I am taking some much needed time off from my job, three days off this week and next week for visits with friends and family. I still think that my clients will struggle if I take the day off but this used to be a lot worse. I felt like the organization and/or my clients would fall apart during my week long vacation. My progress with this has been “slow but steady.” After a lot of coaching from my wife (and editor my long posts) that people will not fall apart, and life will go on without me until I return. I am not sure if this is common affliction but here are some things that have helped me. The overall theme is to practice what I preach…
1) “Things are not a problem until you make it a problem.” It’s not a catastrophe. Really taking the day off is not the end of the world. This one of the most common cognitive errors I teach my clients about.
2) “You can’t take care of your kids unless you take care of yourself.” I say this to parents all the time. Self care is important and I can’t be a good social worker unless I am taking care of myself.
3) “It is better to be proactive than be reactive.” It is amazing the amount positive feedback that I have gotten from my families about letting them know I am taking time off. Especially this time around. Crisis may happen but attempt to anticipate potential problems and model good planning for clients.
4) “Rely on your supports” and “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” It has been my experience that supervisors and other members of the team usually are supportive.
For those of you with the same anxiety about taking the day off I hope this has helped. I welcome some other tips as well and don’t forget to enjoy your next day off. 😉
