Organizational Wellbeing Archives - Page 4 of 6

This Funders Group Wants Philanthropy to Take the Lead on Nonprofit Worker Wellbeing This Funders Group Wants Philanthropy to Take the Lead on Nonprofit Worker Wellbeing

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Changemakers are burned out, as we’ve been hearing for the past few years. Now, leaders from a dozen philanthropies are tyring to make a difference through the Funders & Wellbeing Group (FWG), a learing collaborative launched in 20222 with the aim of increasing members’ own understanding of the connection between effective social change and the welfare of changemakers — and pushing philanthropy as a whole to take the concept of wellbeing more seriously.

The FWG is a program of the Wellbeing Project, a global nonprofit founded in 2015 by Ashoka Fellow Aaron Pereira in reaction to his own burnout. The Wellbeing Project has a staff of 35 and works to “normalize and create access to wellbeing in the social change sector,” according to its website. The project is focused not only on the West but also the Global South, where the toll on those in the helping professions can be even greater and access to support even more scarce.

Twelve organizations joined the first two-year cohort, with at least two participants from each group coming to meetings, including one from senior leadership. The current members include the group’s main funder, Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Global, as well as the Ford Foundation, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network, Laudes Foundation, Segal Family Foundation, Skoll Foundation, Imaginable Futures, Camelback Ventures, the Hewlett Foundation, Alana, the SHM Foundation and Global Fund for Children.

The FWG is a small program in the Wellbeing Project’s overall scope, operating on initial funding of about $70,000 from Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Global, and an annual fee of 5,000 euros per participant. Still, its creation points to philanthropy’s growing interest in bolstering the welfare of those working to make the world a better place.

Funders play an important role in the wellbeing of organizers and nonprofit workers, of course, given that philanthropic dollars often cover salaries and benefits. And a handful of funders, including the Durfee Foundation, support wellbeing-focused initiatives such as employee sabbaticals and other forms of worker care. The nonprofit Fund the People is also advocating for philanthropy to prioritize nonprofit workers’ wellbeing.

Still, the importance of wellbeing more generally remains largely overlooked, said Dana Preston, the Wellbeing Project’s development and partnership lead. “Wellbeing is underfunded because it’s not considered essential. It’s considered a ‘nice to have,’ ‘woo-woo,’ a luxury, hippy-dippy. We still have a way to go for wellbeing to be recognized as essential to lasting change.”

Putting wellbeing on the agenda

Preston said she runs up against a generalized dismissal of wellbeing in her development role at the project. One way she argues for its importance is by having funders experience it themselves. In her job at the Wellbeing Project, she does this by arranging outings, such a week-long “inner work” retreat. The Funders & Wellbeing Group is another such experience. “This is strategic for us,” she said. “If we can work with philanthropy to understand that wellbeing is essential, that will unlock funding for it and create momentum for changemakers.”

As of December 2022, the group had met four times and established goals, including implementing an action plan within their own organizations and collaborating with other group participants on the larger project of shifting philanthropic norms.

Bad habits take time to die

The FWG is also part of philanthropy’s critique of its own practices that replicate the negative power dynamics of capitalism. These include things like demanding, competitive RFP processes, exhaustive reporting requirements for even small grants, and chronic underfunding of nonprofits — all of which can compromise the wellbeing of nonprofit leaders, employees and the communities they serve, said Jessamyn Shams-Lau, co-chair of the FWG.

Moving beyond these practices is of immediate, practical importance. “We see a lot of nonprofit leaders burn out and leave. This is not only ethically wrong, but also illogical from the perspective of longevity,” said Shams-Lau. “Their ability to stay engaged in this work means we will not lose the knowledge and wisdom they built up over the years.”

Cómo los líderes empresariales pueden enfrentar la crisis de salud mental Cómo los líderes empresariales pueden enfrentar la crisis de salud mental

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Es el Día mundial de la Salud Mental y aún es un tema que nos elude en el mundo empresarial. Tal vez porque se siente como un tema privado, difícilmente entendemos nuestro rol frente a un reto que es altamente público.

Hace unos meses, tuve la oportunidad de tener una experiencia inmersiva en uno de los encuentros más importantes a nivel global. Entre las palabras de bienvenida, un líder empresarial explicaba: “El bienestar emocional tiene un rol central en el sector privado, es fundamental para la innovación y colaboración,” dijo Edwin Macharia, Global Managing Partner de Dalberg, frente a más de 1000 personas que se dieron cita en la ciudad española de Bilbao la primera semana de junio.

