Transcript for Episode 48: Self-Care for Social Workers

Greg Wright:
Welcome to Social Work Talks. My name is Greg Wright. Our nation and the world are dealing with a coronavirus outbreak. Across the nation, schools are closing, public events are being canceled and restaurants are being asked to not open their dining rooms to the public. This pandemic will offer new challenges to social workers who are trying to help their clients. But what should social workers do to help themselves? Today's Social Work Talks speaks with NASW member and author Kristin Lee. Lee is an expert on self care. Kristin, hi, welcome to Social Work Talks Podcast. Glad to have you back.

Kristin Lee:
It's great to be here, Greg. Thanks for having me.

Greg Wright:
Now, we are in a very stressful time now with a coronavirus pandemic upon us. And if you're a social worker out there and you're working with a client that might have it, what are ways that they can't be so like worried or upset over this?

Kristin Lee:
Yeah, indeed. It's certainly a sobering time and I think it's bringing out a lot of good in people. I think as human beings we are wired for resilience and we're capable of enormous acts of solidarity and kindness and wisdom and demonstrations of resilience. But I think particularly for the social work community, where our ethos and our mandate is to really show up and to be of service in times of trouble and obviously with a particular desire to protect the most vulnerable. So I think for any of our fellow colleagues out there that are in the front lines, not only are they doing emotional labor, but they also might be feeling that they're putting themselves at a particular risk — our hearts go out to all of you as colleagues.

And I think it's really a time where an extra measure of self care is prudent. And so just a sense of harnessing all the resources that are available to each of us to protect ourselves. And that can come in a lot of forms, like obviously excellent health protocol, but then also the mental health aspect. How do we especially think about what we could put into place given the fact that we can't necessarily isolate or social distance because of our call for service?

Greg Wright:
Yeah. So is it an important thing to like have as much information as possible or is it possible to have information overkill here where you're just like overwhelmed with it?

Kristin Lee:
Yeah, this is an interesting time. I think if we think about like our grandparents and great grandparents and the different levels of crisis or pandemic they've had to endure in their generation, the World Health Organization has called this current state as an infodemic, which I find just a great framing, and a way that I've been framing it in my writing and my public work is hype contagion or information contagion. I think there comes a point where it becomes really challenging, right? Because we want to be apprised of what's happening so we can have the latest information and be able to make really thoughtful decisions. But having said that even before this crisis, we're very much tethered to our technology. We're always under kind of the barrage of breaking news alerts, having to kind of taken a lot of information and make sense of it very quickly.

And I think at this time, again, we do have to use prudence and make sure that we know what's happening so we can protect ourselves and those we influence and those we love and take care of. But we also have to make sure we're setting boundaries around information. And I think Greg, one thing I think a lot about is we're social workers, we're trained, we have a particular training that's very versatile. But I know for myself, I don't have a dual expertise in public health, for example. So I can certainly do my due diligence and research and try to go to the best experts and the best sources like WHO or CDC and others. But I think in that, I think we have to have a measure of intellectual humility and to realize that we have to be careful who we're getting information from.

So if we're just looking to our fees and we're looking to just everybody else's information, it might kind of put us into too much of a panic attack. And what's interesting is sometimes with panic it can actually sort of have like a reverse effect and cause extremes in denial. So I think at this time it's wise for us to not be in an extreme of panic or an extreme of denial. And you have to take the threat of this very seriously. And we're lucky to be in a time where there's great advances in medicine and in science and to be able to recognize that we have to take all the measures that are being recommended. But also not to let it just erode the quality of our thinking in our mind's eye. And all day long just be kind of stewing or marinating in the anxiety because that's not going to help protect our well-being and protect the well-being of those that we're serving either.

Greg Wright:
Yes. So you are actually recommending that at the end of the day that we just like turn off the news. Just have a quiet moment at the end of our days now.

Kristin Lee:
Yeah. I love how you put that and I think it's almost like a way to think about it as like there's a sense that we've all been called to put on a collective timeout right now. And I think of it like time out isn't always a punishment and maybe we do have to take those moments to just shut it down, get off our screens. I think mindfulness is just a phenomenal aspect of self care, being in the now, focusing on what is, not what isn't. Focusing on what we can control, not what we can't. And we can always just get in that moment and work on our breathing and work on relishing in what's around us. So I'm a big advocate, lots of science shows nature. And that's kind of one of the things that we can still do right now in the throes of this, when we're speaking as, get outside, breathe that fresh air, take in the sun, just be in that moment.

