massive waiting list of urgent cases and I used to worry each night about what would happen to them without support. I tried the 'put it in a bag and dump it in the river, on the way home, then pick it up in the morning' technique, without a huge amount of success. so now:
I write a 'to do list' before I go home, and have started a variety of hobbies. You have to have something that totally engages your brain otherwise it doesn't work. I have found doing Tai Chi classes really helpful. The moves are quite complicated to try and learn and you have to really concentrate but it is very relaxing as well. Drawing and reading I have also found to be good, or even just going out and walking the dog before I go to bed. I just try and fill my spare time with 'stuff', the only problem is, I now find it very hard to just sit down and relax.....but you can't have everything.
I also think things are much harder when you are a student or newly qualified. You don' t have a lot of experience or knowledge generally and you just worry about everything. I have been qualifed for three and a half years now and I am much calmer that I was in my first year, when everything is new and you have to learn everything from scratch. Just hang in there....it will get better.
You might find that as you gain more experience and come to realise that every issue will resolve itself one way or another, and that todays problem is tomorrows anecdote, you will brood less.
You might try some form of meditation, a simple body scan mediation is excellent if you can't nod off at night................there are loads of free guides on the web. I agree that tai chi is good, as is yoga, which will also help with breathing techniques and meditation.
novem: Hello I'm hoping to get some advice on how to switch off at the end of the day! Im newly qualified and am lacking in strategies. Currently I am thinking about work all evening and recently have been dreaming about work too. I also think about work on the weekend ...friday evenings I talk over the week with other social workers which I find helpful, saturday I still think things over and on Sunday I prepare for the next week again. I have a long journey to and from work by train and so leave early and get home late. I'm not overly stressed about anything in particular, I just find it difficult to leave my work head at work. Ive been advised that visualising leaving things like my diary on my desk as I leave the office would be helpful, but i havent found this to be the case. any suggestions gratefully received!!
Sit at home smoking Crystal Meth, drinking straight Jack Daniels, listening to Nine Inch Nails and wishing you'd done something else with your life.
Could I change your 'advice' to vodka and Radiohead please!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU for all your your suggestions.
Ive started on the vodka and nine inch nails technique. I'll let you know how it works out!!
I have also started to take a much smaller bag to work which means I leave all the papers and other work related bits and bobs at work. This is working really well as I used to literally carry around loads of work stuff all day everyday.
Crucially im also going on "wellbeing" training soon.. i'll let you know any particularly interesting / useful techniques I pick up.
thanks again!
novem: THANK YOU for all your your suggestions. Ive started on the vodka and nine inch nails technique. I'll let you know how it works out!! I have also started to take a much smaller bag to work which means I leave all the papers and other work related bits and bobs at work. This is working really well as I used to literally carry around loads of work stuff all day everyday. Crucially im also going on "wellbeing" training soon.. i'll let you know any particularly interesting / useful techniques I pick up. thanks again!
i'm very fortunate in that i've never been troubled by the anxieties of bringing work home with me.
1. you are more important than anything that happens at work, you are even more important than anything that happens at work when you are not there!
2. the work will still be done when you are not there.
3. ALWAYS look at your work with humour (the blacker the humour the better, no matter the scenario) that is an excelletn buffer between you and the terrible things we have to work with daily. if you take it all very seriously it is difficult to unwind from that. that does NOT mean you don't take your actual client contact seriosly.
4. use anxiety management techniques such as deep breathing, muscle tension at work. when you get anxious, use them.
5. chances are your managers are twits, remember that as well.
6. there are people who do much more difficult jobs and are not anxious about them, a good perspective.
7. i NEVER bring any work home with me, time management is essential.