El encuentro global “The Wellbeing Summit” o Cumbre del Bienestar, juntó a las mentes más influyentes en la intersección de la salud mental, el bienestar integral, el activismo y la investigación científica. Este encuentro, este año 2022 no es para menos: de manera colectiva, los ponentes presentaron un reto enorme al que nos enfrentamos como sociedad de frente al bienestar integral y la salud mental.

La OMS define a la salud como “el estado de bienestar físico, mental y social, no solamente la ausencia de enfermedad” y a la salud mental como “el estado de bienestar en el que cada individuo logra su potencial, se enfrenta a los estreses normales de la vida, puede trabajar productiva y fructíferamente, y puede contribuir a su comunidad.”

La pandemia y sus secuelas presentan retos sin precedentes para la humanidad en términos de salud mental. En los últimos dos años, la estimación conservadora de suicidios está en 700,000 personas anuales; sin explicaciones alternativas, los médicos continúan atribuyendo más y más enfermedades al estrés.

Si el número previo nos genera una fuerte impresión, al llevarlo a un lapso más concreto, cada hora del día, se suicidan 81 personas en el mundo; y a ello, también encontramos el fenómeno aterrador de school shootings, los feminicidios, los enfrentamientos por causas raciales, y más. Se estima que la mala salud mental le cuesta a la economía mundial entre $3 y $5 trillones al año en productividad reducida.

En América Latina, la salud mental continúa acarreando un tabú en el mundo empresarial, se lo habla poco pero se siente su efecto cada vez más seguido. En el mejor de los casos, se lo aborda de manera tangencial, solamente cuando los impactos se hacen visibles. Pero los diagnósticos de patologías de salud mental son sólo el primer paso. El liderazgo integral debe abordar el tema mediante prácticas, servicios y acciones tangibles que arrancan desde el lado preventivo.

Uno de los ponentes del Wellbeing Summit, el neuro-científico Richard Davidson , presentó una colección de hallazgos científicos sobre lo que él llama la “neuroplasticidad’ del cerebro – nuestra cualidad de tener una mente que puede ser moldeable mediante repetición y prácticas que re configuran cómo está programada. La tesis principal es que la compasión y felicidad es un habilidad que se puede aprender:

El cerebro de un monje en estado meditativo es algo replicable – Davidson propone que la habilidad de estar presente, consciente de sus propios pensamientos es un camino de prevención buscando el bienestar mental. En un estudio del 2004 (Lutz et. al) se midieron las oscilaciones gamma, que predicen niveles de claridad de percepción, en el cerebro de un monje budista con años de experiencia en meditación. Las oscilaciones de las ondas en el cerebro de los monjes en estado meditativo eran significativamente más amplias. Es decir, cuando el cerebro se encuentra presente y perceptivo, las ondas gamma se abren. En estados de miedo o incertidumbre se contraen. Lo importante, es que los monjes tienen la capacidad de controlarlo con práctica, y que la incorporación de hábitos de manera consistente puede crear el mismo efecto en la población general.

La capacidad de conexión con otros re-configura el cerebro – Un estudio del 2013 (Weng et al) trabajó con un grupo de personas ofreciéndoles capacitación en técnicas meditativas de cultivar compasión. En sólo dos semanas, los neurocientíficos encontraron diferencias tangibles en imágenes de escaneos cerebrales de quienes habían participado – sus niveles de “conectividad DPLFC-Nacc”, que se asocia con comportamiento altruista (un indicador de salud mental), se muestran claramente dilatados en los scans.

El sentido de propósito correlaciona con la longevidad – Un meta-análisis de estudios de la última década (Cohen et. al, 2016) determinó que el sentido de propósito (incluso en las actividades diarias más mundanas) es un predictor potente de longevidad y prevención de eventos cardiovasculares. Los efectos del bienestar son reales – un estudio del 2019 de Evans y Soliman presentaron una fuerte correlación entre la expectativa de vida promedio y el bienestar en 151 países: aquellos con percepción de bienestar más alta tienen hasta 30 años más de vida en promedio que quienes viven en países bajos niveles de bienestar emocional.

Hace un siglo, el hábito de tomarse 3 minutos después de cada comida para lavarse los dientes no existía a nivel global. Sin embargo, como sociedad, lo incorporamos como una acción de importancia para nuestra supervivencia como especie. Este principio de incentivar hábitos, promoviendo una mente más saludable, puede tener efectos enormes en las distintas crisis que enfrentamos. La diferencia es que esta vez contamos con avances de tecnología móvil y de wearables (relojes inteligentes, tracking devices, etc) que nos permiten acelerar la incorporación de buenos hábitos de manera exponencial.

