Stepsero

Wooga and employee mental health: Episode Notes

Wooga, a well-known Berlin based game developer, have recently made it to the news for being 100% carbon neutral.

Given their impressive achievement, we approached them to discuss their employee mental health initiatives. 

The gaming industry has long been under scrutiny for its long work hours (also referred to as “crunch”). In fact, game developers can be extremely passionate about their jobs, and often run the risk of wearing themselves out in order to deliver outstanding results within specific deadlines. 

Since their foundation in 2009, Wooga have strived to implement a culture based on transparent communication and role-modeling, and have promoted several initiatives to foster their employees’ mental health. 

Below are a few highlights from our discussion: 

Developing a sustainable culture is a long process. Before suggesting specific initiatives or even start collecting feedback, it is crucial to build trust with employees. 

Wooga first leveraged their own resources to create an internal counselor position. At a later stage, they partnered with an external provider to better measure feedback and expand their scope of support. 

Especially during the current pandemic, managers should be able to assess situations where they can be of support. On top of offering to help, it is important to proactively suggest that employees choose which tasks can be handed over or postponed. 

At Wooga, it is not uncommon for employees to attend knowledge exchange sessions, where experts in their field can share their views with like-minded professionals. This has turned out to be an effective Learning & Development exercise which requires limited time and effort. 

In July 2019, Wooga partnered up with Take This, a non-profit organization poised to address mental health issues in the game industry.

Our Guests: Lenka Kaciakova & Maike Steinweller

Lenka joined Wooga in 2012 as HR Business Partner. Back then, Wooga was a 3-year-old games company, enjoying tremendous success and going through a phase of hyper-growth.

Almost 8 years later, Wooga is dominating the hidden object games genre and is growing. Climbing to the top came with challenges and lessons learned. Lenka’s focus in this period was on sustainable workplace culture, change management and leadership development.

In her current position as VP HR, Lenka and her team work on creating a working environment where people are driven to contribute to Wooga’s success. A clear vision together with a people-centric culture keeps playing a major part in this. Prior to Wooga, Lenka worked at eBay, Accenture and startups in various HR roles.

Maike is Wooga’s Head of Communications. In that role her mantra is “Thoughtful Communication”, which is Wooga’s core company value and demonstrates the importance communication has for the Berlin based developer of story-driven casual games. Her focus for both external and internal communication is to share news in an authentic and transparent way, always ensuring to choose the right channels and spokesperson for each message.

Maike has been with Wooga since 2012 and held various roles within the PR & Communications team. Before joining Wooga she gained experience while working for trade associations as well as agencies.

References:

Lenka Kaciakova Linkedin profile

Meike Steinweller Linkedin profile

www.wooga.com

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The positive effects of a career change: Episode Notes

Thinking about a career change can be scary and stressful.

Rebecca O’Brien joins Stepsero to share her own journey from Marketing & Sales to Wellness Coaching. 

Following a debilitating burnout, Rebecca made the brave choice to go back to study and finally embrace what she felt was her real purpose in life.

As a first step, rather than pursuing what was expected of her and keep climbing the corporate ladder, she set out to follow different therapies including breathwork, CBT therapy and trauma healing, among others. 

Below are a few takeaways from our discussion: 

As scary as it may sound, a career change may lead to a healthier and happier future. For these to be successful, we should avoid pushing our emotions away, but rather listen to our inner voice.

Hitting rock bottom may sometimes be necessary for us to realize that we need to follow a new path. Thanks to her painful experience, Rebecca was able to re-evaluate many important aspects of her life, including some of her previous relationships.

Wellness by Rebecca is based on four core principles, namely Self-mastery, Powerful Mind, High-performing habits, and Unbreakable Boundaries.

Our own well-being starts with us and requires a significant amount of inner work. This includes setting healthy choices for our body, mind and spirit, and building a sustainable foundation for ourselves.

Our Guest: Rebecca O'Brien

Rebecca O’Brien is a Certified Stress Management & Burnout Prevention Coach, Mindfulness Instructor, Nutritionist, and former Sales & Marketing Executive. She is the Founder and CEO of Wellness by Rebecca, which is posed to help IT professionals through private coaching and corporate programs.

Rebecca She splits her time between San Francisco and Stockholm and uses techniques from both cultures with her clients. When Rebecca isn't helping professionals reduce stress and prevent burnout, she walks her talk by spending time in nature, practicing mindfulness/meditation, cooking, and loves traveling the world.

