Well-being has always been an Academy Core Value. In 2020, the pandemic put well-being at the forefront, challenging us to rethink what it meant to care for ourselves and for our loved ones. Many of us were placed into situations where all the demands of our lives co-existed in one single space. The line between work and home disappeared. Early on in the pandemic, the Academy leadership acknowledged the hardships being placed on everyone in the organization and committed to keeping staff health and wellness as a top priority.

Compassionate organizations believe people’s humanity and mental health are of central importance to the organization.

In the midst of the pandemic, the Academy took a collective pause to allow staff to rest and reset. It was presented as an opportunity for the Academy community to get some uninterrupted downtime. By operationalizing well-being, the Academy hoped to enable staff to take care of themselves. Allowing people the time and space to tend to their needs helps them to become the best human form of themselves. We have witnessed this in the way our staff continue to show up for the hard work and for each other. Our staff have remained highly flexible, innovative, and collaborative during the constant shifts and challenges of this pandemic. We remain committed to our promise to create experiences that transform the heart, mind, and practice throughout these challenging times.

Self-care and community care are not in opposition.

When we talk about workplace well-being, often what we are really saying is that is your responsibility to take care of yourself, and continue to do your job. Burnout is a chronic physical and emotional exhaustion and it is a real issue related to work. Burnout and stress have always existed. but the pandemic brought them into a new light. One myth about mental health is that if you try hard enough, you can check your challenges at the door and push through the day. In reality, your colleagues pick up on it and it can affect others. The Academy strives to create a community that takes care of its staff, putting their humanity first. In 2021, we provided space for another pause recognizing the continued impacts of the pandemic on our community.

As the current environment reminds us, the pandemic continues to affect how we interact with one another and with the organizations and communities we serve. Being tuned in to the needs of our teams, and practicing communal self-care, will help to contribute to community well-being.

We are at a unique moment about how we do work. Staff mental health will continue to be a priority long past COVID-19. Organizations will be forced to address this issue in a more meaningful way.

Compassion is about action.

In 2022, the Academy implemented a Pause – an opportunity to put aside the pressures of work, to engage in self-care practices, and to restore as necessary. And to return as whole as possible to continue working in a unified way to achieve our mission. Our commitment to the well-being of our community does not end with the pandemic.

References:

Betend, J. (Producer). (2018-present). The importance of self-care [Audio podcast]. Rivet360.

          https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/the-importance-of-self-care.html

Cohn, G. & Helms, C. (Executive Producer). (2018-present). We should allow sad days, not just sick days  
          [Audio podcast]. Transmitter Media.                      https://www.ted.com/talks/worklife_with_adam_grant_we_should_allow_sad_days_not_just_sick_days

Deloitte. (2021). The social enterprise in a world disrupted. 

          https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2021/social-enterprise-survive-to-thrive.html