Mental Health and Seasonal Work Cycles

At Sea Change, we want to build on the thought leadership of Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia (IONS), in their recent blog A Leader’s Perspective on Reconnecting with Our Creative Selves through Seasonal Work Cycles. We are starting a seasonal experiment at the end of June, taking a 5-week full break from our work. This will be a time to pause, reflect, and reconnect to the other parts of our lives. I experimented with a 2-week remote working time from a small town in Mexico in early April. The sun was a wonderful change from slush and grey skies and a definite mental health boost. As our small team experiments with these breaks from our regular routines, we aim to reflect and share how we’re doing and what we’re learning.

IONS Executive Director, Annika Voltan wrote in her blog, “Of course, living in alignment with the seasons and perceptions of time that are not centered on the clock are not new ideas to Indigenous cultures around the globe. Interestingly, The Circle on Philanthropy – an Indigenous group in Canada that contributes to positive change between philanthropy and Indigenous communities – uses seasonal references in job postings, programming, and donors. Here’s how the seasons guide their programming cycles:

• Spring: Planting seeds and tending relationships for the year ahead?
• Summer: Visiting with members, celebration, ceremonial with a land-based focus
• Fall: Tending the Harvest?
• Winter: Internally focused, readying the organization for labour and sustenance through administrative and technical?preparation”

Sea Change has a unique perspective as a business that focuses on social impact, accessibility, and equity. I have lived experience with anxiety and depression, as well as other episodic health conditions, as do some of my co-workers. This means there is a need for flexibility, breaks, and attention to our whole selves.?

Inspired by the IONS model, going forward we’ll be following a seasonal flow that incorporates periods of rest, reflection, and community engagement and programming.?

• Mid-Jan to mid-June – online and in-person engagement and training
• Late June – reflecting on learning from the winter/spring programming season, as well as space for formal peer feedback processes
• July/August – rest and planning phase (5-week shut down)
• Mid-Sept to mid-Dec – online and in-person engagement and training
• Mid-December/January – reflecting on learning from the fall programming season, team retreat, and space for personal goal setting and growth planning

In the fall, we’ll report back on some of these pilots, and the impact on our work and well-being.?

We hope you are in an organization or business that values rest, reflection, and flexibility.

Sea Change Seasonal Work Cycles

Engage & Train: January to June, September to November

Engage leaders and teams, develop and deliver interactive learning events.

Rest, Create & Plan: December and July

Take full multi-week breaks from all work, and return to create new offerings.

Reflect & Grow: December, January, and June

Reflect on learning, peer feedback, goal setting and growth planning.