No matter our background, stress and anxiety impact us all. Whether it be cultural, familial, experiential or religious pressure, we all deal with stress in some way. What we may not realize, though, is that other people face challenges similar to our own. They also may have ways of dealing with stress that we haven’t thought of ourselves.

As Avanade celebrates Mental Health May, six employee networks – Prism, Veteran’s Employee Network, INSPIRE, Jewish Employee Network, Adelante and Women’s Employee Network – came together to reflect on the stresses they face and share their best strategies for coping.

Prism (LGBTQ+ Employee Network) - represented by Karine Santos

As an LGBTQ+ woman, stress is quite common in my daily life. As a child, even at home, I had the need to "justify" my identity. As an adult, when it comes to showing results, the pressure is even greater. I always feel that I must exceed expectations, so as not to be reduced to the stereotypes associated with my gender or sexuality. The same goes for many family and friends who are part of the community. It is common, in a moment of informal conversation, to come across a discussion about these implicit fears. The consequences of this constant stress are anxiety, depression and other associated disorders. These effects can impact our motivations and our experience in society.

Therefore, there needs to be more genuine human awareness when it comes to combating discrimination and prejudice. We all must be ready to listen and welcome those in need, not only within our community, but also outside. Furthermore, it is important to always advise someone in a situation of acute stress to seek psychological help from a professional. With empathy, we can open new paths towards a healthier life in society. In addition to this awareness, it is essential to take some action when we feel stressed. One idea is to meditate. When I feel more anxious, for example, I stop for a moment and take time to breathe and meditate. This technique calms me down and I can then go about my day with more clarity and less stress.

Veteran’s Employee Network – represented by Julie Wyman

Being in the military can be stressful, with factors like deployments, training and being away from family. When you leave the military, there are different stressors, such as adjusting to civilian life or your first job out of the military. Many veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), chronic pain or depression, and suicide is high in the veteran’s community. Many of us deal with one or multiple challenges. My life changed in one day at the age of 27 when I suffered debilitating knee injuries, which led to multiple knee surgeries, including one knee replacement, one total knee reconstruction as well as two hip replacements. I never considered myself suffering from depression as I am really good at compartmentalizing, which in hindsight, was not good for my mental health. I never thought about my well-being and suffered in silence for a long time. When Covid hit, I started meditating using Headspace and eventually added Calm. I needed to center myself and learn how to deal with my pain on a day-to-day basis.

Last year, I was selected for a special program at my local Veterans Hospital with a doctor who specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy. It was an 8-week program that I started in January of this year. Along with that, I worked with a VA pharmacist to help me find pain relief. This program was life changing for me. I learned how to deal with my pain in a totally different way, and the pharmacist helped me find non-narcotic medications to alleviate most of my day-to-day pain. Part of this program was around mindfulness and well-being. While I already meditated each day, I learned to be more mindful– ––not only for dealing with pain, but in other aspects of my life as well. I am currently participating in the Whole Health program at the VA, which is also helping me on my well-being journey.

With the help I received from the VA, I am more active, walking again and working out in the pool, able to plan and participate in events, and have more enjoyment in my life. I have learned that my well-being is very important to me and brings me joy, which I have not had in a long time. If you are a veteran, go online to www.va.gov or contact your local VA hospital, as they have many programs that can support you on your well-being journey.

INSPIRE (Black Employee Network) – represented by Vanessa Dimnwaobi and Breana Oliver

Like other employee networks, we at INSPIRE deal with our fair share of stressors, from societal and workplace to familial pressures. Learning how to manage stress effectively is essential for maintaining overall well-being.

To INSPIRE, stress awareness is about recognizing and acknowledging the stress we encounter. For many of us, our stress and worries may have been invalidated growing up, so we make it a point to address and call out what affects our members – discrimination, racial violence, financial inequality and so much more. Through regular meetings, we share our experiences, concerns and coping mechanisms in a safe and understanding environment.

We provide opportunities to discuss stressors with one another and our leadership teams, encouraging everyone to bring their genuine self to work, stressors and all. Additionally, we welcome the unique approach to stress management that each INSPIRE individual takes. For me, a walk with my pup, taking in the nature around me, is necessary on a stressful day. For others, it's therapy, playing sports or a quick getaway. Regardless of the method, we are all empowered to do what we need to mitigate the negative impacts stress can have on our lives. With the internal and external pressure INSPIRE continues to navigate, we hope that all Avanade colleagues can show compassion and consideration towards one another, so we can all thrive and enjoy a safe working environment.

Jewish Employee Network – represented by Alex Useloff

Jewish people have been dealing with stress for thousands and thousands of years. Recently, we celebrated Passover, a holiday that celebrates the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt to the Promised Land of Israel; this was no easy feat. In order to do this, the Jewish people not only had to endure the stress of the 10 plagues, but they also had to endure wandering through the desert on their own for 40 years, encountering many other challenges along the way. Although we don't face those same stressors today, we have different ones, such as whether or not we will be able to comfortably take PTO during Jewish holidays, or making sure all our work is done before sundown on a Friday so that we are not working during Shabbat.

