Season 1, Episode 4: Social Twerker
Meet Hannah, a social worker, forest dweller, ray of sunshine, and all-around amazing person. In this episode, we talk about being a mentally ill university student, how to start healthy habits that prioritize your well-being, friendship breakups, trauma-informed care, depressive episodes, and the different facets of social work.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and RadioPublic
In the Fall of 2018, I had just finished taking a spin class, when the girl on the bike next to me noticed the cross necklace around my neck and invited me to come to their Bible study later that night. She co-led a girls’ small group for University Christian Ministries with Hannah. Later that night, I walked off the cold street into Hannah’s warm apartment and my life was forever blessed by her illuminating, compassionate, beautiful presence.
Hannah completed her Bachelor of Social Work at UFV. It’s an intense degree, with a heavy course load, an unpaid practicum, and almost no breaks between semesters. She took a semester off in the middle of her degree to heal from a mental breakdown that was caused by injuries she sustained in a car accident she was in years prior, along with compounding stressors in her personal life. She started medication to bring her mental health back up to a stable baseline. Reluctant to go on meds at first, her therapist encouraged her that it was time after six months of therapy still wasn’t making a dent in her depression.
Since first going on meds five years ago, she’s developed other strategies that have helped her cope with depression, like sleeping better, eating properly, exercising, and journaling. One practice that was particularly instrumental in her healing journey was writing down ten good things that happened every day in her journal each night; it helped her to notice more and more good things throughout the day.
If developing healthy habits is something you struggle with, remember to start slow and not have super high expectations. Trying to incorporate ten new habits into your daily life will result in you burning out and feeling even worse about yourself. So start with one habit at a time, and it doesn’t even have to be a big habit. Sometimes just making your bed each day is a big deal. Try doing just one thing a day that is an act of self-care, it could be cooking a healthy meal for yourself, tidying up your living space, or having a shower, little things are big and should be celebrated as accomplishments. Be nice to yourself! Positive self-talk is key to learning self-compassion.
Recovering from a depressive episode should be taken as seriously as doing chemotherapy treatments if you have cancer. Depression is a deadly illness. The key is knowing when your depression is starting to creep back into your life. Recognize your triggers, which are often traumas from our adolescence.
Being depressed while you’re in university is a different beast entirely, since you have the added stress of deadlines, and the pressure to get good grades, and it’s a time of significant financial stress. Be sure to utilize the resources your university offers. Take full advantage of the food bank if you’re having trouble making ends meet, career counselling, if you’re lost with where you’re degree, is going, mental health counselling if you want to talk to a professional, join different clubs or associations to meet friends and socialize, and apply for financial aid and grants to help you pay for your next semester. There is a wealth of resources available to you that won’t be there after you graduate, so access them now!
Hannah also discusses how she got into social work after discovering a skill and passion she has for caring for others from a very young age. She walked me through her career path so far in so many different facets of social work. In the past three years, she has worked with women in recovery, victim services, at-risk youth, as a substance use counsellor and in a long-term care home with seniors.
The field of social work can be emotionally taxing and has a high rate of burnout. Throughout her career, she came to realize that making a big change in your line of work does not mean giving up. Prioritize your mental health above all. Don’t care about what others think you “should” be doing, focus on what choice is sustainable for you and brings you joy.
Some of the things Hannah does to avoid burnout is having something outside of work that brings her meaning and purpose and connects her to others, for her it is belonging to a women’s Bible study group that gathers weekly. She regularly goes for walks and hikes and has started playing floor hockey to socialize as she gets exercise. She also tries to travel a lot to see friends and family, even if that just means driving from Salmon Arm to Chilliwack for the weekend to spend time in a cabin in the woods.
I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it!
Thank you so much Hannah for coming on the podcast and supporting all my crazy ideas throughout the years! One of these days I’ll brave the Coquihalla Pass to come your way!