Por esta razón, no sorprende que el Dr Barry Kerzin, el médico personal del Dalai Lama, se apoya en una aplicación móvil para hacer prácticas de compasión y altruismo más accesibles a la población, o que Betterfly , la start-up unicornio Latinoamericana incentiva buenos hábitos meditativos recompensando a los usuarios con medallas que facilitan la donación a causas. El potencial de generar impacto positivo mediante modelos de negocio que innovan con propósito es enorme.

Los retos más grandes que enfrentamos como humanidad siempre han presentado oportunidades para el empresariado que quiere marcar una diferencia.

Las buenas noticias son que podemos entrenar nuestros cerebros para crear bienestar mental y que podemos promover estos hábitos gracias a los avances de la tecnología móvil.

Con una oportunidad como esta, es cuestión de tiempo para que el sector empresarial tome el liderazgo para escalar la construcción de una sociedad más conectada consigo mismo y con su propósito. Así es cómo el mantra intangible de que “la paz interior puede crear paz para el mundo”, se convierte cada día en algo más tangible y viable conforme esta intersección única de maestros de meditación, científicos y empresarios convierten sus voluntades en una nueva realidad. Así es como el mundo empresarial puede enfrentar la crisis de salud mental: no solamente con voluntad, sino también apalancándose de tecnología y ejerciendo el liderazgo que este reto público exige.

Author bio

Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter is the Global VP of Purpose and Communities at Betterfly, the first social unicorn start-up, with operations across Latin America. Before her current role, Michelle was the CEO and co-founder of IMPAQTO, a B Corporation with a mission to support impact entrepreneurs reach their goals by building the ecosystem and network they need to thrive. Michelle is a recent mother of twins and a member of The Ecosystem Network at The Wellbeing Project.

How business leaders can face the mental health crisis How business leaders can face the mental health crisis

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October is World Mental Health Month yet, mental health remains a topic that eludes us in the business world. Perhaps because it feels like a personal issue, we hardly understand our role in the face of a challenge that is highly public.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to have an immersive experience in one of the most important global meetings related to mental health and wellbeing, which is a more holistic way to explore it. From the very first welcoming remarks, I was all in: “Emotional wellbeing plays a central role in the private sector, it is essential for innovation and collaboration,” said Edwin Macharia, Global Managing Partner of Dalberg, in front of more than 1,000 people who met in the Spanish city of Bilbao the first week of June 2022.

The Wellbeing Summit for Social Change brought together the most influential minds at the intersection of mental health, holistic wellbeing, activism, arts, and scientific research. In the convening, the Summit speakers collectively presented the enormous challenge that we face as a society and the wellbeing of our people.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as “the state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease” and mental health as “the state of well-being in which each individual achieves his or her potential, copes with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to the community.”

The pandemic and its sequels present unprecedented challenges for humanity in terms of mental health. In the last two years, conservative estimates of suicides are at 700,000 people per year; with no alternative explanations, doctors continue to attribute more and more illnesses to stress. If the previous number makes a strong impression on us, when taken to a more specific period, every hour of the day, 81 people commit suicide in the world; besides, we also find the terrifying phenomenon of school shootings, femicides, clashes for racial reasons, and more. Poor mental health is estimated to cost the global economy between $3 and $5 trillion per year due to reduced productivity.

In Latin America, mental health continues to be a taboo topic in the business world, it is rarely talked about but its effects can be noticed more and more often. At best, it is approached tangentially, only when the impacts become visible. But diagnoses of mental health pathologies are only the tip of the iceberg. Business leaders must address the issue through practices, services, and tangible actions that start from the preventive side.

One of the speakers at the Wellbeing Summit, neuroscientist Richard Davidson, presented a collection of scientific findings on what he calls the brain’s ‘neuroplasticity’ – our quality of having a mind that can be molded through repetition and practices that reconfigure how it is programmed. The main thesis is that compassion and happiness are skills that can be learned. Below are a few of the findings that back up this theory that we can train ourselves to shape the health of our brain:

The brain of a monk in a meditative state can be replicable – Davidson proposes that the ability to be present, and aware of one’s own thoughts is a preventive path toward mental well-being. In a 2004 study (Lutz et. al) gamma oscillations, which predict levels of perceptual clarity, were measured in the brain of a Buddhist monk with years of meditation experience. The wave oscillations in the brains of the monks in a meditative state were significantly broader. That is, when the brain is present and perceptive, the gamma waves open up; in states of fear or uncertainty, they contract. The important thing is that monks have the ability to control it with practice, and incorporating habits consistently can create the same effect in the general population- we don’t necessarily need to be super-meditators to reap the benefits.

