Self-Care in the

Helping
Professions
 Taking Care of Yourself
 Why is self-care
so important in
the helping
professions?
 Defining Stress
 Stress is a psychological and physiological
response to events that upset our personal
balance.
 The biological stress response is meant to
protect and support us.
 Extended or repeated activation of the
stress response takes a heavy toll on the
body
How Does Our Body Respond to
Stress?
 A small part of the brain called
the hypothalamus sets off a
chemical alarm
 Sympathetic nervous system
responds by releasing a flood
of stress hormones
 Stress hormones race through
the bloodstream, readying us
to either flee the scene or
battle it out.
 Heart rate and blood flow to
the large muscles increase so
we can run faster and fight
harder
 WOW!!!!!!!

 Blood vessels under the skin constrict to prevent blood loss in case of
injury
 Pupils dilate so we can see better, and our blood sugar ramps up, giving us
an energy boost and speeding up reaction time
 Body processes not essential to immediate survival are suppressed
 The digestive and reproductive systems slow down, growth hormones are
switched off, and the immune response is inhibited
 Assess YOUR Stress
 Complete the Stress Ratings Scale
If you have three results rated at 8 or higher,
you are a candidate for burnout!
 Complete Step 1 of the “What Bugs You?
Exercise”
 What do you think about your stress level?
 What is Burnout?
 Physical, emotional,
and mental exhaustion
caused by long term
involvement with
people in need
 Feeling that
challenges outweigh
one’s resources
 Common reaction to
prolonged stress
 Causes of Burnout
 Lack of attention to self-care
 Life or work stresses have become overwhelming
 Not getting enough support or recognition for your work
 Serious and intense problems experienced by your
clients
 Inability of organizational resources to fully meet client
needs
 Difficulty managing time
 Overestimation of abilities or setting expectations too
high
Loss in Human Services
What is Vicarious or Secondary
Trauma?
 This occurs when a
professional experiences
repeated or intense
exposure to others’ losses
 Is a common reaction in
professionals who work
closely with clients or
groups of clients who have
directly experienced
trauma
 More to Know…
 Vicarious trauma is also about the
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can
result from repeated exposure to others’
trauma
 Self-care is an important component in
avoiding vicarious trauma
 Who is at Greatest Risk?
 Professionals who work in the following areas:
 CPS
 Domestic violence
 Sexual assault
 Teachers/counselors in high needs schools
 Mental health
 Long term care
 Juvenile justice
 Law enforcement
 Journalists
 Other Types of HS Loss
 Loss of funding for a program
 Lack of knowledge about the outcome for
clients
 Loss of colleagues
 Loss of community support
How Do We Avoid
Burnout?
Try Some Strategies!
 What Can You Do?
 Debriefing sessions
 Gather peer support
 Take time off
 Play!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Surround yourself with things
that feel good to you
 Consider meeting with a
mental health professional
 Laugh!
What Can an Organization Do?
 Have an “emergency kit”
that includes procedures,
contact lists for community
helping professionals, and
trained debriefers.
 Make sure management is
trained in diffusing and
providing support
 Visit, call, and support
colleagues
 Design Strategies!
 Go back to the “What Bugs Me?” Exercise
 With your partner, do Step 2 utilizing the brainstorming
exercise
 Complete Step 3
 Complete Step 4—your personal Debugging Plan!
Using Time Well
 Time Management
 Symptoms of poor time management:
 Procrastination: Deadlines constantly being missed
 Chronic vacillation: Between unpleasant alternatives
 Fatigue or listlessness: Many hours of unproductive
activity
 Rushing: Going from one project to the other; no satisfied
feelings of accomplishment
 Insufficient time: No rest or personal relationships
 The sense of being overwhelmed: Demands and details;
doing what you have to do instead of what you want to do
most of the time
 Time Budgeting
 Consider what your time is worth
 Set priorities
 Track what you do with your time; what are your
“time wasters?”
 Consider delegating some of your chores or work
responsibilities
 Ask yourself, “Am I having fun? Am I making time
to play?”
 Exercises to do at home
 Tell Me…
 One way you will practice self-care this week-end!