It’s that time of year again… January has hit and if you are anything like me, you have already broken a New Year’s resolution! However, all is not lost – here at Charles Hunter Associates, we have created six ACHIEVABLE resolutions which our Social Workers can stick to:

1.Say ‘No’ more often

How many times have you been completely snowed under at work when a colleague asks you to do something? When this happens, you should assess your own workload/caseload and only take on manageable tasks. Sometimes you need to save yourself the stress and just say no!

2.Get better at sleeping

We spend about a third of our life sleeping, so making sure your sleep is high quality is essential in improving your well-being. If you often struggle to get your full 8 hours then try these tips to improve your night: no caffeine after dinner; try not to drink alcohol before bed; turn off any TV’s, DVD players, etc. (that red blinking light does a lot of damage if you are struggling to sleep); don’t look at your phone before bed and invest in some high-quality bedding!

3.Catch up with some old friends

That friend who you haven’t seen in years because your schedules never seem to line up - make it a priority to see them. Ask when they are free and try to be as flexible as possible. Life is busy but making time to catch up with old friends is worthwhile.

4.Admit when you aren’t coping well

Burning out is common in Social Work. This is one of the toughest jobs out there and being able to admit when you are reaching breaking point is key. It takes a lot of strength to admit when you’re not 100% but you will feel so much stronger after speaking about it.

5.Spend more time on yourself

Life as a Social Worker is busy. Finding the time to do anything for yourself will often seem unattainable. We’re not talking about taking two weeks off in Barbados, we’re talking baby steps. Small things like making your meals slightly healthier or spending that extra five minutes doing your hair – you’ll notice the difference in no time. 

6.Set a goal

Instead of a resolution, set an attainable goal to reach by the end of the year. Assess where you are now and decide where you would like to be in 2019. Perhaps there is a promotion which you have been striving for; maybe you would be happier in a new job this year or perhaps you want to take up an extra hobby. Whatever it may be, goals are more attainable than resolutions and often more fun!

One thing to bear in mind: if you find you are regularly unhappy at work, then don’t stay in a miserable job! There are plenty of better councils/schools/homes to work in – simply have a chat with our consultants and tell them what is most important to you. January is the perfect time to change roles, so we are on hand if you need it!

Call us on 0118 948 5555 or look at our latest job vacancies here.