I’m a social worker and I’ve been working as a case manager for about 18 months.
I still feel anxious almost every day. Some days are definitely better than others, but I often feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.
Home visits, difficult phone calls, challenging conversations with families, I still have to psych myself up beforehand, and sometimes I feel physically sick with anxiety.
What makes it harder is that my coworkers are incredible. They always seem to know exactly what to say, ask the right questions, and handle situations so naturally. I find myself wondering if I’ll ever get to that point or if everyone else is just more confident than me.
I genuinely love social work and I care deeply about the people I work with. It’s not the work itself that I dislike, it’s constantly feeling uncertain and anxious while doing it.
For those who’ve been in the field longer, did it get better? When did you start feeling more confident? Any advice for someone who’s still feeling this way 18 months in?
Originally posted by u/PalpitationSecure928 on Reddit.
Top comment by u/ChanceT7
Those coworkers of yours felt the same way at some point. You’re fighting an uphill battle against a system that’s not truly designed to help the way we’ve all been taught it should. This field has taught me lots about patience and acceptance, as there’s lots of “rolling with the punches”. You will also hopefully learn after some time how to separate the work from your personal life, and how to recharge and be the best version of yourself for your clients that you can be. Almost a decade in, and there’s still days of struggle. You’re not alone!
1·4 days ago