Communicators’ Mental Health & Well-being

A letter from the Editor in Chief

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since our world changed thanks to the global pandemic. While we’ve made incredible strides adapting to our new reality – both at work and at home – we’re all still dealing with a lot of uncertainty, and it’s reasonable to imagine that many of us will experience ups and downs as we carry on.

By the nature of the profession, communicators seem to be always on call, working after hours and on tight deadlines even before the pandemic. As the continuing pandemic accelerated the shift in the way we work and interact with each other, our clients and our communities, communicators stayed on the forefront of this shift, keeping audiences informed and engaged, often sacrificing their personal life, time, and mental health to do so.

In the current environment, a true work-life balance can feel like an unattainable ideal that we are striving for each day. So when do we pause? How can we balance our responsibilities at work and at home so we can enjoy both worlds to the fullest?

In this edition of the Communicator – “Communicators’ Mental Health & Well-being” – we are exploring how our members keep well, manage stress, and find the coveted work-life balance.

Audrey Hood shares how being organized helps her minimize stress and find balance between work and home in, “Find your Inner Monica Geller: Get everything done and stay sane while doing it.” 

“In Search of Work-Life Balance,” explores Rachel Baldacchino’s journey of creating balance.

In “The balancing act of working and parenting through a pandemic,” Heather Osler-Beard offers three tips to get through your day and your to-do list while pandemic parenting.

Caterina Valentino shows how a situational base response plan can help you stay mentally and physically fit for the pandemic and beyond, in “A Personal Baseline Response to COVID-19”.

Finally, Krista Henry explores how hiring co-op students or interns can help communicators lessen the workload and improve work-life balance in, “Say ‘yes’ to mental wellness with help from emerging talent.”

Enjoy this issue and stay well!

Irene Alifanova, Editor in Chief for Communicator