TIPS TO HELP CARE PROFESSIONALS DECOMPRESS AFTER CHALLENGING SITUATIONS

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TIPS TO HELP CARE PROFESSIONALS DECOMPRESS AFTER
CHALLENGING SITUATIONS
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Theres little doubt that some days working in
social care can be a little intense! That might
be dealing with a health setback of a patient,
managing a mental health crisis, or coping with
bereavements.   One of the best things about
care work is that two days are rarely alike but
there are some shifts where you need to take a
step back and consider your welfare.   Decompress
ing is crucial. It means you can manage your
emotional health, express your feelings, and
return to work without feeling overwhelmed.   Her
e well provide some top tips to help care
professionals to decompress after a challenging
situation and how to ensure you check in with
your mental health when you feel like the burden
on your shoulders is becoming too heavy.
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WHY DECOMPRESSING IS ESSENTIAL IN PROFESSIONAL
SOCIAL CARE
First, lets dispel a few myths. These are truths
that experienced care workers will undoubtedly
know but are always helpful to recap.
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• You cant always help every person, every time.
  There can be situations outside of your skillset,
  which your expertise doesnt cover, or where a
  person cannot be helped at that specific time.
  Dont put yourself down if something didnt go to
  plan or a patient wasnt grateful for your best
  efforts.
• We are all human. No matter the uniform you wear,
  or the qualifications you have, it is impossible
  never to feel touched or upset when a situation
  perhaps goes badly or a resident doesnt respond
  well to a care plan. It is A-OK to feel sad,
  frustrated or disappointed.
• Compartmentalizing isnt that simple. Weve all
  heard of PTSD, and this condition is so prevalent
  because no person, in any role, can entirely shut
  off their work-life into one box. Your thoughts
  will always travel home with you, so you must
  give yourself the space to deal with them.
• Not everybody will like you, and you cant like
  everybody. So much of care work relies on
  excellent interpersonal skills and trust. There
  can be times where you dont have a good rapport
  with a patient, and it isnt a reflection on your
  character or how hard you tried.
• It doesnt matter what area of social care you
  work in these facts will always have relevance.
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• Therefore, the team at OUTT.com feel its
  incredibly valuable to be conscious of the impact
  of challenging situations.

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DECOMPRESSION TECHNIQUES TO HELP CARE
PROFESSIONALSLets look at a few strategies to
shake it off, clear your head, and be ready to go
again tomorrow.
1. DEEP BREATHING.
Its an age-old tactic, and it works. If youre
feeling overwhelmed, try to breathe into a count
of ten, hold the breath, and then release it to
the same, slow count.   Calm, measured breathing
is a fantastic way to centre yourself and let go
of tension and stress.
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2. TALK IT OUT.
Whether to your manager, a colleague, a partner,
or a friend, you must air your concerns or talk
about a problem, so youre not dragging it around
behind you.   No matter the situation, a nagging
worry will always feel lighter when youve shared
it. If youre struggling, there are also
professional counselling lines that provide an
invaluable service.
3. EXERCISE AND FRESH AIR.
Jogging, walking, or a hardcore gym session are
excellent ways to take your mind off the
situation. Quite often, its a simple psyche
reset that will help you free your headspace and
feel like a new person.   Endorphins are
powerful, and theyre free and way healthier
than a glass of wine or a big bar of chocolate if
youre feeling stressed!
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4. GET A DECENT NIGHTS SLEEP.
Theres little like a great nights sleep to feel
more settled. We often make things feel more
disastrous than they are, and anxieties are
massively enhanced by exhaustion.   If youre
feeling like work is getting on top of you, its
time to schedule some self-care, and sleep is the
most potent remedy of all.
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5. SWITCH OFF COMPLETELY!
When something challenging has happened to throw
the working day off balance, its tempting to
keep thinking about it or discussing it endlessly
with colleagues long after the shift has
ended.   For people who are serious about
decompressing, turning off all of your
electronics is a great way to give your brain a
pause and stop digesting media or messages until
youve had time to process your thoughts.
6. READ A GREAT BOOK.
Reading a book an actual, live, physical book,
not an e-reader is another fantastic way to
decompress. It transports you to another world,
forces your brain to stop churning out repetitive
thoughts, and is a distraction like no other.
7. CREATE BOUNDARIES.
It might be that youve had one terrible day, but
love your work the rest of the time. However, if
you feel that youre constantly teetering on the
edge of burn out, its time to make a
change.   The best way to do that is to keep a
journal and work out whats tipping you towards
that cliff. It could be that you cant manage
night shifts, that you need to cut back on hours,
find work closer to home, or decide to work in a
specific social care niche.   Whatever boundaries
you need are vital to protecting your wellbeing,
and you should do everything possible to protect
them.
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8. TAKE A BREAK.
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You may be dealing with a problematic ongoing
situation. Perhaps a restructure is causing staff
anxiety, or you have a particularly challenging
patient with whom youre finding it hard to
engage.   Other causes of longer-term stress
include lack of job security, concerns about
redundancies, financial pressures, or the
inability to put down roots and feel
settled.   The first piece of advice wed give in
this scenario is to take some time off work. At
least one full day, and ideally two or three back
to back. Time off isnt a bad thing and can do
wonders if you need the opportunity to reassess
your options, calm your nerves and cleanse your
mind of all the day-to-day problems.   Secondly,
wed strongly suggest visiting OUTT.com to
consider a different working pattern with a
wide choice of shifts, minimum hourly pay rates,
full PAYE benefits, and the backing of a
passionate time of skilled social care agency
recruitment experts!   Whichever strategies you
choose, its essential to recognize that
decompressing will make a profound difference to
how you deal with a challenging situation next
time one comes along.   Being fresh, energetic
and ready to engage is reliant on having great
resilience so finding a way to decompress is
just as vital to your patients as it is to your
own health.
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