The ability to connect with others reconfigurates the brain – A 2013 study (Weng et al) worked with a group of people by offering training in meditative techniques for cultivating compassion. In just two weeks, the neuroscientists found tangible differences in brain scan images of those who had participated – their levels of “DPLFC-Nacc connectivity”, which is associated with altruistic behavior (an indicator of mental health), looked clearly dilated in the scans. Again, visualizing scientifically the effects of human connection on our brains.

A sense of purpose correlates with longevity – A meta-analysis of studies from the last decade (Cohen et. al, 2016) found that a sense of purpose (even in the most mundane daily activities) is a powerful predictor of longevity and prevention of cardiovascular events. The well-being effects are real – a 2019 study by Evans and Soliman found a strong correlation between average life expectancy and well-being across 151 countries: those who live in countries with the highest perceived well-being levels live up to 30 years longer on average than those who live in countries with low levels of emotional wellbeing.

A century ago, the habit of taking 3 minutes after each meal to brush your teeth didn’t exist globally. However, as a society, we incorporated it as an important action for our survival as a species. This principle of encouraging habits, and promoting healthier minds, can have enormous effects on the different crises we face. The difference is that this time we have advances in mobile and wearable technology (smart watches, tracking devices, etc.) that allow us to accelerate the incorporation of good habits exponentially.

For this reason, it is not surprising that Dr. Barry Kerzin, the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, relies on a mobile application to make practices of compassion and altruism more accessible to the population. Or that Betterfly, the Latin American unicorn start-up, encourages good meditative habits by rewarding users with medals that make it easy to donate to causes. The potential to generate a positive impact through business models with purpose-driven innovations is enormous.

The greatest challenges we face as humans have always presented big opportunities for the business community that wants to make a difference. The good news is that we can train our brains to create mental wellbeing and that we can promote these habits thanks to advances in mobile technology.

With an opportunity like this, it is a matter of time before the business sector takes the lead in building a society that is more connected with itself and with its purpose. This is how the intangible mantra that “inner peace can create peace for the world” becomes more tangible and viable every day as this unique intersection of meditation teachers, scientists, and start-up leaders turn their wills into a new reality. This is how the business world can face the mental health crisis: not only with will but also by leveraging technology and exercising the leadership that this public challenge demands.

Author bio

Institute for Collective Wellbeing

Location: Madison, Wisconsin,
United States of America

Can you share the intention behind creating the Institute for Collective Wellbeing (ICW) and what communities the Institute serve?

The intention behind ICW is to reimagine the purpose of organizations, systems, and society in service of collective wellbeing. It can be hard to transform a system from the inside due to bureaucracy, a sense of inevitability or stuck mindsets, and strongly embedded power differentials. We dreamt of something bigger – something more expansive and more aligned with a sense of possibility. So we took a leap of faith to co-create ICW free from stories about what we need to do, or who we need to be, in order to find purpose and meaning in organizational life.

We’re on a journey to be a microcosm of the world we aspire to see. It is very hard work! Increasingly, we understand that a society that honors collective wellbeing is also one that has reverence for the unknown. Our research and programming engage stakeholders across nonprofit, government, private, academic, and community sectors, and we are pleased with how often participants identify common ground in our often deeply siloed world.

The common thread among communities we serve is a shared commitment to authentic, inclusive, and generative relationships that are at the heart of systems transformation.

The mental models of what it means to be a “successful” organization don’t always align neatly with our commitment to an emergent strategy and a deeply relational ethos, but we’re doing it anyway.

What are some of the Institute’s focus themes?

There are so many! Here’s one that has been showing up a lot recently: As part of a study we’re conducting with our colleagues at <a href=”https://santamonicawellbeing.org/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Civic Wellbeing Partners</a>, we’ve interviewed leaders across silos and sectors globally to learn how stakeholders create conditions for collective wellbeing to emerge within their organizations and the communities they serve.

We hypothesize that one of the drivers at play is a lack of attention to mental models. Mental models are at the root of our systems and include our beliefs, values, and even consciousness. Time and again, we hear about programs, policies, and structures they have built to address racial inequity, the climate crisis, individual and collective trauma, etc. Yet there is repeatedly a narrative of burnout and/or a sense of bumping up against the limits of what a system will allow when it comes to real transformation.

