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Making the return to the workplace an easier transition | Wear The Gown

Self-care is extremely important when heading back into the office after the pandemic.

SAN ANTONIO — More and more people are returning to the workplace after more than a year of working from home.

People have a varying level of comfort about returning to work, especially after going through something as stressful as the pandemic. And it is important to understand there are times when it is okay, NOT to be okay.

"In partnership with the city of San Antonio and the Ecumenical Center, University Health is actually training and educating the community on trauma, informed care," said Sarah Sebton who is the Director of Trauma Informed Care within University Health. 

She says taking the time to focus on employee health is critical. Sebton said, "The key, though, to try to inform supervision, is that we don't want to utilize this time to talk about any tasks or projects that we've been assigned. We really want to focus and dedicate the time to the individual employee or the team as a whole." 

Sebton says encouraging self care during this time is a must for all supervisors. Sebton added, "Self care and encouraging self care is going to be super important during the transition because, I mean, if you think about it, we need to practice self care on our own to be the best that we can at work." 

Something else that is extremely important is taking five to ten minutes during the work day in a quiet place to refresh and re-energize yourself. University Health has done that with 14 recharge rooms. Sebton told us, "These are quiet and comfortable spaces where our staff can go to relax, just take a breath, maybe listen to some music color. We have essential oils in there."  

Sebton also says regardless of whether you're going back into the office full time, staying virtual, or a mix of both, it is important that all work environments are rooted in collaboration, cooperation, and most importantly empathy and compassion. 

For more information about family health call (210) 358-3045. You can also find more Wear The Gown stories here.

To learn more about University Health's Institute for Trauma-Informed Care click here.

The Institute provides training and the Ecumenical Center handles certification. Both are part of a larger organization called the South Texas Trauma-Informed Care Consortium. To learn more about the consortium click here.

For information on community resources for mental health for both adults and children check out University Health's Behavioral Health page here: https://www.universityhealthsystem.com/services/behavioral-health/resources

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