How to Thrive in Professional Practice: A Self-Care Handbook

The world today is fast paced and societal expectations for impeccable service are high. This leaves organisations demanding unrealistic elitist performance from their staff with the same, and often fewer, resources available. This widespread 'more for less' attitude is seeing a dramatic rise in work related stress, with a high ratio of staff sickness, that not only creates a fiscal impact upon the organisation and the broader economy but also has the potential to create significant long term mental health issues for the staff affected.

An engaging yet undemanding read, this book pulls together the various individual strains of self-care, spirituality and common sense, housing them under one external literary jacket, in a 'whole system' approach. A one stop 'bible' to give social workers and other professionals an uncomplicated, easy to read, go to resource that empowers them to manage and maintain their wellbeing through personal responsibility and self-care.

We cannot alter professional, or indeed life's demands, but by actively pursuing well-being in the professional population we can enhance skills to support open discussion in supervision, (or in personal reflection) so that individuals, (and organisations) can successfully rise up to meet challenges head on and reduce the risks associated with 'burn out'. This book brings together different aspects of the four elements of wellbeing, which the authors have explored and tried for themselves within their own working lives. Their personal experiences, which they will share, will help to dispel the belief that everything has to be done to perfection. A little self-care on each of the four levels is better than none at all.

Stephen has 16 years’ experience in social work, initially as a practitioner and team manager working with older people and for the last 5 years as a lecturer in social work specializing in adult care and the Mental Capacity Act and Beat Interests Assessment. He works at University of Sunderland.

He found some self-care ideas more by chance than design as an avid runner and spiritual enquirer. He’s a great fan of mindfulness and meditation as an ’easy to access’ ’no gear required’ approach to well-being. Having spent most of his life being completely disorganized he was told about David Allen’s ’Getting Things Done Methodology’ and so his new life began!

Lisa has over 25yrs experience of working in health and social care settings, ranging from Occupational Therapy to Social Work. Graduating as a mature student, from Sunderland University with BA Hons, Social Work in 2008.

Following job demands and burn out, she took a career break for two years and set up a holistic business, undertook training in mindfulness and life coaching. Spiritual in her approach to life and practice, Lisa resumed social work and passionately teaches others about the importance of professional self-care. Lisa lives in Sunderland and in her spare time enjoys reading, music and all things spiritual.