For example, we can say we value collective wellbeing at our organization, but if employees feel like they need to “turn off” parts of who they are at work, is that collective wellbeing? What if one “big boss” ultimately speaks for the collective? What if we can’t share a viewpoint without data to back it?

These kinds of questions are critical when we work in service of collective wellbeing because even the best of intentions can prove futile if grown in poor soil, so to speak. It’s at the roots where mental models change the quality of the conditions by which transformation takes hold.

The Institute talks about the goal of co-creating Wellbeing for all.
What does that look like?

First, co-creation speaks to our desire for a deeply relational and collective approach. We push back on the idea that we need to assert our expertise, or lead from a place of power or hierarchy, in order to realize change. On the contrary, we feel a sense of harmony within ourselves, each other, and the universe when we honor the wisdom of one another.

When we attempt short-sided efforts to address wellbeing, we quickly see the error of our ways. For example, when organizations support remote work but insist on tracking people’s time use, they lack trust. When they promote racial/social/gender equity for the communities they serve but do not do the same for their internal teams, they lack insight. When they espouse a commitment to the environment but frequently fly staff across the globe without regard to planetary impacts, they lack consistency.

Collective wellbeing for all speaks to the idea of interconnection. We honor the fact that our wellbeing is wrapped up in the wellbeing of others and the earth.

Collective wellbeing for all is not a panacea nor does it address all social ills, rather, it moves us in the direction of awareness of how our actions impact ourselves, others, and the planet, and it is a vision of what’s possible.

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What are three things people interested in collective wellbeing can do to learn or put it into practice in their organization?

1. Engage change at various levels simultaneously

The interconnectedness of transformation at the personal, organizational, community, and planetary dimensions provides a holistic approach to collective wellbeing. Each dimension supports and relies on the others. Collective wellbeing is difficult when we prioritize one over another. That’s not to say that organizations need to do it all. Rather, make decisions with all dimensions in mind.

2. Pay attention to mental models

As discussed, surfacing “hidden” mental models helps us see the roots of suffering. For example, when working on equity issues, we may not see “hierarchy” as a mental model that contributes to inequity. We may have diversity among leadership but still support a system where a small group of individuals has power over others. An alternative is an “ecosystem” approach where power rests in relationship to one another and the system as a whole. Other shifts include: short to long-term thinking, fixed/static to emergent, tasks to relationships of care, rational to embodied, etc. What mental models are operating in your life that might benefit from a shift?

3. Practice collective wellbeing daily

Start every meeting with a wellbeing check-in to help each other feel seen and to decompress before starting the work. Sometimes our check-ins become the meeting because we believe so strongly that all parts of our lives are interconnected. Other practices include: self-managing structure; engaging one’s purpose and purpose of the organization; opening to emergent opportunities (not wedded to fixed outcomes); and adapting to a slower pace – questioning urgency.

What does the Institute imagine the future of wellbeing to look like?

Adrienne Maree Brown said, “We’re in a time of new suns. We have no idea what we could be, but everything that we have been is falling apart. So it’s time to change. And we can be mindful about that. That’s exciting.” For all that feels broken, uncertain, painful, and cold in the world, there is an opening underway, and it is powerful. It often doesn’t make headlines, and it’s far more intuitive than practical, but it is happening!

The future of collective wellbeing lives in the space between the systems that are dying and those that are waiting to be born. It is supple, feminine, honest, and imaginative. And if honored, it will reveal to us what our rational minds cannot; a change that will favor the collective wisdom and wellbeing of all people and the earth. As Arundhati Roy said, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

This may seem vague, and that’s okay! Part of embracing collective wellbeing is valuing what we feel even if we can’t say why at this moment. For readers interested in learning more about how we see the future of collective wellbeing unfolding, we welcome you to register for our 1-day virtual summit on September 15, 2022.

If ICW were an animal, what would it be and why?

So many animals are brilliant in their embodiment of transformation – the snake, the butterfly, the raven, etc. It’s hard to pick just one! There is the Lion featured prominently in the story of the Hindu Goddess Durga, a symbol of destruction for good, which seems apt.

Perhaps we’ll go with one that comes up in a phrase we like, “the elephant in the room;” alluding to something uncomfortable and often avoided.

To be clear, we don’t think of ICW as an organization that is uncomfortable or that should be avoided. Rather, what we mean is that we don’t shy away from complexity. We gravitate towards the deeply embedded narratives and mental models of what collective wellbeing means and what it takes to bring it to life. We move toward what is unknown, guided by a sense of what is possible rather than a certainty of what’s to come. Because that’s the thing about the elephant in the room. Whether or not you can put your finger on what it is, you know it’s there. How you respond often depends on what you believe is possible and if you dare to act on what you sense is true.

