Reference no: EM133249082

Assignment - Self-Care/Compassion Fatigue

While you are busy taking care of others, let's be sure you know how to take care of yourself! Have you heard of self-care? Do you know why we talk about it so much, and why it's so important? First of all, it's such a point of importance in our field because we spend our lives taking care of other people. We are typically the worst at taking care of ourselves, so much so that NASW has added a section to the Code of Ethics regarding self-care. Simplified, self-care is the art of proactively taking care of yourself to ensure that you can keep doing what you love to do for years to come! Ever look at a social worker, or talk to one and wonder how they are still so passionate about their work when others seem to be bitter and resentful of their work? The key to happiness in this field, and the key to remaining effective for our clients, is self-care! Oftentimes, you will hear people talk about burnout, or compassion fatigue. These are real threats in our world and can be dangerous for ourselves, as well as our clients. Not sure what we mean by these? Before you dive into the lecture materials, take a moment to complete the Life Stress Test and the Compassion Fatigue Self-Test: An Assessment to increase your own self-awareness. Once you have completed these, watch the lecture and review the NASW PowerPoint to learn more about Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, & Self-Care.

Answer the following in the Discussion Board:

1. What did you learn about yourself after completing the Life Stress Test and the Compassion Fatigue Self-Test?

2. What are 3 things you do, or could do, to practice self-care?

3. Talk about your experience with compassion fatigue or burnout. This could be about you, or someone, or something you have witnessed.