References:

Rebecca O'Brien Linkedin profile

Wellness by Rebecca - website

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How to overcome the negativity bias: Episode Notes

Negativity Bias is a term that refers to our tendency to focus on negative experiences more than on positive ones.

Such inclination is the result of our natural evolution as human beings, given that our species has managed to survive thanks to the ability to quickly detect dangers and threats.

In this episode of the Stepsero podcast, we discuss some implications of the negativity bias, as well as a few ways to keep it under control. 

Below are some highlights:

About 60 to 70% of thoughts occurring in the untrained mind are of a negative nature. Thanks to the plasticity of our brain however, it is possible to train our mind and keep the negativity bias in check.

Positive experiences take about 12 seconds to sink in our memory, which is much longer compared to negative ones. This partly explains why it seems easier to focus on challenging situations.

While it is in our nature to escape negativity by seeking distractions, it is important that we try and consciously assess our feelings, instead. Rejecting our negative thoughts may eventually make them stronger, therefore resulting in a counterproductive effort on our end.

We need to bring compassionate acceptance to our negative experiences, rather than wanting them to be different. When we can relax into them, they are likely to change. In this regard, we could start asking ourselves: Which areas of our body are being affected by our thoughts, and  how does it make us feel to experience them?

Compassion is based on the willingness to engage with our own experiences and accept them for what they are. Leaders who bring compassion to both themselves and their staff are more likely to establish authentic, strong bonds at work.

Our Guest: Karen Liebenguth

Karen Liebenguth is an accredited mindfulness teacher and supervisor, a certified coach, mentor and facilitator.

Karen works with individuals, groups and teams and offers tailored mindfulness and coaching programs for the workplace as well as corporate retreats days in nature.

She set up Green Space Coaching and Mindfulness in 2008 to foster personal and professional development, self-leadership and mental resilience. 

Karen is a member of the Association of Coaching and an accredited and associate mindfulness trainer with Breathworks. She follows the Good Practice Guidelines set out by the Association for Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA)

Karen has worked with clients such as Kew Gardens, Deloitte, GAMA Healthcare, The Royal Town Planning Institute,  Trades Union Congress, Working Well Trust, The City Centre (Corporation of London), NHS Trust London, Collinson, Chobham Academy and others. Karen offers a free initial coaching / mindfulness conversation. Contact her to arrange your complementary session.

References:

Karen Liebenguth Linkedin profile

Green Space Coaching - website

To reach out to Karen: [email protected]

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The benefits of journaling: Episode Notes

Journaling is a practice that has been proven to be very effective for both our body and our mind.

In fact, according to a few authoritative studies, expressive writing (which includes journaling) can lower blood pressure, improve immune system functionality and positively affect our mood, among other things.

In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we host Amánda Efthimiou, Mental Health Advocate, Writer, and Entrepreneur, to discuss some benefits of journaling, as well as different approaches to it, including poetry.

Here are some highlights from our discussion: 

According to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, the chemical processes that are provoked by our emotions end within 90 seconds. Everything that happens after that is the result of the stories that you tell yourself.

Based on this, journaling could help label your emotions, and ultimately allow you to regulate and balance your feelings.

A gratitude journal can be a great way to start, and it can be as simple as writing three things that you are grateful for in the morning.

Writing in free flow for just 15-20 minutes can be a very liberating act, even if you don't read again what has been written. This is not limited to only creative writers, but rather to anyone who wants to experiment with different forms of writing and journaling.

Bullet-points can also be useful, especially when compiling a list of things you want to get done on a specific day, as well as the feeling you want to have by the time you go to sleep.Companies can also benefit from bullet journaling, as their employees can use this method to prioritize their goals and plan their week better.

For Amanda, poetry is a great way to interpret her thoughts and give them a special meaning. Given its peculiar form, poetry allows her to express herself in a more articulated way compared to more traditional forms of journaling.

Our Guest: Amanda Efthimiou

Amanda Efthimiou is a mental health advocate, writer, and community creator. She founded I.ÁM with a mission to help people design their lives around caring for their mental health. As part of her passion for nurturing communities through experiences, she’s now built a network of women around the world who use I.ÁM’s core principles to refocus conversations on women’s healing, psychedlic therapy and integration.

She also uses poetry and creative fiction as an artistic practice to highlight the shared human experiences of our inner states and to spark conversations about mental health. Her writing has been published in online publications such as The Mighty and Designing the Next Decade, and her poetry was recently featured in a Lisbon-based art exhibition. She’s currently also pursuing her MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health at King’s College, London.

