Southern Indiana Business March-April 2020 | Page 12

Law is really big into self-care, and
she and other staff work to incorporate
it into their work lives every day. They
have regular movie days inside the center,
pajama days, game days, chili cookoffs —
just for staff. They have a self-care room
where employees can check out for a little
bit when need. There, they can read, listen
to podcasts, sit in a massage chair, do yoga,
meditate, create art, write.
“It’s ingrained in everything we do,” Law
said. “When we start our meetings off, we
do some form of self-care, some form of
grounding to bring everyone back to the
table.
“Let’s not focus on whatever stress you
had before you came to this meeting ... let’s
get each other back on track and know that
we’re in a space where we all care about
each other, we care about the work we do,
we do care about our clients.”
She said this is especially important in
the work they do at the center — much
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March / April 2020
of it involves talking with clients who
have experienced domestic abuse or other
trauma.
“I think it helps a lot,” Little said. “Movie
day gives us a nice break and we get to sit
with everyone else we work with...it’s nice
to be able to do something different with
your team.”
This is a big part of where the pets come
into play — they can melt away stress just
by being around. The center also works
with the Kentucky Humane Society, which
brings in cats and dogs on a regular basis.
“The feedback from staff is always
tremendous,” Shelley McDonald, director
of Indiana programs, said. “What I hear
them say is any stress that I was feeling,
gone.
“That’s so important, especially with the
work we do. The normal things like taking
a break, taking lunch that should happen
everywhere...sometimes it doesn’t happen.”
They also allow room for employees to
work from home or otherwise away from
the office if a situation calls for it, and they
can leave if they need a break.
“I think just knowing we have flexibility
in our days and knowing we’re not going to
be judged for taking a break or taking time
we need is really helpful,” Haley Garrison,
community outreach coordinator, said.
And these leaders aren’t the only
ones who recognize what adding unique
activities to break up office work and
nurturing employees in this way can do.
SELF-CARE AT SCHOOL
Clarksville Community Schools Corp.
has increased its approach to self-care for
the past two years, providing training for
all staff to learn breathing and stretching
techniques from a mindfulness coach —
things that not only help them de-stress,
but also that they can take back to the
classroom to teach the students.
“We believe that in order to be the