As I reflected on takeaways from the panel of experts who participated in the Knowledge Builder Session I moderated at ISPA ’ s Stronger Together Summit in May , I was grateful for our panelists ’ different perspectives and the useful guidance they shared , all of which will help us expand our work on mental health as we go forward . From Debbie Fuehrer of the Mayo Clinic , we learned how to overcome our brain ’ s natural tendency to stress itself out . Canyon Ranch ’ s Amy Hawthorne helped us explore a conscious shift in leadership practices and encouraged mindful interactions with empathy and understanding at the forefront . And Mike Tonsfeldt of The Edgewater Spa encouraged us to develop richer resource networks , increasing our focus on teamwork and the increasing need for flexibility in our workplaces . Below , we look at what these practices might mean to us in the spa and wellness business .
Disrupt the Default
“ If you step on a Lego in the middle of the night , you don ’ t continue to grind your foot into the sharp object !” Debbie Feuhrer explained during our session . “ But , our brain is the opposite . When we have a bad thought , we grind it in . We start rethinking , rehashing it , and then we can watch what happens to our cells responding to all that increased stress .” She describes this grinding action as Default Mode — a state of mind that takes no effort to achieve and that increases your stress levels . Thankfully , there is an alternative : Focus Mode , in which we actively , intentionally use tools and learned techniques for finding meaning and releasing stress . Of these two options , Focus Mode certainly sounds
MENTAL HEALTH
46 %
30 % OF ALL AGE GROUPS reported worsening mental health
33 % 31 %
GEN Z ADULTS GEN X ADULTS MILLENNIALS
Data courtesy of the American Psychological Association : https :// www . apa . org / news / press / releases / 2021 / 03 / one-year-pandemic-stress more appealing , but how do we use this important concept in our work ?
Fuehrer explained she often starts her work with clients by tapping into their existing skill sets . Since we in the spa industry have existing expertise in helping our clients shift their immediate states of being though touch , movement , meditation , nutrition , healing sensory environments and deep listening , it is critical that we continue to offer , enhance and promote these client services and encourage our work force to use these practices as well . “ After all ,” Fuehrer reflected , “ we ’ re all here to walk each other home .”
To help promote overall well-being , we need to increase support for our colleagues in the workplace so that we can all use these methods throughout the day . Spa owners and managers can help by both openly modeling resilience practices and by creating a culture that offers space for our team members to release and transform the toxic build-up of stress during our workday .
Respond to Trauma
Another way we can help to enhance our healing environments is by maintaining a greater focus on mental health and keeping it in the forefront of our minds . Canyon Ranch has paid particular attention to this by bringing attention to and normalizing issues around trauma and the after-effects of everything we ’ ve been through this past year . Other organizations could benefit by following suit , even if they don ’ t have a team of spiritual advisors and mental health care providers on staff .
“ One of the things that has become obvious to me is that the last year has affected people differently because of earlier issues . Covid put a spotlight on them and amplified stuff that had already been going on ,” said Amy Hawthorne . “ The Covid crisis has been an opportunity for growth , and I encourage people to look at it as such . We focus on the traumatic growth aspect . We began to create a culture and environment of trauma-informed care , which means that on every level , from the top leadership on down , we introduce this idea of trauma . We are actively shifting our focus in terms of management into a trauma-informed one . Which means that we walk out into the world and interface with colleagues and guests with a level of empathy and understanding that we might not have had .”
One way that this shift in management style can translate into action is to weave this mental health- and traumainformed focus in our customer service training for the whole team . We can create ongoing , open forums for reviewing and discussing the latest information regarding mental health , safety , and wellness practices to encourage discussions and provide guidance in creating a supportive and open culture . “ We need to look at empowerment . At the
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