In the age of COVID-19, an economic crisis, a highly divisive presidential election and a nationwide reckoning with systemic racism, bouncing back from hardships has taken on a whole new meaning this year. Resilience is defined as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress,” according to the American Psychological Association, and showing up at work, in particular, even if it is virtually, takes significant physical, mental and emotional effort.
How do we ask our bosses for mental health days? What does work/life balance mean when the two are intertwined now more than ever? How do we adjust our expectations at work for ourselves and others? What does resilience in the workplace look like when the tough times just keep coming?
Over the last few months, we’ve provided extensive coverage on how to show yourself empathy during the pandemic, deal with a boss who micromanages you from home, find ways to heal through art and storytelling, and cut your colleagues some slack. We’ve also hosted virtual events on handling your emotions and anxiety over going back to school and what self-care looks like for introverts.
Whether you’re in the public or private sector, whether you work the night shift or 8 to 5, you deserve to give yourself a break given the circumstances we’re all living in. But it’s not always easy. How do we foster a workplace culture where vulnerability is a sign of strength, not weakness? What can each of us do at an individual level to undo society’s mindset that our physical, mental and emotional health determines our worth?
Join HuffPost editor Wendy Lu, work/life reporter Monica Torres and executive coach Lisa Orbé-Austin on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. ET for a live discussion and Q&A around the complicated relationship between health, productivity and work. Orbé-Austin is a licensed psychologist based in New York who focuses on helping professionals manage their careers, handle workplace transitions and improve their communication skills. She is also an expert on imposter syndrome and the author of the book “Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life.”
At this virtual event, Lu, Torres and Orbé-Austin will explore how to be resilient and adaptable when so much of what contributed to our sense of normality — gatherings with friends, family vacations, a sense of safety and well-being — is no longer available, while also acknowledging that for many communities, resilience isn’t a choice but an act of survival. We’ll also dispel some myths about productivity and talk about what happens when we downplay our pain in the workplace — and how self-care looks different for everyone.
Go here to sign up for the event. After the registration, you will get a confirmation email with a link to register on Zoom. Live transcription and ASL interpretation will be available for this event.
Leave your questions on mental health, building resilience and building a workplace culture during the pandemic in the comments by clicking on the quote icon to the left of the screen (and if you’re using a HuffPost mobile app, the comments icon should be located at the bottom of your screen). We’ll answer as many as we can during our event, and you’ll even get a chance to share your experiences in the workplace and ask our panel of speakers your questions live, too.
We can’t wait to see you then!