References:

Amanda Efthimiou Linkedin profile

Amanda's Website

Amanda's Blog (Medium)

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Global mobility and mental health: Episode Notes

In this Podcast episode we discuss the relationship between Global Mobility and mental health. Our guest Holly Maria Creed, co- founded Next Gen GM in 2018 whose aim is to support Global Mobility Professionals, both corporate and vendor, with less than fifteen years’ experience within Global Mobility. 

More specifically, with the Next Gen GM, Holly hopes to create an environment where Global Mobility Professionals are free to discuss a variety of topics, while potentially expanding their own network and creating long lasting relationships. 

In 2020, Next Gen GM has focused on addressing mental health implications within the Global Mobility industry and below are a few takeaways from our discussion: 

Being on assignment can be a difficult experience. Whether it is about finding the right school for your kids, or fitting into a whole new culture, you may face significant challenges unless the right provisions are in place. 

The hardships of being on assignment could have repercussions on your personal life, as well as your own mental health. For this reason, employees on assignment may want to rely on Global Mobility Professionals to empathize with their mental health concerns. 

Due to the nature of their job, Global Mobility employees tend to work very long hours and place their client’s satisfaction above their own well-being. This is clearly a problem when they become too exhausted to help a client in need. 

As a Global Mobility worker, you may get concerned with the wrong initiatives and forget that the main purpose is to look after other individuals. In this regard, it is not uncommon to get caught up in strategic decisions involving analytics and data, while your clients may first and foremost need someone to discuss their mental health struggles with.

Our Guest: Holly Maria Creed

Holly Maria Creed’s Global Mobility career began when she started a graduate scheme in US and UK expatriation tax before moving to EY to specialise in Global Mobility.

Over the next eighteen months Holly ran a FTSE 100 client account and undertook her first Assignment to India. Upon Holly’s return from India, she moved into Global Mobility consulting before undertaking the role of project manager to help the Head of Global Mobility establish a new operating model for an international energy company.

Holly is a passionate and inspiring leader who is fast gathering a positive reputation as a thought leader and innovator within the industry.

References:

Holly Maria Creed Linkedin profile

Next Gen GM website 

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General Practitioners and mental health: Episode Notes

When we experience mental health issues for the first time, we usually turn to General Practitioners (GPs) for professional advice.

Depending on our doctors’ specialization however, we may not always find the answers we are looking for. Why is that? 

In this episode of the Stepsero podcast, we adopt the perspective of a general practitioner, thanks to the intervention of Gustavo Vidal, a digital health professional trained as a Medical Doctor.

On top of that, Gustavo gives us a glimpse into his experience working with victims of trauma and torture in refugee camps. 

Below are a few takeaways from our interview: 

General practitioners are experts in treating organic diseases, where physical or physiological changes can be assessed and measured.

Due to their training, general practitioners may not always be able to  treat psychosomatic disorders. Unfortunately, this often results in a very unsatisfactory experience for both the doctors and their patients.

General practitioners operate under serious time constraints. Because of this, once they have addressed all organic aspects, they might not have the chance to dig deep into their patients’ overall psychological attitudes.

When no evident organic alterations are found,  GPs consider the problem to be a psychological one. At this point, they may refer their patients to a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

Lately, science is bridging the gap between organic and functional medicine, by showing a clear connection between pathological and organic disorders.

Our Guest: Gustavo Vidal

Gustavo Vidal sees himself as a ‘Jack of all trades and a master of none’. One of his many interests lies in the field of psychology, which has been deepened by his experience working with victims of trauma and torture on several international missions with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, also known by the English name ‘Doctors Without Borders’).

Trained as a Medical Doctor, he has worked as a clinician as well as on the supervising side of projects, managing projects and teams in a variety of contexts.

Currently, his responsibilities involve managing a team of medical doctors developing medical artificial intelligence in the field of digital health.

References:

Gustavo Vidal Linkedin profile

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CBT at work: Episode Notes

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also referred to as CBT, is an approach that can help significantly improve people's quality of life. 

As a recruitment professional, Chris Hart is clearly passionate about individuals' mental well-being.

A few months ago, he started having a closer look at CBT practices, as well as different ways he could bring mental well-being initiatives to his organization. 

Below are a few highlights from our discussion: 

CBT works around the ABC model, which stands for "activity, belief system, and consequence". Specifically, CBT allows us to become aware of our thoughts and behaviors (consequence), in order to identify what triggered them (activity). By doing so, we can tap into our belief system and replace negative habits with positive ones.

