Workplace Resilience

Teacher Burnout is a Mental Health Crisis: Interview with Dr. Natalya Bogopolskaya & Dr. Kendrea Hart | Episode 115

Teacher Burnout is a Mental Health Crisis: Interview with Dr. Natalya Bogopolskaya & Dr. Kendrea Hart | Episode 115

Anyone who has been a teacher knows the work is hard, and at the same time — when work is working well — immensely rewarding. The work can be purposeful and filled with close relationships a vibrant communities.

No one enters the teaching profession to become rich and famous — they enter for the difference they will make.

And yet, our nation is facing a mental health crisis among our educators; one of burnout and demoralization. Many are operating in survival mode due to complete emotional exhaustion. The stressors they face are significant:

  • Safety concerns related to mass school shootings and drug use

  • Funding deficits

  • Labor shortage

  • Meeting escalating physical and emotional needs of students

  • Unrealistic expectations from districts and parents

  • Just to name a few…

Teachers’ well-being is something most communities overlook in their intention to always put students first. In this episode I speak with two school psychologists who express grave concern about educators’ psychological health and safety — and also make concrete suggestions on what we can do to help them.

Lived Experience Informed Workplace Mental Health Strategies - Part 1: Interview with James Hill | Episode 109

Lived Experience Informed Workplace Mental Health Strategies - Part 1: Interview with James Hill | Episode 109

How do we improve our workplace mental health programs?

Listen to the people who have lived through mental health emergencies.

In this episode James Hill shares his story of surviving suicidal intensity and becoming a national change agent for workplace wellbeing.

Poetry as an Antidote to Burnout - A Nurse's Perspective on Healing Practices: Interview with Susan Farese | Episode 105

Poetry as an Antidote to Burnout - A Nurse's Perspective on Healing Practices: Interview with Susan Farese | Episode 105

Burnout is costly to employers in several ways:

  1. Employee turnover

  2. Increased risk of worker injury or error

  3. Deteriorating culture as energy becomes misdirected toward scapegoating

Contrary to conventional wisdom, burnout is not solely related to workload, it’s also related to feeling like “a cog in a machine.” When an unsustainable workload becomes even more stressful due to a lack of clarity, lack of control and an effort-reward imbalance, relationships become strained and people become siloed.

According to leading researchers, burnout is identified when three psychological states exist:

  • High levels of cynicism: an indifference, negative perspective

  • High levels of exhaustion: emotional, spiritual and physical

  • Low levels of professional efficacy: the belief in ones ability to make a difference.

Burnout can creep into a workplace and worsen over time. It often starts with an erosion of engagement. Work shifts from important, interesting and meaningful to exhausting. Next comes the erosion of emotions, where cynicism, anger, anxiety and depression start to surface. Finally, burned out workers comes to experience a mismatch between themselves and the organization. They lose faith that the organization has their best interests at heart.

In this episode, I have a delightful conversation with Susan Farese, RN - a healthcare worker and mentor, a Veteran, a poet and photographer and the owner of PR firm “SJF Communications.” We talk about how burnout is taking its toll on our healthcare teams, and how she uses poetry, among other tools to cope.

Workplace Violence Prevention - A Holistic Approach: Interview with Faith Kohler | Episode 103

Workplace Violence Prevention - A Holistic Approach: Interview with Faith Kohler | Episode 103

In this conversation Faith Kohler talk about a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to mitigating and preventing workplace violence and our belief that trust and psychological safety are essential in any effective process.

A Different Drummer -- Mental Health, Diversity and Inclusion and Corporate Wellness: Interview with Mike Veny | Episode 101

A Different Drummer -- Mental Health, Diversity and Inclusion and Corporate Wellness: Interview with Mike Veny | Episode 101

Did you know?

9 our of 10 employers are investing more in mental health benefits than they ever have before (source: https://www.aihr.com/blog/workplace-wellness-trends/).

