So you’re working on a big community engagement project…
It could be your first or your 21st. How is your wellbeing faring?
It can be quite common during engagement projects to endure periods of intensity. Cast your mind to a time when you were frantic, when the going got tough. Maybe you needed to get a lot of communication out to your stakeholders about a heated issue while tracking a lot of milestones. You may have also been delicately managing some community outrage. It’s at these moments in your project that thorough preparation in the lead up phases will help you a lot.
But even so, surprises can and do happen. Maybe you hit a difficult spot in the engagement process, or there is an emerging issue that needs a lot of careful thought.
These are the times that our well-being as community engagement practitioners can be particularly challenged.
In the diagram below I depict four key areas that contribute towards being a personally and professionally balanced community engagement practitioner. These four areas of wellness can be immensely supportive for you to be aware of when the going is smooth, so that you are better prepared for when the going gets tough.
Mindmap
Area one
Area one is about the basics of sustenance. We can all benefit from a return to basics now and then.
Sleep
How many hours sleep do you function well on? If you don’t know this for sure, work it out. For the average healthy person if you have too much sleep you may feel sluggish, too little you may feel depleted. Clearly there are a range of things that impact whether we feel a little sluggish or depleted but by paying attention over time you will discern your magic number of sleep hours (give or take!).
My magic number is eight hours, and if I go a few nights in a row of seven or so hours, then as a facilitator I need to work harder during the day to stay on my game. During those weeks it is not as easy to remain resilient if the going gets tough.
Some people‘s magic number of sleep hours is six or even less. I salute you! Our biology, our genetics, our age, our lifestyle and personality type all influence what that magic number is. As does the quality of sleep when we eventually get there.
Food and drink
When it comes to food and drink, are you eating food and consuming drinks that help you be clear, that help you focus? In the lead up to facilitating a session I’ll avoid coffee and chocolate, because I know those products often cause a mood swing. I try to stick with nuts and high-protein snacks. Let us know your favourite sustenance snacks in the comments below!
Activities
And while we’re on sustenance, I think you will all know quite well the activities in your life that help to sustain you.
For example, my superstar facilitator colleague Keith gets up hours before work every morning to get down to the beach with his dog and/or he goes for a walk with a couple of mates. Keith knows that this is an activity that sustains him and gets him in a good space for the day ahead.
Having a non-negotiable morning routine is a great start for all of us. Having a morning routine is particularly important because even if the day goes to hell in a handbasket - at least you have done something nice for yourself upfront.
If you’ve taken the time to read this article, I invite you to take a moment now to write down one thing you will do to help yourself be a more balanced community engagement practitioner this week.
Thanks for reading! In the next newsletter I will go into the next two areas of the mindmap (pictured) with some tips and tricks relating to your work environment and your mental and emotional needs. Until next time, enjoy yourself!
Jessica Connor Kennedy
Jessica is one of our team members who has a strong passion for individual and community wellness. Jess has spent many years helping organizations and communities be more inherently supportive of wellbeing.
More about Jessica
Learn more about Jessica and read her bio here.ENJOYED THIS POST?
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