Before implementing any specific policy related to well-being, it is crucial to establish the right working culture.

In order to build a long-lasting support strategy, leaders should let employees dictate what is important.

While leaders can be involved in mental health committees at work, they should allow employees to drive the initiative.

One great way for managers to establish trust at work, is to show their own vulnerability.

Our Guest: Chris Hart

Chris Hart is 39 and Dad to his three boys, Tate (8), Zac (4) and Finn (1).

He has worked in Recruitment for 13 years, covering technology, mainly Infrastructure and Security and is currently a Team Lead at Client Server based in London.

Having experienced his own ups and downs with Mental Health, he is a passionate Ambassador on the topic and a certified CBT Coach & Practitioner.

Chris has recently launched his own podcast, "Mintally Speaking".

References:

Chris Hart Linkedin profile

Mintally Speaking - Podcast

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A discussion on learning and development: Episode Notes

Learning and development is usually seen as a subset of the Human Resources department, and it is related to improving employees’ competencies and performance. 

Oftentimes, just like it happens with many other well-being practices at work, companies do not treat learning and development as a main priority for their business. As a matter of fact, revenue growth, profitability and technology investment tend to come first. 

But why is it so hard for companies to embrace a “people first” mentality?

In this episode of Stepsero, we ask Christoph Spiessens, who has spent the last fifteen years in learning and development.

Below are a few highlights from our conversation: 

Learning and development should be approached holistically. This means that L&D practitioners should strive to identify employees’ needs and motivation factors outside of conventional practices.

Learning and development is about gaining employees’s trust by listening, rather than performing. In this regard, no amount of conventional off-the-shelf training, no matter how brilliantly designed, will hit the target if it is focused on the wrong objectives.

Managers and company leaders can take the first step to establish a circle of trust at work. One way to do this is to show their own vulnerability.

Individuals generally benefit by deliberately choosing a “being mode” over a “doing mode”.

The doing mode is usually about trying to change one’s own status, which causes people to avoid facing their fears and anxieties. The being mode, on the other hand, allows people to accept their situation, therefore lifting any unnecessary pressure.

Our Guest: Christoph Spiessens

Christoph Spiessens is an inspirational author, certified coach and accredited mindfulness teacher. His book, "Life of a Lifetime" is published by Business Expert Press, NY.

Christoph helps people thrive with mindfulness workshops and talks, and brings secular mindfulness to employees across all sectors and all levels in a practical and usable way.

When people ask him where he gets his “calm energy” from, Christoph always replies: “Life itself. It’s an incredible, humbling experience and the journey teaches us so much. The good, the bad and the ugly. We can -if we choose to- grow from it all. I have a huge passion for life and the opportunities it brings us to evolve into happier, more fulfilled, self-actualising people. This excitement fuels my work.” 

He is particularly fascinated by the intersection of neuroscience, spirituality and wellbeing. Christoph is a childhood abuse survivor. The recovery journey was not always easy but he cultivated a practical, secular spirituality along the way that continues to empower him. He believes his message can help you thrive too.

References:

Christoph Spiessens Linkedin profile

 www.christophspiessens.com

Christoph's profile on Insight Timer

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Mental health in Academia: Episode Notes

In this episode of the Stepsero podcast we draw attention to mental health in Academia once again.

According to the available data, the prevalence of depression in academic communities is 6 times higher compared to the general population. On top of that, about 40% to 50% of PHD students are affected by anxiety or depression.

Jelena Brasanac knows this all too well and co-Founded Dragonfly Mental Health, a non-profit organization created to address mental health in Academia at a systemic level.

The typically hierarchical structure that is often found within the academic world led Jelena and her colleagues to ideate what they call “Wellness Wheel”, which operates on five distinct domains of excellence: Department committee:

An additional layer between different hierarchical levels in academia, represented by people from different backgrounds and all career levels of an academic community. It is poised to work on sustainable actions and strategic initiatives regarding mental health.

Peer Network: to offer support and integration within the community and facilitate reach outs. Peer networks would work closely with department committees to help promote relevant activities.

Mental Health Literacy: Talks and workshops for individuals to better educate themselves on all matters related to mental health in Academia. 

Skills Workshops: Primarily focused on the relationship between mentors and students, being this a complex and delicate power-dynamic within Academia. Thanks to these workshops, research leaders can be better equipped to support their students, for example by spotting early signs of burnout.

Fighting Stigma: There still is a significant stigma attached to mental health within Academia, as individuals often struggle due to their fear of being judged by others. Educational Initiatives targeting such stigma are set to alleviate any negative perceptions around mental health challenges within this environment. 

