Can’t Keep Up? 4 Ways to Best Manage Your Caseload
Can’t Keep Up? 4 Ways to Best Manage Your Caseload
Caseloads are pretty overwhelming right now and there’s not a lot of support to help you manage them.
With the influx of people registering with employment providers in the wake of COVID19, it’s completely understandable if you’re feeling challenged to give all of your clients the time, energy and support they need. This is where your client interactions may become simply transactional – a ”check in-check out” type relationship, leaving you and your clients feeling tired and frustrated.
There have been some reports of caseloads reaching up to 500 for individual job coaches and with the pause on mutual obligation requirements and limited contact opportunities (mainly over the phone), it’s no wonder people in the industry are feeling stressed.
Working from home, without face-to-face contact with your clients and your colleagues can be really challenging and you might be feeling really de-energized when you’re performing tasks that you don’t enjoy (like making lots of phone calls!). When you’re lacking energy and motivation, it’s really hard to stay focused and get positive outcomes.
The key is shifting yourself from ‘resourceful and de-energized’ to ‘resourceful and energized’ so you can get the most out of your day.
Here are some fast and simple things you can do to give yourself a quick boost of energy during your workday and keep your caseload in check:
Move Your Body
I know everyone says this, but it really is THE BEST way to give yourself a dopamine boost and get your energy levels back up. Keep it simple and focus on being really present to the experience. Stand up and step outside and find something beautiful to look at. Breathe the beauty in deeply just for one minute. Acknowledge the feelings you may experience. Try doing this a couple of times a day and it will re-focus your attention and give you an energy boost so you can get back into your next task.
Positive Self Talk
Words are powerful. Speak kindly to yourself and use language that promotes hope and optimism. When you find yourself in challenging situations, avoid focusing on negative emotions and weaknesses and flip your self-talk to something positive so that you can move forward. “I can’t do that, it’s too hard.” becomes “I will give this a go and ask for help if I get stuck.”
Chunk It
If your to-do list is starting to feel unmanageable, it’s time to break it up into small chunks. Don’t put pressure on yourself to do it all in one go, list things out in small tasks and appreciate that moment when you tick them off. Remember to try and have an overall outcome for the week to, so all those ‘little’ tasks have meaning and will help you achieve your bigger goal.
Plan B
Create an “If then…Plan” for when you’re triggered and something doesn’t go the way you expect it to. This is really helpful for when you need to tackle a task that you’re time-bound to but lacking the energy to focus on. For example, if you need to review an important document, commit to 10 minutes and see how you feel. Give yourself permission to have a break and come back to it when you’re feeling more energised.
Become a certified Job Coach
Take your client engagement and coaching skills to the next level by becoming a
certified Bounce Job Coach.
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