If you would like to learn more about Institute for Collective Wellbeing or are interested in supporting ICW’s work, please message the team at info@tifcw.org.

Failure Files x The Wellbeing ProjectFailure Files x The Wellbeing Project

Failure is a part of life, especially for those working on complex issues for social change. Yet, very few people talk about failure, the deep impact it has on individuals as well as those around them, and the life lessons that come from failing.
To break this silence, The Wellbeing Project is partnering with India Development Review (IDR).

The partnership with IDR will bring forth stories at the intersection of failure and well-being through IDR’s Failure Files, a multimedia initiative that seeks to normalise conversations around failure in the pursuit of social change.

We invite you to tune into the Failure Files podcast, to hear the inspiring stories of people who have failed forward. Listen to social entrepreneurs, a Dalit rights activist, and an Olympic gold medallist tell us about their failures, how it impacted both individual and collective well-being, and what the road to recovery and resilience looks like.

EPISODE 1

Having a dream is not enough | Vishal Talreja, Suchetha Bhat

In Part I of this conversation with IDR, Dream a Dream’s co-founder Vishal Talreja and CEO Suchetha Bhat share the story of the organisation’s implosion, Vishal’s burnout, and how owning up to failure was the first step in figuring out the way to build back up.

LISTEN ON – APPLE | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE

EPISODE 2

The road to recovery | Suchetha Bhat, Vishal Talreja

In Part II of this conversation, Dream a Dream CEO Suchetha Bhat and co-founder Vishal Talreja talk about what it took to rebuild an organisation in crisis, and how that led to discovering a new kind of leadership—one that the world needs more of.

LISTEN ON – APPLE | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE

EPISODE 3

Preparing for a marathon, not a sprint | Thenmozhi Soundararajan

What does self-care mean for those who are fighting systems of oppression and discrimination that are set up against them? On this episode, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, founder and executive director of Equality Labs, a Dalit civil rights organisation, talks about how systems of oppression affect well-being, what healing looks like for individuals and communities, and why failure is an opportunity to build power.

LISTEN ON – APPLE | SPOTIFY

ABOUT INDIA DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ABOUT INDIA DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

India Development Review (IDR) is Asia’s largest online media platform covering social change. IDR publishes cutting-edge ideas, lessons and insights, written by and for the people working on some of India’s toughest problems.

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SELF-CARE: THE OPPOSITE OF SELFISHNESS SELF-CARE: THE OPPOSITE OF SELFISHNESS

For some an oxymoron, a new concept has emerged in our vocabulary recently: that of “digital wellbeing”. Perhaps it is not surprising that academics have been researching the impact of new digital technologies on people’s wellbeing for quite some time already, but the fact that tech-giants like Google are now paying attention to the topic is a sign of its relevance for our modern societies.

As Google acknowledges, technology is transforming the way we spend time, and this is why it’s more important than ever to ensure the tools we use are helpful, and not a distraction. Let’s consider for a brief moment how digital tools have changed the work of changemakers and social innovators. Many of them use digital tools at the core of their ventures, e.g. think about tech-preneurs teaching digital skills to children to equip them with the skills of the 21st century. Others rely on technology to scale their impact, e.g. think about social entrepreneurs who can reach (back-then-unimaginable) large audiences through online platforms and apps.

It is clear that digital tools have opened up new horizons for changemakers (and for all of us), but as we learn to navigate in these waters full of fascinating possibilities, we must also make a well-rounded assessment on the impact of digital technologies on our work and life. In fact, many are pointing to the negative impact of digital technologies on our wellbeing, which contributes to behaviours such as addiction, distraction, anxiety… Whether we want it or not, digital tools will possibly become more and more present in our lives, so we might as well learn to recalibrate our digital diet so that it is diverse, balanced, and nutritious.

To help people – professionals, changemakers, youth, educators – consume healthy digital diets that feed their minds, bodies, hearts, and souls with the nutrients they need to thrive, is what motivated us to contribute to Google’s new course on digital wellbeing. This course shares a new series of digital wellbeing online learning videos, available here. As Google explains, “each video encourages you to think about how you use technology and suggests ways to find the right balance for you.” Have a look at the videos and let us know what changes you are making to maintain a more balanced digital diet.

Read Google’s blogpost on the topic here.
Visit Google’s Digital Workshop new course landing page here.

