After the stress and strife of the pandemic, we’ve been advised to “check on our strong friends”.
The strong friend who is the “go to” person. The one who carries other people’s baggage. The compassionate one who gives of themself to ensure everyone else is taken care of – often neglecting their own needs.
- The fixer.
- The peacemaker.
- The coordinator.
- The glue.
My Transformation Tip Tuesday social media tip yesterday was to “check on yourself”, Check on yourself because I know that you are the strong friend. The strong friend in your personal life and the strong social worker in your professional life.
- The social worker who answers everyone’s questions.
- The social worker who takes on extra work when their colleague is sick or stressed out.
- The social worker who advocates for everyone else.
- The social worker who takes the challenging cases.
- The social worker that puts in extra time without complaint.
- The social worker that is asked to represent the agency in meetings and conferences.
June is Professional Wellness Month and although I know you are used to holding everything and everyone together, it’s time to shift your focus inward. Don’t let your strength become a burden or a barrier to your own professional wellness.
- Delegate/Ask for and accept help
- Say no without guilt
- Prioritize your time, tasks, and talents
- Advocate for yourself
- Rest and rest some more
As a Black woman in social work leadership who previously dimmed her light, I am passionate about helping high-performing women social work leaders increase their confidence, honor their achievements, and level up in their careers.
If you are looking to hire a speaker for Professional Wellness Month, Rebuild Your Life Month, or to explore the causes, symptoms, and solutions to compassion fatigue or professional burnout, I’d love to share my message with your staff, community, or university.
If you’re seeking a trainer on leadership development, employee engagement, or leveraging your social work degree and skills, let’s chat.
If you’re looking for someone to present their journey of being a first-gen student, nontraditional student, or student parent, I can do that too!
Set up a free 20-minute consultation and let’s discuss how I can best support you in the next half of 2024!
Nicki Sanders, MSW, is committed to career development, professional development, and organizational development. As Founder and CEO of Nicki Sanders Leadership Consulting, her mission is simple – to eliminate toxic workplaces by developing skilled, empathetic, and goal-oriented leaders who have the vision, support, and resources to create a culture where business prospers, and employees thrive individually and collectively. Nicki supports high-performing women of color in social work leadership in developing careers that feed their hearts, minds, and wallets. She has an extensive background in nonprofit management leading high-functioning, multi-disciplinary teams, volunteer recruitment and retention, and social impact programming. Nicki is an accomplished professor, coach, trainer, and group facilitator who has combined her gift for authentic relationships, Master of Social Work degree, and over 20 years of diverse work experience to create a life and career aligned with her values and purpose. She is a lover of nature, cupcakes, travel, and 80’s hip hop and R&B music.
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