Concerns about burnout, employee churn, and psychological emergencies have led workplaces to developing a more comprehensive and proactive mental health and suicide prevention strategy.

Benefits like coaching, tele-mental health, personalized wellness plans and stress management tools are becoming increasingly popular for large employers.

In addition, workplaces are starting to shift away from reactive, downstream approaches to more proactive prevention. They are focusing on building caring cultures and psychological safety and they are connecting the dots between DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) work and mental health.

In this conversation, I speak with Mike Veny, a man who has been living these connections and is now training workplaces on how best to support their workers.

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Allison Milner: Interview with Professor Tony LaMontagne | Episode 100

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Allison Milner: Interview with Professor Tony LaMontagne | Episode 100

For this milestone episode of the “Hope Illuminated” podcast, I wanted to celebrate a hero to many of us: Dr. Allison Milner. Allison was a fierce and mighty leader whose work in suicide prevention and social justice was shifting the world’s views when she died tragically in an accident on April 12, 2019. In this episode Professor Tony LaMontagne and I share stories about her global impact in the areas of:

  • Workplace suicide

  • Unemployment and mental health

  • Psychosocial job hazards

  • Interventions that help people live through suicidal intensity

  • Socio-economic determinants of suicide

  • Women in research

  • People with disabilities and social justice

  • Indigenous people and social justice

Strengthening Your Spiritual Core - Practices to Create a Fun and Fulfilling Life: Interview with Kate Eckman | Episode 94

Strengthening Your Spiritual Core - Practices to Create a Fun and Fulfilling Life: Interview with Kate Eckman | Episode 94

In this conversation I speak with Kate Eckman, an elite college athlete, broadcast journalist and TV personality and recent author of “The Full Spirit Workout: A Ten-Step System to Shed Your Self-Doubt, Strengthen Your Spiritual Core, and Create a Fun and Fulfilling Life.” We talk about the neuroscience behind our understanding of well-being — and what gets in our way of achieving and maintaining well-being. We discuss the curious versus the anxious brain and the learning versus the judging brain. We explore the questions of “when is enough, enough?” and “who do we really want to be?” We close with specific strategies on how to tip the scales from immobilizing fear to the ability to “stretch the comfort zone” and “build the emotional muscles.”

On Being Fearless -- Intimate Partner Violence, Women Empowerment & Well-Being: Interview with J'Anmetra "JoJo" Waddell | Episode 90

On Being Fearless -- Intimate Partner Violence, Women Empowerment & Well-Being: Interview with J'Anmetra "JoJo" Waddell | Episode 90

“I can breathe. I can think.”

When J’Anmetra was imprisoned in her home under the threat of her husband, this was her mantra. One that kept her alive and ultimately allowed her the ability to escape.

According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) survivors of intimate partner violence are twice as likely to have multiple suicide attempts, according to a study published in the Journal of Injury & Violence Research, intimate partner problems were identified as a precipitating circumstance in 30% of all suicide cases in the National Violent Death Reporting System. And yet, the connection between intimate partner violence and suicide is under-addressed on many fronts.

In this episode, we bear witness to the inspiring story of J’Anmetra Waddell and her courage to break free from the bonds of her abuser — her husband and the Pastor of her church. She shares her how her near-miss with suicide transitioned to her journey to becoming an advocate for other survivors of domestic violence.

Transformational Leadership in Suicide Prevention -- Lessons Learned from the Construction Industry: Interview with Jerry Shupe | Episode 84

Transformational Leadership in Suicide Prevention -- Lessons Learned from the Construction Industry: Interview with Jerry Shupe | Episode 84

Transformational leadership happens when people come together to rise for a daunting challenge to benefit the common good. Transformation leaders focus on impact and empower others to reach for higher and higher levels of motivation and morality. Transformational leaders are:

  • Bold

  • Idealized influencers

  • Creativity encouragers

  • Role models for a compelling vision

  • Process challengers

  • Purpose AND people driven

Today’s podcast is about transformational leadership in the area of construction suicide prevention. I interview Jerry Shupe, the Corporate Director of Safety and Health for Hensel Phelps, one of the nation’s largest construction contractors.