GUIDING NEW DAILY RITUALS IN COVID-19 AND BEYONDGUIDING NEW DAILY RITUALS IN COVID-19 AND BEYOND

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By Alana Cookman, Organisational Wellbeing Lead for The Wellbeing Project

“I miss my commute” is something I thought no-one would ever say. But now it feels like everyone is saying it. Why is something that was the bane of many a working day, suddenly being remembered as a cherished time? Did the crowded metro provide that much needed human contact? Perhaps it is one of the many everyday things we have lost and are mourning. It’s actually quite likely that we are missing the transition from Place A to Place B because it allowed us time to depart Role A and psychologically and emotionally arrive in Role B.

It turns out that role transitions pre-pandemic had a much more important task in our everyday lives than we gave them credit for. They supported crucial psychological detachment and a mindset shift that we are fast realizing is missing, as we live out all our roles from one confined place. Whether it was a walk in the park, or a gym session after a stressful day, or listening to music on our way to work, these activities, whether accidentally or intentionally ritualized, help support us ‘land’ in our various roles in a way that feels spacious – with less chance of stress and tension from the various parts seeping in to each other. How do you manage the crossing of your roles now? A cup of tea, a five minute meditation, a listen to your favorite podcast on a walk round the block, as you used to do on your morning commute, that helps you get into ‘work mode’? My daughter misses her many daily and weekly rituals from school. The activities that separate morning and afternoon, play time and work time, celebration and connection, endings and beginnings. The ‘golden time’ that makes work time that much more motivating. Ritualised activities can be invigorating or calming depending on what you need, and provide a welcome element of predictability for centering and grounding in times of such flux, and for honouring and acknowledging the change and loss happening so rapidly around us.

“Ritual practice is the activity of cultivating extraordinary ordinariness. It is necessary, because human activity has a kind of entropy about it; life, like love, runs down. Things get tiresome and difficult. Body and soul cry out for something different, hence the impetus to ritualize. But if the ritually extraordinary becomes a goal or is severed from ordinariness, it loses its capacity to transform, which, after all, is what rites of passage are supposed to do.” Ronal Grimes

There is a finer sense of awareness on what nourishes us, energises us and depletes us, as we tend to all parts of our lives in one physical space, too. Our shifting understanding of what work-life balance means to us is on our minds. What do we want this to look like when some more predictable routine returns? Rather than think of work-life balance as another thing to be achieved or fixed, it’s helpful to think of it as a continuum, with integration on one end and segmentation on another. While we are more on the integrated end of things at the moment, what can we learn from segmentors?

This is where the concept of micro transitions come in handy, because they help ease or put up the boundaries we need to support us transition from one role to another, depending on where on the continuum you want to sit. And that’s the beautiful thing with continuums; polarities aren’t problems to be solved, but rather parts of the same whole that can be managed, depending on your own needs and contexts. Polarity mapping is a tool that helps us adopt a ‘both, and’ as opposed to an ‘either,or’ mindset, something that is increasingly helpful in these complex times where many outcomes are likely to emerge in ways we aren’t accustomed to. It is a helpful process to use when you are faced with what seems like an opposing or contradictory situation and need a moment to reflect on where feels like a healthier place for you to be, both personally and in your professional lives.

The urgency of attending to immediate, and often unknown, needs (whilst being very distracted) during the first two months of the Covid-19 pandemic unfolding, is making way for different concerns, as we continue on in our worlds of ‘sheltering in place’. Many people emerging from what felt like a months of back-to-back Zoom calls are craving an element of sustainability to their days and weeks ahead. Accepting a possible longer haul at home has us wondering how we can create space in between our calls, roles, days and weekends, to enable a healthier way of being, working, and living. How are you showing up and switching off in this time of blurred boundaries? What do your in-between spaces look like? Do you even have any? Are your kids sharing breakfast with your team in little squares on your laptop screen? Are your work issues seeping into your relationships? How many times have you checked email in bed recently? Perhaps you aren’t working right now, which could be causing worry or guilt. Some of us don’t want to do anything and are anxious we aren’t being creative, productive or even reflective enough. Some of us want to be doing much more to help others in more pressing need. We are craving human connection but are drained by virtual meetings. It seems our working selves are in a flux of paradox and polarity.

Even though lockdowns are easing globally, it’s very likely that it will be a slow process and remote work in some form, is here to stay for many of us. Given this largely unplanned merger of life and work, it’s a good time to think about how we approach our different roles, wherever you sit on the compress or expanse scale. How are you embodying your various roles in ways that you want to, without leaving the physical space you are in? How are you creating in-between spaces, or micro-transitions, that help you show up and switch off in ways that support you and those around you? Can you share any rituals that support these transitions in your extraordinary everyday life? Being well and working well do not have to be separate ends of the pole.

