Taking care of yourself to help others
Wellness committee dedicated to employee wellbeing
“To bring joy, fun and mindfulness to employees is an absolute privilege,” said Amy Ashcroft, Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) Wellness Committee Chair and staff development coordinator.
Ashcroft, along with colleague Darra Black, Manager – Staff Development and Education, Human Resources for PMH, are part of the Wellness Committee, which was formed with the goal of improving wellness within the region through initiatives that would improve workplace culture and staff morale while trying to reduce the impact of burnout. The committee is led by Ashcroft and Black as Chair and Co-Chair, supported by Lara Bossert – Regional Lead of Communications, as the Executive Sponsor as well as staff volunteers, whose efforts include planning wellbeing events and activities for teams to participate in.
“It has been an eye-opening new passion for me,” shared Ashcroft. “For staff to serve our clients well, we need to ensure our staff are well. People in health care often are so focused on taking care of others and not ourselves. The most important lesson is – you have to take care of yourself to help others.”
Each month the committee plans a new wellness theme accompanied by resources such as virtual mindful practice sessions that staff can access across the region. The committee also hosts regular staff appreciation events including an annual family beach day, which saw over 700 attendees this past summer.
One initiative surprised staff with a scavenger hunt for rocks artfully decorated by PMH employees and community members. Staff who found the rocks could take a photo with them and be entered to win a prize. Afterwards they could either keep the rock or hide it again for someone else to find.
“The rocks were painted with uplifting messages for health-care workers, ‘It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change,’ and staff really enjoyed finding them,” said Black.
To help expand and implement regional wellness initiatives at the site level, the Wellness committee has identified 90 workplace wellness volunteer ambassadors spread out over the Prairie Mountain Health region.
“It took me a long time to get onto the wellness train and, when I did, I realized it is so multifaceted. It’s physical but also spiritual, mental, and financial. Once I had a greater understanding of everything wellness can be, I started to get passionate about how it fits it into my life and how I can help support the wellbeing of others,” said Black.
For individuals who want to work on improving their own wellness, Ashcroft and Black have some ideas to inspire you. Wellness ideas to consider:
- Find a new crafting hobby you may enjoy
- Tap into counselling services through your health benefits
- Join a sports team
- Find a fitness buddy to workout with
- Unplug from technology
- Go for a walk or coffee break to catch up with coworkers
- Spend quality time with family and loved ones