Cannot switch off from work.... any advice/anyone the same?

[pricipeitisnot]

I undertook a degree to gain a job I had wanted to do for many years. Painful doing degree with kids in tow and on my own, but 6 months into my first job and its having a massive impact on me.

I try to switch off but my mind constantly wanders back to work and everything that I haven't done. I dream of work every night (bad dreams) and often grind teeth and wake up really tense and achy because of it

It's getting worse, not better...... anyone else been through this, any advice?

I’m a teacher and I’m like this. I’ve been teaching for over 10 years.....

I started using a bullet journal as a to do list, I have a "brain dump" at the back and also a daily and weekly to do

Putting down tomorrow's priorities the night before helped me to switch off and stop waking up thinking of all the things I had to do.

Would you consider cognitive behavioural therapy? It can give you coping mechanisms to rationalise those thoughts and strip them right back to where you think, the world won't end because I forgot to do xyz. If you are thinking about things that need doing the next day, write a list and add to it when you think of something else instead of overthinking it. Keeona note book by the bed and do it during the night if you wake up thinking about work chores. Cbt helped Dh with similar issues.

Yumyum.... are you still sane?! I could not do this for ten years!

JAm - I do all the to do lists, prioritising (did bullet journal for a bit more for personal than work).... trouble is, this job I can go in early to work with a plan of priorities that need to be done that day, then crisis on one of my cases and it all goes tits up.... to do lists actually started making me more anxious as they were massive and never ticked much off, just addded to it

'Keep a notebook'

I was just in the car and thought I needed to write a thread like this. My logical brain says there's more important things in life but then I still sit here worrying. I try and keep busy and do something I enjoy to keep my mind of things but with an inspection next week it's taking over my mind! Argh! I just want a job I can go to and do and come home and not think about it until I'm next there. My previous job was like it.

Are you childrens services?

I've had this before and I also began having insomnia because I couldn't stop thinking of work. It was torture. The best thing I did was leave that job. I felt instant relief

I had this for a long time. What helped short term was clearly splitting home and work. I left my work phone and laptop at work to force this. I also did brain dumps before bed and used the technique of how bad can it really be (but focus on reality not catastrophising) . I also took walks when stressed.

Long term. I changed jobs.

Sadly I cannot leave. Though I would love to. Sitting here on sat night with anxiety because of it is just crazy :(

Sounds like safeguarding role!? I've been there. It was hard going. I did it for ten years frontline. The teams I worked with determined how well I coped. The support and management either kept me or lost me. It was that simple!

You need to talk this through with more experienced colleagues. They will have heard it all before. You are not alone.

Best cut off I found was a shower as soon as I came in from work. Having good things planned to do on an evening that destracted me and eventually I had to turn to anti anxiety drugs. I'm now over it.

Have you tried looking for different jobs? Maybe the same work but somewhere else. Is it the job stressing you or your go workers and boss?

Yep I'm safeguarding social worker. You did 10 years of frontline would.... wow, thats a record. My team is all agency, and a lovely bunch of people but hate the job and say it is dangerous practice (we are inadequate OFsted).... supervision non existent, massive staff shortages

Its the amount of work, and not being given clear direction what I should be doing, so get someone saying have you filed X report.... er what is that report, just a 30 odd page report that should have been done last week. WTF. My colleagues are lovely but hate it there and talk about walking out often

Practice mindfulness to help you with the here and now. Carry note but and note down any work worries. Only open to add more or read at work.

Get to the dentist asap about the teeth grinding. You will wreck your teeth. They will give you a guard for sleep and something discreet for day time.

I’m still sane.... just. Safeguarding is bad enough in schools. I couldn’t do your job. But I am glad that someone does. Social worker is the top of the list job, for me, that is tougher than being a teacher. I hope you’re okay.

OP huge sympathies.

SG is a huge responsibility.......

For the moment.. it will have to be wine! Though that makes me dreams worse aagghhh!

There are only so many hours in the day and as long as no one is going to die overnight you don't need to think about reports and tasks at home. If you do you will burn out.

I also have a shower as soon as I get in, sometimes I do 5 minutes of mindfulness in the car before I come in just to help close the door on work.

In my first year I felt like you do but switching off is something you learn like other aspects of the job.

Another CP social worker. It sounds like you have a pretty awful manager there! Good supervision is critical to helping you manage the pressures. You're ASYE right? Do you have a protected case load? If not can you challenge this via your union?
Going from student to practice is tough and takes some getting used to and can come with time but honestly it sounds like a pretty toxic team you're in. Maybe try & see through your ASYE and then start applying for other LAs? Not all teams are like this - a good manager is priceless and can really help with managing the inevitable stresses.
I really feel for you - when I first qualified I had an awful manager, a caseload of 30 within the first month including two sets of proceedings & I was burning out within months and wondering what the hell I was doing. I got moved teams due to restructure and I had an excellent manager and my whole work life experience changed and I loved my work.
Also worth thinking whether child protection is for you. There's lots of other roles that you may find a better fit, especially if you're trying to manage this alongside your own children (MASH, fostering/adoption for eg).

I am NHS and I have times when I feel the same. Mine isn’t really the work itself, it’s the worry that my colleagues think I am shit or lazy (neither of which I try to be!).
I try to worry about it for half an hour then put it away until next time if that makes sense.
Ultimately OP, as long as you know in your heart you are doing what you can, then if something goes wrong you can be sad, but not guilty. In your job the papers are always quick to blame social services but ultimately it is the evil bastards that hurt the kids that are to blame. Do your best and say to yourself at the end of the day “I did my best, now time to switch off”.
Someone needs to do your job OP, give yourself more credit.

I'm a chartered professional .I have been working since 1994. In 1998, about 3 weeks into a new job, I got massively bollocked. I haven't slept properly since. I need to have been away from work for 3 or more days, with at least 3 or more days more leave in order not to worry about work in the night. It was getting better, then I got a new line manager, who really does not get me.

Ive tried everything suggested. Only wine works!

Bike thats awful. Have you sought support to help you move on from that incident in 1998? If not, please do. You shouldnt have to carry that trauma around with you. Please seek help. You need to park that incident forever.

Get help and move on. Please don't use wine as a crutch. You will wreck your health. There are ways out of this. You sound like a smart lady. You don't deserve to be hurting so much. Life can be better than this.

Yes. I'm a prison nurse and have terrible insomnia from stress. I'm only 2.5 years in...