And with technology it can be a real vice because it can just make us feel like that we have to stay tethered to it all the time in order to be protected. But it could also create a situation where our minds just get too overstimulated and we kind of get thrown into that state of perpetual anxiety. And I think that's something we all have to really be aware of. And the other thing is because of social distancing in a time where we were already talking about it being the age of loneliness and loneliness [inaudible], now we're going to be relying on our technology more to stay connected. I think it's another reason to be careful and cautious about our news intake, and just making sure that we're using technology to really advance our well-being and to help cultivate resilience during these very tumultuous times.

Greg Wright:
Yep. We have a lot of questions coming in from social workers who are wondering if telehealth is an answer here. So are you anticipating that there would be more social workers who are using technology in order to keep in contact with their clients?

Kristin Lee:
Absolutely. I've been in touch with a lot of my clinician friends this morning who are in the front lines and trying to make sense of how they can really stay in absolute service to those that they're working with in clinical and therapeutic contexts. So I think there's going to be a learning curve. Everyone has a different range of skill and exposure to this kind of thing. And for many it's a brand new concept to try to have to tackle in the middle of all this. So it's a bit of a tall order. Right? And I think for anyone just being generous with yourself, appreciating there will be a learning curve, that you'll be learning along with your clients and patients and those you're serving. And there's just, I think going to be an ongoing evolution in terms of resources that will help support everyone get through it. I mean tele mental health isn't a new thing, it started I think in California in response to lack of rural access.

And so we have a lot of good tools and we have a lot of good evidence-based frameworks. But I think everyone has to be a bit patient and it's hard because when folks lives are on the line and they need us, we want to be immediately available. And it might just take a little bit together fully acclimated and situated. But I think we really are fortunate, think of the converse. If we didn't have any access at all, what that would mean for us, the kind of angst that that would create for everyone. So I think we have to appreciate that we have the tools but also appreciate it just takes a bit of time to sort of get our bearings with it and to try to think thoughtfully about how we can make the therapy experience and the treatment outcomes be really stellar even with the shift of format and modality.

Greg Wright:
Yeah. But I also worry that a social worker might have a client who's like older or a client who is homeless. Like sometimes or oftentimes these folks don't have access to all of the technologies. So there's an isolation happening or a loss of contact with a social worker. Is that a thing that you're worried about at all, Kristin?

Kristin Lee:
Oh, absolutely. You put it so well. I think it's something that we have to prioritize in our collective action and how we're really strategic about serving those that do not have access. I think that has to be our number one call to action, one priority. And I guess it's not my main area of expertise, but what I would say is that I think even just the use of the telephone, if that's a possibility we're going to have to use the best of our creative resources to think strategically about the needs of each person we're serving and what the particular barriers might be. And then like we always do in any situation, we advocate, we advocate for more resource allocation. We use our creative resources to come together and share in our best practices and our solutions together as a community, as we make our way through this together.

Greg Wright:
Yeah. Now I was wondering if you could offer a few tips on how a social worker, might do a self care. Just a few like easy, inexpensive things that a person can like do at home. Since we're social isolating, we aren't going to be able to be out at a gym or at I'm a beauty parlor or a restaurant. So what are things that a person could do at home?

Kristin Lee:
Yeah, I think that's a great question. I think it's on all of our minds as we're making these big adjustments, these monumental adjustments. So the first thing I would say to any social worker, especially because I think again we're often so focused on everyone else is to give yourself permission to make sure you're adding it into your new routines and your new rhythms. I think just some of the best practices include mindfulness. So that's again working to just stay in the moment. I think this is a time, one of the positive outcomes is so many times we're so busy, there's just not a lot of room in our schedule. But if you have a little bit of time at home that you don't typically have, think creatively, like is there some kind of artistic thing? For example, like you might just want to practice 15 minutes of journal writing in a day or creative expression, writing a poem. Or it could be again, 15 minutes of deep breathing and just focusing on your breath and adopting that nonjudgmental stance as part of mindfulness practice.

