Redesigning Wellness Podcast

What do you do when your dedication to your job lands you in the hospital for severe exhaustion and dehydration? This is the wake-up call today's guest, Jessica Grossmeier, got 10 years ago. Jessica was juggling a demanding job, getting her PhD, and being married, but eventually the sheer capacity was too much to sustain. Podcast guest, Jessica Grossmeier, is a leading voice in workplace well-being, having dedicated her career to identifying evidence-based strategies that promote a thriving workforce. Jessica has published more than 80 articles in professional journals and is the author of Reimagining Workplace Well-being: Fostering a Culture of Purpose, Connection, and Transcendence. In this episode, Jessica tells her story of burnout. She takes us back to the day 10 years ago when her husband found her at home unconscious on the floor. Jessica explains what led her to that point and how she slowly recovered from burnout. She also tells us why she took a year-long sabbatical and what came from it. Finally, she leaves us with what you can do if you find yourself suffering from burnout. For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/

Grief is the conflicting feelings caused by the end of or a change in a familiar pattern of behavior. Using that definition, chances are that you have recently grieved for something or someone. With everything that has happened in the past two years and continues to happen, it's about time we had a conversation about grief. Podcast guests, Ilana Yahdav, MPA, and Kim Hanlon, MA, are Grief Advocates and Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialists. They co-founded Yahdav & Hanlon Grief Support out of a shared passion for offering individual grief support and enhancing corporate wellness programs to support employees around loss and life changes. In this episode, Ilana and Kim define grief, which you'll be surprised to hear how all-encompassing it is. We talk about the very non-linear grieving process, how we judge ourselves and others for how we grieve, and how employers can address grief. Illana and Kim leave us with ways to support our own grief, including the recent Roe v Wade decision and what to do with all of the emotions that may be coming up from it. For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/

U.S. News named being a lawyer as the 2nd most stressful job in 2022. But it wasn't until recently that far reaching reports identified major wellbeing deficits, such as problematic drinking, workaholism, and mental health concerns. The reports led to a major call to action for the industry to address lawyer wellbeing. It also led to the creation of the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL), a non-profit dedicated to the betterment of the legal profession through holistic well-being. Podcast guest Robin Wolpert is an appellate practitioner, business litigator, and white-collar criminal defense attorney at Sapientia Law Group in Minneapolis. She is Treasurer of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, Treasurer of the Institute for Well Being in Law, Member of the ABA House of Delegates, Member of the ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism, and past President of the Minnesota State Bar Association. In this episode, Robin shares her entry into the industry and what's changed in her 20 years of practice. Robin describes some unique challenges lawyers face, both in law school and once they are practicing. She explains a series of reports that emerged, which was a call to action for things to change in the legal industry. Robin walks through a couple of the recommendations to enhance lawyer wellbeing and asks a question for lawyers to reframe their current environment. For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/

This is the final excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled "Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever". In this clip, Jen reviews another way organizations can build employee resilience – reconnecting to what's important. Listen in for practical tips for organizations and leaders. Plus, you'll hear a live Q&A from webinar participants. Want to learn more about resilience training for your organization? Learn more here.

Two years ago, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) was the topic of new conversations, organizational pledges, and the creation of new job roles. But what has truly changed in the past two years? Although some strides have been made, there remain many barriers to progress. How can we move beyond reading books to start taking concrete steps to closing racial gaps? Podcast guest, Dr. Ella Washington, is here to help guide us. Ella Washington, PhD is an organizational psychologist and DEI expert with a wealth of experience through her involvement as the Founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutions, a Professor of Practice at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, and the Co-host of Gallup's Center of Black Voices Cultural Competence Podcast. Dr. Washington is eagerly anticipating the release of her first solo book, The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion, published by Harvard Business Review Press. In this episode, we discuss what's changed and not changed in the past two years the high-profile murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Dr. Washington offers some statistics on the role of Chief Diversity Officers and how they aren't necessarily set up for success. Ella shares what we can do as individuals and organizations to keep DEI front and center. She leaves us with three foundational steps to addressing DEI. For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/

This is a short excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled "Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever". In this clip, Jen reviews one way organizations can build employee resilience – supporting rest and recovery. Listen in for practical tips for organizations and leaders. Stay tuned next week for the last in the series on how organizations can support resilience.

Burnout is the result of occupational stress left unmanaged, marked by high levels of exhaustion and depletion, emotional distance from our job, and cynicism. With the macro and micro stressors of the past two years, it's no surprise that burnout is on the rise. Although self-care strategies can be part of burnout treatment, we have to acknowledge where the systems around us are broken. Podcast guest, Jennifer Moss, is author of The Burnout Epidemic, released in 2021. Moss was on the Global Happiness Council—a small group of leading scientists and economists that support the UN's sustainable goals related to global well-being and the Annual Global Happiness Policy Report. She was named a Canadian Innovator of the Year, an International Female Entrepreneur of the Year, and recipient of the Public Service Award from the Office of President Obama. In this episode, we level set on what burnout is, how it progresses and some of its causes. We talk about how some organizational systems are broken and how they contribute to burnout. Then we get into some culture talk, small steps, and the role of job passion in burnout. Jennifer leaves us with many tangible tips to deal with burnout – both organizationally and personally. For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/

This is a short excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled "Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever". In this clip, Jen reviews one way organizations can build employee resilience - acknowledging and making space for emotions. Listen in for practical tips for organizations and leaders. Stay tuned for another way organizations can support resilience next week.

What have the past two years been like for wellness professionals? Going through the pandemic themselves, while trying to adjust to an ever-evolving situation for their employees has exposed deep issues that may not have been on their radar pre-pandemic. Wellness professionals are now charged with bigger challenges than ever while navigating the next normal. Podcast guests, Sara Martin and Maggie Gough are leading wellness professionals into new territory. Sara Martin is CEO of WELCOA, and her purpose is helping people fulfill their highest potential in work and life through corporate health promotion. Maggie Gough, COO of WELCOA, ensures members receive stellar service and build sustaining connections as a community. In this episode, we discuss how COVID has changed the landscape for wellness practitioners, the phases they went through, and where they are now. We discuss the issues that were always there that we may have had our blinders on for. They talk about how WELCOA is answering the question – how do we show up for hard things? Listen in for why you should be a part of the WELCOA Community and attend the WELCOA Summit. And no, no one is pregnant, and George Clooney is not speaking at the Summit. For links mentioned in today's episode visit https://redesigningwellness.com/

This is a short excerpt from a recent webinar Jen facilitated through Wellable Labs titled "Resilience: Why We Need It More Than Ever". In this first clip, Jen reviews some true/false questions around resilience. Will you answer them correctly? Stay tuned for the next clip next week.