At this moment in time Dragonfly Mental Health counts on more than 100 volunteers coming from more than 15 different countries and over 22 disciplines, and is looking to attract partners that could help make their plans financially actionable.

Our Guest: Jelena Brasanac

Jelena Brasanac is a PhD candidate in the Medical Neurosciences graduate program at Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany. She received a NeuroCure PhD fellowship for pursuing her research on stress and depression. Her work is investigating stress signaling dysfunction in subpopulations of blood cells and its relationship to stress-related brain areas. Jelena holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and Physiology from the University of Belgrade in Serbia, where she also completed her master’s studies in Experimental Biomedicine.

Always driven towards action when recognizing problems and preferring bottom-up approach, Jelena has experience from working in NGO and student-led initiatives to organizing by students for students conferences. Considering mental health as an essential part of our overall health and a major determinant of the quality of our lives she co-founded Dragonfly Mental Health, a non-profit on a quest for cultivating mental health in academia. Jelena believes that giving the voice to and empowering early career researchers will lead to better and more credible science and foster a cultural shift in academia towards a more open, inclusive, and supportive environment.

References:

Jelena Brasanac Linkedin profile

DragonFly Mental Health - website

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On the mental health of researchers: Episode Notes

Not enough attention is being paid to the mental health of researchers.

For this reason, a few researchers, researcher groups, organizations and non-profits are working hard to raise their concerns.

In this episode of Stepsero we are joined by Clarinda Cerejo and Andrea Hayward, who are two professionals behind a recent survey involving 13,000 researchers from across the globe.

The report that followed, published by Cactus Communications with the support of several other partners, provides a comprehensive picture about the good and the bad side of researchers’ activities, and suggestions for positive changes in academic culture that can be implemented across institutions all over the world.

Below are some key takeaways from the CACTUS Mental Health Survey Report 2020:

Close to 40% of the respondents stated that they had felt overwhelmed by their work situation fairly or very often in the previous month.

Over 30% of the respondents stated that they typically work more than 50 hours a week. 

37% of the respondents stated that they had experienced (or were experiencing) some form of bullying, discrimination and harassment within their organization. 

Despite the prevalence of mental health difficulties in academia, many researchers find it difficult to seek support or ask for help. In many ways this could be due to the lack of safe and confidential spaces within universities and research institutions where researchers can access support. In line with this, almost half of the survey respondents said they would not discuss work-based feelings of severe stress or anxiety with relevant people/authorities in their workplace.

Some of the key reasons holding them back from an open discussion about these feelings were; a sense that others would be unable to help, fear of not being taken seriously, and a sense that these feelings were part of normal academic life. 

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have brought on additional stress and concerns for researchers as they simultaneously take on changes brought on by a global crisis.

In a tweet by PhD Diaries (a popular academic Twitter profile), she explained what academia has been like in a post-COVID world – “…since you can't leave your house, I expect all of you to: write 12 papers, teach 8 classes, learn R, review 16 grants… Oh and, don't forget to 'take care of yourself' during this pandemic, whatever that means.”

Our Guests: Clarinda Cerejo & Andrea Hayward

Clarinda Cerejo is Senior Director, Thought Leadership at Cactus Communications.

Clarinda's mission is to improve the research culture and the way scientific research is published and shared globally. To this end, she leads various content and research projects touching upon science communication, publication success, and mental health among researchers. The most recent project she's been involved in is a global survey on mental health in academia - an initiative through which she hopes to start an important global conversation on what organizations can do to create a more supportive and nurturing environment for researchers.

She is currently turning her attention towards science communication in Life Sciences and Medical Affairs and working to help research from these sectors be widely read and have the real-world impact it should.

Andrea Hayward is Senior Associate, Global Community Engagement at Cactus Communications.

Coming from an educational background in Psychology, Andrea has always been very interested in and passionate about the cause of mental health. As part of her role at CACTUS over the past one year, she has been managing Joy and Stress Triggers - a global survey on mental health among researchers. Andrea hopes that the findings and insights from this survey will spark more open discussions around mental health in academia, and trigger a much-needed change towards a more positive academic culture and better institutional support for researchers.

Andrea also loves spending time on Twitter, and you can follow her at @AndieAitch for conversations around mental health or for pictures of her adorable cat Stitches.

References:

Clarinda Cerejo Linkedin profile

Andrea Hayward Linkedin profile

Report; Joy and Stress Triggers - a global survey on mental health among researchers

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