For many social workers, the answers may vary, but this has been the biggest one for me: Keeping your emotions separate from your work.
It is very easy to see a child in distress and want to do anything in your power to get them away from their current environment. Unfortunately, you cannot just take a child home with you as soon as you see they are in danger. You have to go through a series of processes that can take days, weeks, months to get through or (in the absolute worst case scenario) will never be able to get through. To me, this is the worst part. You feel angry, sad, worried, and many other emotions. But if you let these emotions control how you perform your job, you can not only get in trouble at work--you can get in legal trouble as well. You handle this by understanding that you are doing everything in your power to help this person. Sometimes it keeps you up at night and you may even feel guilty if you aren't able to help the person in need right away. For some people, it is motivation to keep trying harder. For others, it is a very defeating feeling that (understandably) can make them anxious, depressed, or helpless. It is okay to feel worried for the person, it is <u>not</u> okay to blame yourself. Remember, you are doing everything in your power to help someone. Sometimes things do not go in the favor of the person who needs help. That does not make it okay. That does not mean that you should blame yourself. It just means you try again, and keep having your emotions motivate you <em>but</em> do not let them control how you do your job.