A Thriving Hive -- How to Cultivate Employee Engagement and Workplace Well-Being: Interview with Mari Ryan | Episode 80

A Thriving Hive -- How to Cultivate Employee Engagement and Workplace Well-Being: Interview with Mari Ryan | Episode 80

Overwork. Burnout. Resentment. Churn. Bullying. Exclusion. Gossip. These qualities define the toxic work conditions that Mari Ryan calls a “dive hive.” She makes the argument that personal and community resilience are highly influenced by the cost-saving and life-saving preventative care we cultivate at work. Instead of a ‘“dive hive,” we need an “alive hive” filled with purpose, joy and impact. In this podcast Mari outlines a strategy on how companies can advance worker well-being and thrive.

Turn Off the Alarm Bells -- How to Prioritize Civility in a Divisive World: Interview with Sejal Thakkar | Episode 79

Turn Off the Alarm Bells -- How to Prioritize Civility in a Divisive World: Interview with Sejal Thakkar | Episode 79

At the heart of civility is respect. Respect and dignity are essential for psychological safety, especially when others have diverse experiences and viewpoints. Civility is not about complacency or placating. It’s not about denying or pushing away strong feelings that can emerge when conflict emerges. It’s about temporarily suspending our alarm bells for a period of time so we can do the hard work of “climbing the empathy wall” to better understand the deep stories behind those we see as “the other.”

Intersectionality & Historical Trauma -- 3 Insights for Resilience: Interview with Dr. Tammy Sanders | Episode 78

Intersectionality & Historical Trauma -- 3 Insights for Resilience: Interview with Dr. Tammy Sanders | Episode 78

How we see ourselves often is shaped by the many voices of our experience —- intersecting identities, some which may be aligned, others in conflict with one another. The voices we internalize may come from our parents or other influential adults from our childhood, or our religions and cultures more broadly. Still, other voices may be those of our ancestors, whom we have never met, but whose experiences have been imprinted in our bodies.

In this conversation I speak with the inspiring Dr. Tammy Sanders, a self-identified, Black, gay woman raised in the Black Baptist Church of the deep South. She realized at an early age that in order to survive, she needed to escape parts of herself or perish. Come listen to her incredible journey to wholeness — a holistic approach towards uncomfortable growth surrounded by deep connection with others.

From Toxicity to Tranquility -- Prioritizing Personal Peace: Interview with Reggie Hubbard | Episode 77

From Toxicity to Tranquility -- Prioritizing Personal Peace: Interview with Reggie Hubbard | Episode 77

When we face adversity or toxic environments, how we respond makes all the difference. Breathing helps us create space in between the stimulus and our response, and in that space we can sometimes find calm, gratitude and possibilities. In this podcast I chat with Reggie Hubbard, a man who found yoga as he tried to cope with workplace toxicity and transition. His three criteria for finding tools too help him cope:

  1. Does it enhance creativity?

  2. Does it lower my blood pressure?

  3. Does it make me smile?

"What Do You Do?" -- Reflecting on Work, Identity & Well-Being: Interview with Scott Mason | Episode 76

"What Do You Do?" -- Reflecting on Work, Identity & Well-Being: Interview with Scott Mason | Episode 76

When we ask “What do you do?”, what we often mean is “What WORK do you do?” In many ways — at least in the United States — our culture tells us, “You ARE what you do for a living.” Not only as a provider for your family and a meaningful contributor to society (and “meaningful” is often defined by the paycheck and the status") but as someone who is earnestly chasing the “American Dream.”…

On the positive side, when work is working well, it gives us a sense of belonging and a sense of being a part of something larger than ourselves. Work gives us structure to our lives and the satisfaction that our skills and talents are contributing to the world in some way. This positive aspect of our identity protects us against depression, anxiety and loneliness. In this interview with Scott Mason, we explore the role of our work in our identity and well-being. We argue that we all need to cultivate a multifaceted identity where our personal worth is based on being loved for who you ARE not just on being admired for what you DO.

