Mountains, Molehills, and Thriving in Chaos

Monday, September 21, marks six full months since MVCC transitioned to remote operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those have been the longest, most complicated, draining, and unfamiliar 26 weeks, 182 days, and 4,368 hours of my life.

While we’ve been at this a while now, it still seems that at any given moment on any given day, something that normally would have been an isolated molehill can feel like an insurmountable mountain. However, since the start of the fall semester, I’ve noticed more and more people sharing what I would describe as normalizing chaos. I know we all are experiencing the pandemic differently, but there are some common elements that seem to apply to most of us at one point or another. It may be some armchair psychology, but here are a few helpful things I’ve learned from talking to others at the College.

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve said, or heard someone else say, “Just taking it one day at a time!” The idea of staying in the moment has never seemed so important, and is a key strategy for working through the chaos surrounding us. Wishing for the pandemic to end and for things to go back to our old normal is an easy but incredibly unproductive endeavor. I know when I let my brain go there, it increases my stress and anxiety levels in an instant. Slowing down and focusing on the moment can increase appreciation and gratitude for the moments we do have. Throughout the pandemic, I’ve noticed an increase in people recognizing others at the College; colleagues are expressing appreciation for the efforts of their peers for providing some kind of help or for just doing a great job. While this is wonderful to see in any context, it is especially important now — research has shown that when we practice gratitude in various forms, it makes us healthier and more productive.

I’ve also heard people, in so many words, managing their locus of control — trying to worry only about the things within their control and putting the things they can’t into a more productive context. In other words, if I can’t influence or control it, I’m going to call it what it is, and instead deal with the things that I can control. I’ve seen this result in myself and others who seem to be “making the most” of our current circumstances, and have been surprised at how creative we were at solving a problem.

Another strategy for thriving in this environment has to do with how people are managing their time. Our regular daily schedules have been turned upside down. Whether it be the normal rhythm of our children going to school, after-school activities, or even getting together with friends, everything has become more complicated. Making time for yourself and your own well-being has never been more important or more challenging. I recently read an article that suggests identifying a ceremonial or cognitive “moment” that ends your work day so that your work doesn’t bleed over into your personal evening/family time. Rather than doubling your time streaming or watching television, consider trying something new that you wouldn’t have tried otherwise. If you’re feeling in a funk, use the pandemic as an excuse to do that thing you always wanted or stretch yourself in a new way. Perhaps now is the time.

At MVCC, we’re starting the fourth week of our fall semester, and are six months into our first year of learning what it's like to operate during a pandemic. Some days are harder than others, but I’ve been inspired by stories from throughout the College in which pandemic-forced changes to the way we work have prompted innovative solutions that make us even better — many we will keep when the restrictions are lifted. And I guess that’s just it: Drawing on what Jim Collins identifies as the Stockdale Paradox in uncertain times, it’s healthier and more productive to focus on the belief that the restrictions will be lifted rather than to worry about when they’ll be lifted. Until then, taking one day at a time, focusing on our locus of control, and caring for our own well-being will help those molehills remain molehills so we have what we need when the real mountains get in our way.

I’d welcome your thoughts on this, as well as any strategies you’ve found useful in normalizing the chaos that seems to be all around us. You can contact me directly at presblog@mvcc.edu.

Being Well

I recently spent ten days on crutches after a minor surgery on my ankle.  I gained an entirely new appreciation for my mobility during this period of being so limited. Not being able to go through my day as easily as I wished gave me a new perspective on wellness.

During this period, I occupied my mind with a good book, a few documentaries, and some TED talks. I also came across the following article in the Observer-Dispatch: http://www.uticaod.com/living/x300721118/Promoting-healthy-workers-is-a-win-win-for-local-firms. With the opening of the Robert R. Jorgensen Center this fall, I couldn’t help but picture MVCC in this article a year from now, thanks to the good work of our Wellness Design Team.

Earlier this fall, the Wellness Design Team presented the results of their work and their thoughtful recommendations – http://www.mvcc.edu/design-teams/wellness-2010-2011. After researching best practices related to employee wellness at local organizations (some of which were named in the above referenced article), the design team recommended the following three priorities along with the idea of starting small with quality resources and support:

1. Focus on physical wellness, nutrition and smoking issues 
2. Eliminate the wellness pass fee for full-time employees
3. Create a wellness committee to help with coordinating and promoting wellness programming

The design team emphasized the fact that MVCC has a number of great resources already in place – they just need to be coordinated and promoted into a comprehensive wellness program. An effective employee wellness program will draw upon the talents of our health center, human resources office, employee enrichment, our partners at Sodexo, as well as the wonderful fitness centers at both the Utica and Rome campuses. The recommendation to eliminate the wellness pass fee for full-time employees was immediately accepted and implemented so as to minimize any barriers to participation in wellness activities.

As Team MVCC goes about its work of bringing the College together for community walks and fundraising activities, my hope is that the wellness committee will be able to garner similar momentum in bringing the college together around our individual and collective wellness. Walking that fine line between "incenting" without incensing and motivating without offending, an effective employee wellness program will provide people with opportunities and resources that, based on research and best practices, will increase job satisfaction, civility, productivity, and morale, while decreasing stress, anxiety, negativity, incivility, absenteeism, and turnover. It's not a cure-all solution, but wellness programs have continually proven themselves to have a very positive impact on everyone who participates and the organization as a whole.

Whether a lack of wellness is caused by needing crutches, having a debilitating disease or physical disability, being overweight or obese, lacking financial or mental health, or some other life circumstance, achieving a general state of wellness is important for each of us to rise to our potential and achieve success and happiness personally and professionally. The work of the wellness design team and the future work of the wellness committee provides us the necessary framework to bring all the resources and support together to create an outstanding wellness program for faculty and staff at MVCC. Who knows, with the time on crutches behind me, I might have another Boilermaker race (or even a warrior dash!) or two left in me.

If you have any comments or questions on this post, please contact me directly at presblog@mvcc.edu.