When we think about what we appreciate most about our work, it might run like a highlights reel of breakthrough moments, profound connections and deep learning. But if that’s all there was it might become utterly exhausting.
No one gets into the helping professions in order to do admin, write case notes, enter data or fill in forms. And yet without them, our services risk developing amnesia for the work being done and the people we work with. Put them off too long and we end up with an overdose of mundane tasks that can drain our energy and sense of meaning.
When we integrate them into our day as small, repeated actions, they may feel unremarkable at the time but add to the overall rhythm of our work. And while they might seem a step away from what really matters at the time, they are small gifts sent into the future that make our own or others’ lives easier at some other moment in time.
Helen Mentha 