8. if you cannot do, or feel uncomfortable doing something say so.
titchmagoo: 2. the work will still be done when you are not there. 3. ALWAYS look at your work with humour (the blacker the humour the better, no matter the scenario) that is an excelletn buffer between you and the terrible things we have to work with daily. if you take it all very seriously it is difficult to unwind from that. that does NOT mean you don't take your actual client contact seriosly.
agree and agree, very important to remember both of these points
titchmagoo: 5. chances are your managers are twits, remember that as well.
only if they really are, some are very good, it is more important to work out which are and which aren't!
titchmagoo: 7. i NEVER bring any work home with me, time management is essential. 8. if you cannot do, or feel uncomfortable doing something say so.
again both very important points
Thanks Titch you put them better than I ever could
Thank you Titchmagoo, for a brilliant post. It took me almost to the end of my first 100day placement to sort these out in my mind, and I'm just trying to remember what I learned in terms of these sort of things as I start my next one, so it's so good to see them all in one concise post! I might even print them and paste them in the front of my diary for easy reminders when needed
totally agree with titchmagoo and have to say I can very easily switch off... my family and myself are my only concern after 5, its got to be that way or we would "melt down". No one thinks anymore of you at work either. Always do what you can when your at work so your not left wondering
I have a 45 min drive to work and I use this productively. At the end of the day I use it to mull over what has happened and go over in my head what I need to do next day. In the mornings I repeat the process. it seems to work
great post tich but you could have made it a 10 pointer ;)
Just one thing though, when you say never take your work home, what do you do when you have a cp conference report or a court report that you need to do but haven't had time to do it? you have no choice but to take it home, or to stay late at the office, personally i'd rather take it home and sit in the comfort of my home with my pj's on. I'd love to have the guts to refuse to do work like that, but sadly I dont
jelly_tot04: great post tich but you could have made it a 10 pointer ;) Just one thing though, when you say never take your work home, what do you do when you have a cp conference report or a court report that you need to do but haven't had time to do it? you have no choice but to take it home, or to stay late at the office, personally i'd rather take it home and sit in the comfort of my home with my pj's on. I'd love to have the guts to refuse to do work like that, but sadly I dont
if my time managmement has not been up to scratch i stay at work. i have NEVER taken work home. it's very rare i work on for an hour or two.
titchmagoo: if my time managmement has not been up to scratch i stay at work. i have NEVER taken work home. it's very rare i work on for an hour or two.
It's often not a case of poor time management though is it? I often plan my days and then a case goes pear shaped or you're needed to cover duty or a contact or any number of plausable reasons
Hi Titch, Loved your last sentence !!!!!
I think this is a very important point. A family and childcare worker, I am working with a very high case load, with court dates imminent. I am having to work evenings and weekends, and to be honest I would resent any implication that this is to do with my time management. I am working to do my best for the children i work with, and am under pressure to produce records, reports and complete high levels of visits. This should not be put down to the incomptence of individual workers, or an inability to organise or plan, it should be seen for what it is, unfeasibly high workloads and pressures on workers.
It isn't anything to do with your time management but it is to do with you as an individual, you need to make representations on a high level about the excessive caseload you have using a time and motion exercise. You need to empower yourseklf and refuse work and make representations to Court that you cannot file on time because of your unrecognised excessive case load. After all, if you cant empower and make representations about yourself you certainly shouldn't be doing it on behalf of vulnerable people.
This may sound over critical, it isn't meant to be, but if workers like you, who are working to the benefit of the children and families you represent, will not make a stand and demand change then you are letting down the hardcore of us that are trying to implement changes that will benefit workers and in turn the families we represent. We will get nowhere and the status quo of social work will be workers that will accept that they effectively work at nights and weekends unpaid to the detriment of their own physical and mental health and the detriment of their own families. This is playing right into the hands of our oppressive managers who only care about stats. and returns and who will replace you without thought when you burn out.
No, I absolutely take your point, we have a responsibility to be assertive, not only for our own wellbeing, but most importantly for those people we work for (ie service users). However, I can't help but feel increasingly frustrated that managers count on our exhaustion to prevent us from taking action. I think they realise that we are pushed to a point where we no longer have the energy to fully protect ourselves or those we work with. In saying that, I have continued to fight for the level of supervision which I, and my team leader agreed to for example.