What differences can you make now that your body and soul will be thankful for? Whatever your answer might be, know that this is the moment where you can design the new you.

About the author:
Alana Cookman is Organisational Wellbeing Lead at The Wellbeing Project which is exploring and demonstrating how individual and organisational wellbeing can be cultivated, to catalyse a shift towards a more human-centred culture in the social change sector.

WE ARE THRILLED TO START EXPLORING THE ISSUE OF INNER WELLBEING IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL CHANGE MORE BROADLY – LOOKING AT “HOW ARE WE DOING?” – TOGETHER WITH IMPACT HUB AND THE FORD FOUNDATION, WHO ARE TWO KEY ANCHORS WITHIN THIS 6-MONTH SURVEY PROCESS. WE ARE THRILLED TO START EXPLORING THE ISSUE OF INNER WELLBEING IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL CHANGE MORE BROADLY – LOOKING AT “HOW ARE WE DOING?” – TOGETHER WITH IMPACT HUB AND THE FORD FOUNDATION, WHO ARE TWO KEY ANCHORS WITHIN THIS 6-MONTH SURVEY PROCESS.

By Catalina Cock Duque

Building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive country is a long term challenge which requires systemic changes to face the roots of our problems. Such changes imply transformations in politics, power, relationships, attitudes and values. In order to achieve this, alliances between the public, private and social sectors are necessary, as well as between leaders with diverse approaches who can support alliances to adopt new ways of doing things.

This may sound obvious, but working with different actors can be difficult. For instance, the building of trust is a great challenge and, as has been expressed by Katherine Milligan and Nicole Schwab in their article “The Inner Path to Become a Systems Entrepreneur”, competition over financial resources for social investment discourage collaboration, and there could be rivalries over who gets the credit within a coalition around a specific issue. How to cultivate a context where egos can be left aside, and the common interest comes before individual interest? Such question must be answered in order to achieve structural changes.

There is increasing evidence that the inner condition of a leader is crucial to achieve meaningful changes, and that it can be cultivated through a path leading to greater awareness of oneself and to inner well-being. Along the same line, great names in the field of social entrepreneurship such as Skoll, Synergos, Ashoka and Schwab Foundation, are promoting a global movement, through their “Wellbeing Project”, to support inner growth as an essential aspect of social change.

There are many options to advance along an inner path, including a deep process of self-knowledge. Getting to know ourselves in all our dimensions allows us to project our greater strengths and to work on our weaknesses. The mere fact of becoming aware of the latter may allow us greater control over our emotions, such as fear or anger, which in turn may undermine confidence and hamper the building of bridges between different sectors. Through inner work, confidence in oneself may be developed, as well as the ability to listen, empathize and follow your intuition, among other crucial skills in the construction of common projects departing from difference.

Investing in the inner well-being of leaders is a way to support the sustainability of their initiatives, or, is it possible for a leader to reach his or her maximum potential when emotional health is at risk or human relations are weak? Will it be possible for his or her impact and leadership to prevail in the long term? I don’t think so. When people invest in their personal well-being, when their deeper purpose is clear, when their greater inner connection is achieved, they reach their extended-self or their greater-self; according to Peggy Dulany, founder of Synergos, such people have an open heart, which can feel gratefulness and access more creativity; they are connected with a greater whole, they know who they are and they like who they are.

If we get closer to our extended self we can feel more confident and connected in a broader sense, and thus explore our maximum potential as human beings. This is crucial to building high potential teams, networks and movements, to overcoming egos and personal interests, and to understanding the complexity of our reality from different perspectives. Only by advancing along our individual path, will we be able to advance in the political, economic, social and cultural changes Colombia requires to build a fairer, more peaceful and inclusive society.

WELLbinar: Nurturing Wellbeing for Leadership, with David Simas, President – Obama Foundation WELLbinar: Nurturing Wellbeing for Leadership, with David Simas, President – Obama Foundation

Hosts: Sharon Salzberg & Parker J. Palmer

Guest: David Simas, President – Obama Foundation

February 8, 2022

David Simas, President at Obama Foundation, is joined by Sharon Salzberg and Parker Palmer to explore the links between wellbeing and inspirational leadership. Visit our website to find out more about The Wellbeing Summit for Social Change from June 1-3, 2022, in Bilbao-Biscay, Spain.