Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Those who work in the fields related to sustainability have many pressures and face extreme challenges. Oftentimes, the work results in high levels of burnout. The global aims of sustainability can only be achieved if we are able to sustain ourselves in our work! This presentation reports on the presenters’ extensive scholarship on self-care as an essential element of sustaining oneself in helping professions. Self-care and wellness are increasingly understood as essential aspects of sustaining a viable, ethical, and effective career. We report on research and models that inform the practice of self-care and wellness. The session includes information from several global comparisons of surveys we conducted on social workers about their self-care. We also apply a holistic practice model developed by the presenters, and informed by the growing literature on this topic. This model applies the intersection of environment, culture, economy, and social considerations at the practitioner-level. In a parallel process, a holistic approach to sustainability includes attention to one’s own sustainability. Sustaining the planet intersects with sustaining the person.