Workplace Suicide Prevention Training: Interview with Gabriela Malafaia | Episode 65

Workplace Suicide Prevention Training: Interview with Gabriela Malafaia | Episode 65

The workplace is arguably the most cross-cutting system in suicide prevention. Just about everyone who dies by suicide or attempts suicide was working, was recently working, or has a close friend or family member who is working. Thus, just like we promote CPR training at our job sites to save lives, we should also consider on-going, skill developing suicide prevention training programs. In this presentation I interview Gabriela Malafaia, a leader in People’s Management in the oil and gas industry. We discuss the many reasons why workplace suicide prevention training is the right thing to do and list several best practices to leverage a tiered approach. Sharing a number of case studies, we conclude that successful training initiatives not only improve the confidence and competence of a workforce dedicated to making suicide prevention a health and safety priority, impactful training actually helps drive a caring culture.

9 Tactics to Stay Present When Life is Uncertain: Interview with Hugh Ingalls | Episode 61

9 Tactics to Stay Present When Life is Uncertain: Interview with Hugh Ingalls | Episode 61

Ambiguity is tolerated by some better than others. Small experiences of uncertainty can be exhilarating and bring us the joy of surprise. Large and prolonged periods of uncertainty can cause debilitating anxiety, leaving people paralyzed. In this interview, Hugh Ingalls and I discuss nine tactics people can use when living in uncertainty to help stay present and reduce anxiety.

Leadership, Strategy & System Change: Interview with Stuart Binstock & Michelle Walker | Episode 11

Leadership, Strategy & System Change: Interview with Stuart Binstock & Michelle Walker | Episode 11

In order for mental health promotion and suicide prevention to be successful, leadership must be bold and engaged....Leaders who are most influential in creating a caring culture at the workplace are able to build a business case that looks at the ROI of investing in resilience and mental health support. They are also strategic in their effort, enrolling others in a pragmatic blueprint for change and tracking progress and pitfalls....One of the biggest success stories in this effort is the creation of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention overseen by the Construction Financial Management Association.

www.PreventConstructionSuicide.com 

What You Need to Know about Peer Support as a Critical Link in the Chain of Survival: Interview with Eduardo Vega | Episode 9

What You Need to Know about Peer Support as a Critical Link in the Chain of Survival: Interview with Eduardo Vega | Episode 9

“People don’t always need advice. Sometimes all they need is a hand to hold, an ear to listen and a heart to understand them.”

In this inspirational podcast I have the great honor of interviewing one of my most beloved social agitators, Eduardo Vega. Eduardo begins by sharing his own experiences with suicidal intensity and the “incomprehensible demoralization” he felt as he tried to escape himself. For him the turning point happened when he started to connect with something larger than himself by helping others. Eduardo talks at length on the podcast about the helper principlein other words, the notion that helping others helps us. While the idea of peer support has long been promoted in addiction recovery and among mental health advocates, it is just now gaining traction in suicide prevention. Eduardo shares his view on why this is so, and gives us the science and the strategy for “the way forward.”

3 Ways to Build Resilience at Work: Interview with Judge (Ret.) Mary McClatchey | Episode 8

3 Ways to Build Resilience at Work: Interview with Judge (Ret.) Mary McClatchey | Episode 8

Employers are often challenged recruiting and retaining top talent. How can you address this problem? A resilient workforce and a mindset of a wellness culture at work. This strategy also helps promote mental health and prevent suicide. In this highly engaging interview, Judge (Ret.) Mary McClatchey makes the business case for emotional well-being at work. She concludes by sharing three take-aways that will help employers build a more psychologically hardy workplace