When someone spends a lot of time caring for other people, they can often forget to take care of themselves, physically and mentally and emotionally. This is often the case for DSWs. As support workers, it can be easy to miss the signs of burnout. Burnout happens when stress goes unaddressed and gets to a point where a person is struggling to cope.
Here are some ways IDS helps prevent workplace fatigue and maintains the physical and mental well-being of its DSWs.
FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS
We offer our DSWs flexible working hours depending on their need and capacity. We understand that support workers have personal obligations and need time off to concentrate on taking care of themselves.
PROVING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
We strive to provide our DSWs with a supportive environment where their thoughts and concerns are not only listened to but also understood and actioned.
TRAINING IS PROVIDED
We know how important career development is, which is why IDS provides accredited and non-accredited training to all DSWs or individuals looking to become support workers.
WORK CLOSE TO HOME
IDS has clients all over Victoria which means we are able to match DSWs to clients not only on the basis of expertise but also on the basis of physical proximity.
In addition to this, we also suggest DSWs take personal steps to avoid burnout. Here are some tips that may help:
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Take time for yourself – Focus on taking a break for self-care activities that bring you joy.
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Ask for help – Don’t try to do everything on your own. It’s perfectly fine to reach out to family and friends for help.
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Don’t be afraid to talk about it – Almost every DSW experiences burnout at some point. If you start to feel exhausted, make sure to speak to someone about it.
We all agree that burnout can be an unpleasant experience and difficult to bounce back from. Don’t wait until you experience it before learning to prevent it.
