Invest in YOU this summer!
Let’s face it: helping professionals have tough jobs. Research from the UK College of Social Work’s Self-Care Lab suggests that those working in helping professions are at higher risk for experiencing high levels of stress, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and more. Left unaddressed, these conditions can impact practitioners – both personally and professionally. That’s why the College of Social Work Alumni Association (SWAA) is bringing back the Self-Care Summer Challenge.
To actualize your goals – professional or otherwise – you must focus on your wellbeing. Self-care is an integral aspect of that wellbeing.
Self-care is essential for preventing burnout, as it prioritizes well-being. Neglecting self-care leads to exhaustion, emotional depletion, and a higher risk of burnout, impacting productivity and life satisfaction.
Practicing self-care is crucial to protect the people served. Prioritizing well-being helps maintain emotional resilience and the ability to provide high-quality care, ensuring ethical, compassionate, and effective actions, fostering a positive environment for those in need.
By investing in self-care, you reduce stress, boost productivity, and find more satisfaction in life, ultimately empowering you to lead a fulfilling and balanced life—a worthwhile investment in personal growth and happiness.
Self-Care Philosphy
Our Self-Care Philosophy is not about telling you what to do for your self-care.
Rather, we want to create a space for you to be motivated, inspired, and supported to engage in self-care activities that work for you.
Accept the Challenge of Caring for YOU!
The Challenge will officially kick off on July 24th, 2026 which is International Self-Care Day!
Sign-Up
Register using the form below.
Screen
Take a three-minute self-care screener.
Strategize
Complete the self-care plan template.
Share
Share your progress and encouragment with others.
Why Join the Challenge?
Self-Care can be an effective strategy for preventing and assuaging the impacts of vicarious trauma, burnout, and stress, among other problematic conditions. If those reasons aren’t enough:
Participate for SWAG
Each day throughout the challenge we will select participants to recieve self-care swag.
Participate for SUPPORT
Become part of building community where you can support, and be supported.
Participate to SUSTAIN
Self-care is not an isolated event – it is an ongoing experience. Learn helpful tips to actualize your self-care experience.
Post pictures of you completing some of your goals, tag us, and use hashtag #CoSWSelfCare25
for the chance to win a prize!
Registration begins July 24th, 2026!
About the College of Social Work Alumni Association
The SWAA, launched in September 2022 to engage our CoSW alumni. We sent out a survey as part of this launch and were happy to find out that our alumni want to be more engaged with the College. As a result, we’re launching more virtual opportunities to connect with our alumni around the world. For more information on the SWAA, visit our website here.