XM Knowledge Base
All of August, Qualtrics is having conversations about wellness. Each week, we’re highlighting different aspects - mental/emotional, social, environmental, and job wellness. In our ongoing efforts to encourage open dialogue, learn from each other, and improve our experiences, our team members have offered their thoughts on what they do to create and maintain wellness in their life.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), mental/emotional wellness involves how we are able to do everyday activities and handle stress, how we adapt to change and difficulties, and how we react to our experiences and feelings. We sat down with a number of our team members to talk more about it.
How do you take care of yourself/maintain mental wellness?
Maintaining mental wellness can be a challenge. Sometimes it’s about giving yourself a break in order to recover. We spoke with Alexandria, a Software Test Engineer, who says, “It's not always an easy task, but I usually try to allow myself grace for when I'm not at my most productive. It makes it easier for me to recoup and get back to doing my best.”
We try to do our best playing a lot of roles, and each comes with their own pressures and rewards. For Ellie, being a Product Manager is just one role of many. She’s also a parent, partner, and friend, and has learned the value of fulfilling her own needs in order to take care of others. “I try to do something for myself every day, no matter how small. The saying is ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup,’ but I’ve struggled in the past to not feel guilty when focusing on my own needs first. Since becoming a mom, it’s clear how much better I am at everything I do and how much happier I am when I take regular time to put myself first. This often requires leaning on my village to help step in and fill in my gaps, but I try to do the same for them; we all make each other better.”
But maintenance is also the skill of letting go. Jessy, a Product Specialist, has learned that, “I make sure to acknowledge the things that need to be acknowledged and let go of what no longer serves me. Do not be fooled, this is a learned skill, one that I am still learning about. On my time off, meditation and yoga whenever I can keeps me centered and helps to let go of unnecessary worries.” Maintaining wellness is not about perfection or doing it alone, it’s often about balance - between consistency and rest, awareness and letting go, and leaning on each other.
When are you at your happiest/healthiest?
For so many of us, our friends and families play a major role in our emotional wellness. That’s true for Blaine, a Software Engineer, who says, “My happiest moments are when I'm spending time with my wife and with my family.” In today’s digital and remote world, connection is more important than ever.
For Katya, a Technical Instructor, her happiest state is all about balance. She says she’s at her happiest, “When my work life and post-work life have balance. If I have time to work out and also have time to finish all the tasks I need to daily, I feel at ease and happy!” Often our healthiest self is found within relationships; the ones we have with loved ones and the one with ourselves.
What change have you made in your life that had a significant positive impact on your mental wellness?
Changing up our routine, adding in new healthy habits, and trying new things can be a great way to improve our well-being. Gina, Customer Marketing Web Manager, says that, “I've started a new habit to bookend my workday with meditation and I'm loving it! It helps me start the workday with a fresh perspective and acts as a nice transition point to end my workday.”
Morgan, a Product Specialist, has also added a helpful habit to her routine. “I started reminding myself of the positive impact I do have. When I am stressed or overwhelmed at work, I talk to those I have mentored or take a few minutes to work on something that I know brings value to my team. I take some time to be quiet and productive, like working in my garden or playing with my dog. A lot of angry or anxious reactions are caused by a lack of time to pause and think, so I have built that time to pause into my reaction, which has helped increase mental wellness.”
Reminding ourselves of our value and impact, taking the time to create space for mindfulness, and thoughtful responses to ourselves and others, can have meaningful impacts on our overall well-being.
When you have moments of stress or frustration, what helps you recover and return to the best version of you?
Stress is a big part of life. From everyday work stress to frustration in relationships, learning to manage it is crucial. But there are a number of methods to manage it effectively. For Amr, a Technical Account Manager, “Working out helps reduce my stress levels. I’ve found that biking and taking peaceful walks alone helps a lot.” Sandrine, a Learning Experience Designer, also shares what has helped her. “Three deep breaths. Turning off the noise of the internet and listening to the sounds of nature. Additionally, if my moment of stress or frustration is due to a mistake I’ve made, reevaluating that and discovering what the lesson to be learned is is incredibly empowering.”
Sometimes our stress comes from interactions with others. Dave, in Leadership Development, goes by these rules in handling it: “1. Be simple. 2. Be compassionate. 3. Be encouraging; keep learning. And 4. Be patient.” Everyone is going through their own issues or difficulties; it’s helpful to understand that while we manage our own stress, others are doing the same.
Mental and emotional wellness can be an everyday challenge, but one that we can improve over time, most often with the help of each other. At Qualtrics we’re committed to closing these kinds of experience gaps, and the mental and emotional wellness of our team members is essential to this goal. With some work and mutual support, we can all have a positive impact on our own and each other’s well-being. As Ellie put it, “We all make each other better.”