Wellness at a Glance: July 2022

Wellness at a Glance is a monthly summary of Employee Health and Wellbeing information for all employees of McMaster University. The month of July relates to Strategies of Managing Workload Fatigue.

Employee Wellbeing Resources in July focuses on the topics of:

Workload Fatigue Prevention Strategies 

Change how you think about and do work:

• Stop multi-tasking – focus on one thing at a time
• Work at a reasonable, steady pace
• Break down seemingly overwhelming tasks and projects into smaller achievable parts
• Recognize and celebrate your small steps along the way
• Tell your manager you want to be successful at your job and ask them how they would measure that
• Take regular assigned breaks
• Resist working unnecessary overtime
• Even if you must provide contact information in case of emergency, try to stay disconnected from work during vacation time as much as possible

When there’s too much to do 

7 minute audio recording via LinkedIn Learning

For leaders: Before you say “No”. 

Learn how all employee requests or behaviours are attempts at meeting a need. Learn how to ask “why” before you say “no” and get to the root of the issue.

Supporting Employee Success:

A free tool to help leaders support employee success

Setting Reasonable Expectations:

• Provide supervisors with the necessary time to meet with employees about workload challenges.
• Provide training so leaders have the skillset to support employees to meet their workload requirements.
• Have all leaders work with employees to:
  • Create solutions
  • Agree on reasonable expectations
  • Identify any barriers to success
• Task improvement process  | PDF includes a fillable form to help employees focus on specific tasks that require attention.
• The Getting employee commitment for leaders approach actively engages employees in developing a plan that meets the organization’s needs and increases their willingness to commit over the long term.

Strategies to Manage Employee Workload:

• The higher the demands at work, the more important it can be for employees to have some level of control. However, it may not be possible to give employees control over how their work is prioritized due to regulations, safety concerns, customer or patient demands. Explore where employees can have some control over their assigned tasks to help them work more effectively.
• Inform new employees of accurate and realistic job demands and expectations.
• Include explicit and reasonable productivity expectations in job descriptions.
• Review productivity expectations on a regular basis.
• Prepare employees for anticipated periods of increased work, such as seasonal demands and peak shift hours.

Employee Wellbeing Events:

Managing and Preventing Workload Fatigue

July 27th, 2022. 1:00pm-2:00pm.

The pressure to perform, endless demands, competing priorities, ongoing change, and a pandemic can add up to workload fatigue or even burnout. This is something we have all experienced as employees in one way or another. This one-hour Zoom session is aimed at learning constructive and tangible techniques to help individual employees manage this, showing that you are more in control than you think.

Facilitator: Mary Ann Baynton, Mary Ann Baynton & Associates Corp

August Series- A View on Wellness

Employee Well-being has partnered with McMaster Continuing Education to offer a 3-part online wellness series aimed at helping listeners discover a new conception of well-being – one that is realistic and achievable, given the complex personal and professional challenges of the world today. 

Participants can attend and register for any of the following sessions below.

Moving From Grief and Loss to Hope and Renewal  

• August 3rd, 2022 from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Many of us have experienced a degree of grief and/or loss during the pandemic. Join Julie Keon, a life cycle celebrant who specializes in helping individuals, families and communities understand, accept and move on from traumatic experiences. Julie will join Donna Thomson to reflect on spiritual healing through a range of simple practices to tackle difficult emotions head on, enabling post-traumatic growth and a powerful sense of optimism and renewal 

Register here

A Conversation with “Resilience Explorer,” Janet Fanaki 

• August 11th, 2022 from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.  

Janet Fanaki is the founder of the hugely popular RESILIENT PEOPLE podcast, where she taps into the minds of people who persevere through adversity.  Janet’s own personal story of resilience and her fearless exploration of others’ struggles to thrive after adversity consistently inspire.  Janet will join Donna Thomson to explore the secrets of resilience and share surprising and inspiring stories from her podcast and role as a resilience explorer.  

Register here

New Hope for Canadian Caregivers

• August 18th, 2022 from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Caring for each other through the pandemic has been a challenge that one quarter of all Canadians found most difficult. The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence is a game changer for all Canadian caregivers. Liv Mendelsohn is the CEO of this new organization devoted to helping Canadian caregivers be truly supported through local, provincial and national programs as well as through supporting research relevant to caregiving families. Liv will join Donna Thomson in a conversation about how a few passionate people are forging a brighter future for Canadian caregivers by designing a range of programs that are meaningful and transformational.   

Register here

Journaling to Boost Body Image and Self-Compassion

Looking to build a journaling practice? The mental health benefits are plentiful, but it can be challenging to keep a regular schedule. During this one-hour Zoom workshop, we will learn strategies to develop a greater sense of self-compassion and positive body image.

The workshop is guided by a communications specialist turned eating disorder educator, who has built a life-long practice of journaling and seen the positive impacts it had on her self-image. To wrap up the session, participants will spend time journaling and come back together to reflect on their experience.

Facilitated by Chloë Grande, Eating Disorder Recovery Speaker and Writer

Register here

For more information about Employee Wellbeing at McMaster, please visit our webpage.