Putting out fires and being assertive!

As a social worker I put out fires on a daily basis. I am responsible or at least my clients think I am responsible for handling all their crisis(large or small). I like to call them fires because it you let them grow they consume not only the client but you. I've learned to recongize an acutal fire from a few sparks and how to handle them without being burned.

Last night I recieve two telephone calls from clients(after hours). Normally, I don't entertain aftere hour calls especially if the client is aware of the the crisis hotline procedure. The first call I addressed was from a teenager that was "stressing" because he may be a father. The second call was from my client's daugther stating that my client was being sent to the hospital. I addressed but both calls but kept them client on topic and brief. I choose to answer the calls due to my current mood. I did not have to answer the call because I was not on-call nor would I have felt bad if I didn't accept the call. This morning I recieved a telephone call from a parent that needed transportation and assistance with her son at school. I explained that I had other obligations but as I had an opening I would gladly assist.

A huge mistake for some social workers is trying to "change the world." We can only do so much and if you put all your engery into others and constantly take away from your personal time then you can easily burn out. Burn out is a huge problem many social workers face due to high case loads, pay, job responsibilities, resources,etc. It's important to set proper boundaries and know your strengths and weaknesses. It's ok to say "NO". Say it with me "NO". One more time "NO". Saying no restores power back to you. Saying no was one problem I had in my personal life. Too many times I would take on more responsibilities than I could handle by trying to "help" and "please" other people. I would stress out to the point I would break out in hives. I learned quickly that I needed to become more assertive. While in my undergraduate training one of my classes had a lesson on being assertive. This helped me in a tremendous way. It changed who I was as a person. Change is good and it definately assisted me in lowering my stress level by saying "NO" and not feel guilty.

 I have posted a link from the Mayo Clinic that shares how being assertive can reduce stress.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/assertive/SR00042

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