Also, we can still, even if we can't go to the gym, we still can work up a sweat at home. And I know I love like I have a Nike Fit app just as an example of just kind of short workouts that are high impact and kind of get my heart racing and just elevate me. So I think there's a lot of good options on YouTube or other apps where you can find workouts that you could do right within the throes of your home. And then if you're in a situation and you're able to do it, they're really recommending the fresh air, the sunshine, getting out and taking walks. We know that even a 20 minute walk can be very recalibrating. But I do believe self care really starts with permission, that we have to make sure that we allow ourselves to know the importance of our own sustainability through this type of monumental crisis.

I'd also say just staying connected with the folks through the phone and technology is really important. And one thing I would say for any social worker is again, because oftentimes the role is very much nurturing, those you're serving and those in your life, it's important to have co-nurturing relationships. Or what I might also call reciprocal relationships. So you oftentimes are in a place where you're holding space for those you're serving and those you influence and those who care for. It's important that you have someone to do that on your side of things too. And again, that's part of the self advocacy piece that we can also include in our own ways of operating through this. Because again, I think a key word is sustainability.

Kristin Lee:
We know that this is an intense situation. We have to be hypervigilant and so just these small things can make a big difference in our lives too. They have a cumulative effect, just like too much news or just that kind of stuff can also build up and have an effect on us. So can these small steps that we take to really preserve ourselves to ensure we can sustain ourselves and to try to do well and be well within a really complex situation.

Greg Wright:
Now a final question for you. Most of our schools aren't open, a lot of colleges aren't open or they are like offering online only. So a lot of kids are now at home active [inaudible]. What's your advice for like parents — both social work parents and just a parent who isn't a member of the profession — on how to deal with that?

Kristin Lee:
Yeah, I think this whole adjustment's really somber for folks. It's very sobering to just kind of have spring big break be it. Like folks are just having to make big adjustments in their routines. And I think for any parent and or social worker, like you said, it could be kind of both things, both roles. It's upsetting because when you have your children, you know you love them and you want to ... It's just, you see their disappointment and a lot of times you're processing your own fears and your own emotions all while really wanting to be present and help them through that. And I think especially for young college students because college students can be every age and we should think about all learners at this time because at every level, they're affected. But I think if you have sort of a student who is moving back home, this is a big adjustment. And then you want to sit and kind of resume an activity.

But sometimes quite frankly, the anxiety can feel like paralysis and it just feels like it takes time to grieve. So I would just encourage everyone to just try to create a bit of that space right now. I think a lot of times our tendencies depend on wanting to spring into action or have a quick solution or whatnot. But I think right now, it just takes a little time for us all to process what's at hand, to get our heads around it, to reconstruct our routines. I think in my research, I focus a lot on human resilience and identity. A lot of our identity is tied into what we do and to our daily activities and that those kinds of structures, they mean a lot to all of us. So when that gets reconfigured so dramatically, it can really press upon us in kind of hard ways.

And I think as parents and social workers, it's hard because we want to sort of provide help quickly and have that really help resolvent. But sometimes it takes a while. And the last thing I want to say is that I think a lot of, never to minimize or oversimplify this and the gravity of the situation and everyone has unique variables and circumstances within this. But I would say that it can create bonds for us that can help us improve our relationships. It can be a time of human solidarity where we come together with love and loving acts and acts of solidarity and kindness.

It's a time for us to develop the skills of resilience, to be able to endure adversity and to continue to make our way through that and to use these lessons of what's important in this moment in time what's important to us. It can be a part time of clarification and kind of coming again to these moments of deep reflection around life meaning and life purpose and what we have control over and what we don't. And I think those are also important aspects that we can leverage right now to really kind of come to the deeper wisdom and use that as a way to help ourselves and those we serve and those that we love.

Greg Wright:
Wow. Thank you for all of this wonderful advice, Kristin, really. Appreciate it greatly. I plan to use it too, so thank you.

Kristin Lee:
Yeah, absolutely. Please take care in all ways. And I'm to all of our fellow colleagues, our hearts are with you. And I think that we have an enormous legacy of resilience and we will continue to have that.

Greg Wright:
Thank you.

Kristin Lee:
Thank you. Take good care.

Announcer:
You have been listening to NASW Social Work Talks, a production of the National Association of Social Workers. We encourage you to visit NASW's website for more information about our efforts to enhance the professional growth and development of our members to create and maintain professional standards and to advance sound social policies. You can learn more at www.socialworkers.org. Don't forget to subscribe to NASW's Social Work Talks wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks again for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next episode.