The court issue is a whole different problem. I'm not a worker in England, so can't comment on the climate you work in, but where I work, it is made very clear that the Court has little or no respect for us as professionals. I'd be very interested in your experiences as a social worker within the Court. I completely agree that the problem is a structural one, that we collectively need to face up to.
I have been fortunate and done alot of work in a regional family hearing centre where it was known that there were innordinate pressures being applied to all social workers and very high vacancy rates, the judiciary had sympathy for us and some understanding; however you were still fair game for defence barristers
molly04: I think this is a very important point. A family and childcare worker, I am working with a very high case load, with court dates imminent. I am having to work evenings and weekends, and to be honest I would resent any implication that this is to do with my time management. I am working to do my best for the children i work with, and am under pressure to produce records, reports and complete high levels of visits. This should not be put down to the incomptence of individual workers, or an inability to organise or plan, it should be seen for what it is, unfeasibly high workloads and pressures on workers.
taking on too much work is about time management, it's not safe and can be seen as being irresponsible.if something goes wrong you will be asked, 'but why did you not say/do something about the workload'.good time management is crucial to not suffering spells of anxiety or not coping with the job ie. i'm so busy/stressed.
Just to clarify, I'm well aware of the importance of raising these issues with management, and do, for example, insist that my concerns are noted within supervision records when I feel it is necessary. However, I have found that management are adept at playing the numbers game to their advantage, and cases can all too often fail to be acknowledged for how complex/time consuming they are. Like I said, I do not think it is helpful to criticise individual workers for their time management, the majority of us work very hard! I think that it would be totally unfair if workers were accused of not doing anything about the situation if they had consistently said/done things to flag their concerns. However, we are employees, and are placed in situations were we must respond to the work we are given.
molly04: Just to clarify, I'm well aware of the importance of raising these issues with management, and do, for example, insist that my concerns are noted within supervision records when I feel it is necessary. However, I have found that management are adept at playing the numbers game to their advantage, and cases can all too often fail to be acknowledged for how complex/time consuming they are. Like I said, I do not think it is helpful to criticise individual workers for their time management, the majority of us work very hard! I think that it would be totally unfair if workers were accused of not doing anything about the situation if they had consistently said/done things to flag their concerns. However, we are employees, and are placed in situations were we must respond to the work we are given.
have to disagree, i think it is perfectlty fair and acceptable for individual workers (in an appropriate setting) to be critcised by a manager because of their poor time management or taking on too much work (or whatever else). i hate this 'let's not criticise individual's' philosophy. if someone is making a mess and making bad decision's they should be chinned for it. why should i accept blame for someone who cannot time manage and takes work home when i manage it perfectly well and never take work home.it's not my fault i can do it and they cannot.
Hello all, I am a researcher at the University of Surrey in the Department of Psychology. Although the discussion began over a year ago, I thought this might be of interest to you. We are currently trialling an audio-guided relaxation technique that may be helpful for people who have trouble switching off from work in their free time. If you decide to take part, you will be able to do the relaxation technique in your own home and in your own time. You will receive a free mp3 player and a pair of earphones in exchange for your participation. If you are interesting in taking part, please add me as a friend or leave me a comment and I will send you more details. Many thanks, Anisha Tailor
*This study has been approved by the University of Surrey's Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences Ethics Committee.
Agree 100% with Titchmagoo.
I see a lot of workers becoming involved in issues that they neither have a duty or power to be involved in. Its a job and thats all it is to me. I dont give that much of myself for myself to be harmed after I go home.
that does not mean that i do not care about the work but I am clear that I will not take work home and never will. If the manager is not happy then they can either do it themselves or be realistic about workloads.
I personally found out how to switch off after work by being in the same place as the original poster and it grinds you down. I changed careers and decided that this was not going to happen again so I decided I would do what I could reasonably do and accept that if this was not enough, then so be it.