There are several things we can do to help deal with these stressors. The first of these is to be proactive and aware of the important holidays well before they come. If we block out PTO months in advance, we will be able to more comfortably take time off once the holiday actually comes. To make this process easier, JEN is in the process of creating an email template for asking to take PTO for religious purposes.

Giving back – either by giving to charity, which we call tzedakah in Hebrew, or by volunteering our time -- – is another way to help deal with stress. Although this may seem counterintuitive, focusing on ways we can make a difference can go a long way in improving our mental state. For me, a great example of this is donating to Camp Kesem every year. Camp Kesem is an organization that provides free summer camps, day programs and virtual meetups for youth and adolescents facing a parent’s cancer. Knowing that my donation allows kids to create amazing experiences they'll be able to look back on for a lifetime always makes me feel nice and fulfilled.

Prayer is another powerful way of dealing with stress. We pray for whatever is stressing us out to pass and for happy times to come. Everyone prays differently, and it doesn't matter how you pray – as long as you do it in a way that's meaningful to you. Lastly, getting involved in a community that you feel comfortable in can really help manage stress. For me, this is exactly why I joined JEN. Talking with people I have a lot in common with has made me feel much more comfortable about being Jewish in the workplace. It has also given me a group of people to celebrate holidays and other happy moments with, like weddings and babies!

Adelante (Latinx Employee Network) – represented by Maria Castro

As a Hispanic, I had faced situations where society and discrimination were factors that impacted my stress level. This hit my core when I started looking for a job in the United States; it was stressful and challenging to prove my experience since I didn't have any in the U.S. I had to find a way to validate my knowledge and experience within my field to find a job and reduce my stress and anxiety. Since I am a project manager, I started thinking about the situation strategically and from the outside, as if that were a project. I structured my options and the resources available to me. That's when I decided to do a lot of volunteer work. Seeing my plan helped me visualize a better situation, and my stress level decreased.

Another everyday stress trigger for our community is language. I had English lessons since I started school, and I knew how to read and write; all that was good until I started working in the U.S., and my accent was noticed. I got many comments like, "What are you saying?" or, "I think, what you want to say is...?" These observations impacted my confidence level and increased my stress. I needed a solution as soon as possible. At about the same time, I saw a show with Sofia Vergara on TV, and I heard comments about her accent and how she transformed it into an asset. I followed that mental view, and whenever I was in a meeting and heard one of those comments, I thought about her role in the TV show and saw myself as an actor in the meeting. My stress levels got more manageable, and I was more fluent and relaxed in my conversations.

I faced stresses related to balancing the demands of work and family while also navigating cultural expectations. As a member of the Hispanic community, there can be pressure to excel professionally while also fulfilling familial responsibilities and maintaining cultural traditions. I shared my challenges with my community friends to cope with the stress and boost my mood and self-confidence. I engaged in volunteering activities, mindfulness practices, walks in the park and meditation. I gained perspective on my difficulties, helping to reduce my stress.

Within our Adelante Employee Network, we have collected knowledge and resilience in navigating daily challenges. Whether by drawing upon our rich cultural traditions of mindfulness and connection or seeking professional guidance when needed, we have fostered empathy and cultural competence. We organize relaxing and educational cultural activities and facilitate workshops on techniques that can help our community manage the demands of our work. Mental Health May allows us to come together as a community, recognize the realities of stress in our daily lives, and explore culturally relevant strategies for managing it.

Women’s Employee Network – represented by Beth Bolivar

For WEN, Mental Health May is an opportunity to acknowledge the stress that our members experience, and to offer forums for women to connect and learn about tools and resources to support stress management. Stress impacts all of us in different ways across our respective employee networks. For women, this often manifests in the challenge of elegantly balancing work, family (caring for children and/or parents) and our own self-care needs. Another source of stress that some women face is feeling like they have to minimize family or personal commitments in order to be considered eligible for the same work opportunities and successes as their colleagues. It can be challenging to know how and when to set and enforce boundaries without sacrificing work opportunities. I recommend working with one’s team and being transparent about flexibility and the times one is not available. Fortunately, these conversations have become much more normalized across Avanade.

Given the diversity of our membership, we recognize that there is no one size fits all when it comes to the challenges and solutions in managing stress. For myself and my colleagues, I know that we need to rely on those strategies that work best for us. Personally, I find getting outside, whether for a run, hike or walk, to be most effective. For other women, connecting with a friend, going out for a meal or taking time to meditate provides the antidote they need when stress starts to interfere with their day. WEN also provides an incredible community for women across Avanade to connect and even to meet up in person at the office, or to grab a meal with co-workers. I genuinely appreciate Avanade’s commitment to well-being, and our willingness to acknowledge the impact of stress and to support one another to manage it as effectively as possible.