5 Ways Social Workers Can De-Stress at Their Desks

Excessive stress can conflict with your productivity level and affect your physical and emotional well-being. We know how stressful the life of a social worker can be. So before you let out an angry growl or bring out the claws, try to identify ways to control your stress. After all it’s not about making drastic changes but rather concentrating on the one thing that’s always under your power: you. Here are five simple ways human services caseworkers can de-stress at their desks:

1. Organize your space 

Disorganization puts a lot of pressure on both the mind and body. Taking the time to organize your life can lift a tremendous amount of weight off of your shoulders. Take 15 minutes out of your day to get organized:

1. Utilize a planner or phone app (GoTasks or Evernote are both free) to plan your day, set reminders, and create to-do lists
2. Put away all documents on your desk except for those presently being used and clear off your desk at the end of the day for a clean slate tomorrow
3. Set up an “inbox” for incoming paper work and make sure to clear it daily to stay on top of your work load

2. Eat healthy

Our food choices can impact our stress levels. Take a look at some of the best and worst foods that can impact stress.

3. Breathe deep

When you breathe deeply a message is sent to your brain to calm down. The brain then passes the message to the rest of the body. Symptoms that appear when you are stressed such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease when you take a deep breath.

Relaxation Breathing Exercise

1. Relax your arms, shoulders, neck, and close your eyes or gaze down the tip of the nose to regain focus.
2. Slowly inhale through your nose to a count of 5, drawing the air in to fill the lungs and abdomen.
3. Slowly exhale through your mouth to a count of 5. Make sure to match the length of your inhale and exhale.
4. Repeat until your breathing is regular and steady.

4. Smile often

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you’ll be better able to take action.

Facial Massage Exercise:

1. Place your thumbs on your cheekbones close to your ears and use your fingertips to gently apply pressure and rub the temples.
2. Use firm pressure and make tiny circular motions, gradually moving your fingers up along your hairline until they meet in the middle of your forehead, massaging your entire forehead and scalp.

5. Visualize Serenity

Visualization works to help people relax with an element of distraction, which serves to redirect people’s attention away from what is stressing them and towards an alternative.

Visualization Exercise:

1. Close the eyes breathe deep and let your mind grow calm. Envision a quiet place where everything is ideal.
2. Imagine yourself relaxed in your tranquil location.
3. Focus on the different sense present in the scene such as sound, touch, and smell to intensify the visualization.
4. When you feel a calmness throughout the body slowly open the eyes and reconnect with your surrounding, knowing you can take a mental escape to your tranquil place whenever you like.