Experts weigh in on tackling mental health in architecture

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["strong"],["a",["href","https:\/\/monograph.com\/blog\/state-of-burnout-in-architecture-2021#:~:text=Nearly%20all%20architects%20(96.9%25),can%20alleviate%20burnout%20in%20architecture.","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/events.aia.org\/s\/lt-event?id=a1Y1U000004PaYd","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.apostrophe.consulting\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.akuakboateng.com\/","target","_new"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/pages\/6435906-an-investigation-into-bias-in-the-architec","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/shepleybulfinch.com\/","target","_new"]],["em"],["a",["href","https:\/\/aiau.aia.org\/courses\/tackling-mental-health-architectural-practice","target","_new"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/resources\/6246433-guides-for-equitable-practice","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/pages\/6435906-an-investigation-into-bias-in-the-architec","target","_new"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.meruhealth.com\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.joincoa.com\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.ayanatherapy.com\/","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Why is mental health an important topic for architects?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Shifting to remote work, taking on increased caretaking responsibilities, straddling an increasingly blurred lines between home life and career \u2013 all these factors have led to amplified feelings of burnout in the general workforce over the last two and a half years, and architects are experiencing them particularly acutely, according to a "],[0,[1],1,"study by Monograph"],[0,[],0,". "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A June 15 webinar, Tackling Mental Health in Architectural Practice, previewed the topic of mental health ahead of "],[0,[2],1,"Women\u2019s Leadership Summit 2022"],[0,[],0,", where it will be a focus: in particular, combating burnout and advocating for better work-life balance models on a firm-wide and industry-wide level. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Je\u2019Nen Chastain, founder of "],[0,[3],1,"Apostrophe Consulting"],[0,[],0,", moderated the webinar and introduced the idea that inherited norms in the profession of architecture perpetuate barriers and challenges across firms that negatively impact talent \u2013 and the mental health cost is becoming too great. Putting people at the center of business and projects, according to Chastain, is a more sustainable long-term strategy. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cHow do we support our teams while also creating inspiring projects?\u201d she asked. \u201cHow do we create a healthy studio culture across the entire office and our practice?\u201d Mental health professional "],[0,[4],1,"Dr. Akua Boateng"],[0,[],0," believes that the solution lies in balancing firm-wide action with individual best practices. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"She explained that in an interview with NBC News in the fall of 2020, she foresaw that the ways in which we, as a society, had been navigating high-level change around the pandemic and restructuring how we fundamentally see work was going to end in a mental health crisis for many. "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u201cBurnout is the absence of growth ... It robs us of our ability to thrive.\u201d \u2013 Akua Boateng"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cWithin the last few years, the average household and high-achieving professional has experienced at least one occurrence of a mental health issue,\u201d she said. Even prior to the pandemic, 19% of adults \u2013 or 50 million people in the United States \u2013 had experienced mental illness, and over half of those did not receive treatment. When the pandemic hit, the global increase in anxiety was, as Boateng put it, \u201ca massive 25%.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cAs a therapist during that time, I can attest that anxiety was on the rise,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were more people reaching out for mental health services than ever before, and many of the people that were coming in for treatment were first-time therapy-goers.\u201d Those who are still learning how to cope with new realities in their lives, she emphasized, are not alone. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cBurnout is the absence of growth,\u201d she shared. \u201cIt robs us of our ability to thrive.\u201d Symptoms of burnout include sleep and memory issues, anxiety, lack of motivation, and anger. While this is not exclusively a women\u2019s issue, data tells us that women in architecture (and especially women of color) were already facing "],[0,[5],1,"bias in the workplace"],[0,[],0," that made career success more challenging. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Boateng emphasized that everyone has good and bad coping strategies \u2013 and on an individual level, everyone can work to strengthen the positive strategies and build resilience. She encouraged architects to take the following steps to make sure their work doesn\u2019t lead to burnout: "]]],[3,"ol",[[[0,[0],1,"Acknowledge the need. "],[0,[],0,"It\u2019s okay to voice the need to slow down, take a break or take more time on a particular assignment, or ask for more support if you feel that you\u2019re not getting it. Self-compassion is also an important part of this step. "]],[[0,[0],1,"Address the fear\/concern."],[0,[],0," \u201cWhat do I believe could happen that\u2019s keeping me from addressing the issue?\u201d Acknowledging these fears and bringing them to the surface will help you cope with them. "]],[[0,[0],1,"Identify boundaries that you need."],[0,[],0," Implementing boundaries helps individuals manage their anxiety around obligations and do their best work. "]]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"As a result of this individual work and changing the culture one by one, Boateng said, \u201cHopefully, there\u2019s a collective mission that happens.\u201d Mindful leadership changes culture. \u201cCulture begins to shift when we realize what\u2019s good for our collective and not just for our products,\u201d she said. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"One of the things that firms can do for their employees across the board, Boateng said, is develop a resilient approach to staffing and workload. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cResilience is being able to have the resources that \u2013 when crisis happens or some type of challenge occurs \u2013 you\u2019re able to safely navigate it and cope,\u201d she said. Acknowledging needs and being aware of how to meet them is a key facet of resilience \u2013 and, while individuals can implement their own resilience strategies, firms, and the industry at large, should also think about resilience collectively or systemically. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cLet\u2019s identify the needs of the collective \u2013 let\u2019s talk about and address their concerns, or their fears,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about creating a system where those things are identified and systemically oriented within your ethos.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Boateng says that more data needs to be collected regarding burnout in architecture for the root causes to be addressed. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cTaking data is always going to be first,\u201d she said. \u201cLet\u2019s get an understanding of the nature of the architects in the industry \u2013 how are they feeling? What is connected to their burnout? Are they still connected to the value they find in the industry? Data, and being able to have information as to what\u2019s happening currently, is very important.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"How does a healthy work culture support individuals?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Annelise Pitts, AIA, an architect at "],[0,[6],1,"Shepley Bulfinch"],[0,[],0,", an upcoming speaker at WLS 2022, and a researcher and consultant in areas of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, drew on her own experiences as mother of a three-year-old working during the pandemic to point out that burnout\u2019s key drivers are organizational factors. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"As Pitts told attendees, women in most fields are more likely than men to experience burnout \u2013 and architecture is no different. Long hours and an expectation of personal sacrifice and blurred personal and professional boundaries are all contributing factors. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Pitts currently works at Shepley Bulfinch, which, she says, \u201cis a firm that has deeply aligned values with mine.\u201d As Pitts shared, these values show up through mindsets, habits, and systems that support employees. They range from cultivating psychological safety on teams to strategic commitments to EDI, learning and empowerment. Pitts used David Rock\u2019s SCARF (status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, fairness) model to demonstrate how the hierarchy and pressures of an architecture office can negatively impact a professional\u2019s mental health. According to Rock, the brain is a social organ and experiences the workplace first and foremost as a social system. When individuals feel threatened and unsupported, they feel unsafe taking risks, and creativity can be limited \u2013 which, in a creative field like architecture, is a problem. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Focusing on culture and mindset, and changing them one day at a time, as Shepley Bulfinch has tried to do, is the way to move forward, Pitt emphasized. Using her own workplace as a model, she shared examples of productive mindsets and habits \u2013 a commitment to learning and growing together and treating everyone with kindness and respect, paired with tangible support systems like flexibility (a hybrid-forward work schedule, summer Fridays) and resources (healthcare, wellness benefits). She also pointed out that psychological safety \u2013 or the reassurance that you won\u0027t be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes \u2013 is an essential component of any workplace where employees feel supported. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Pitts closed out her presentation with an exploration of what individuals, co-workers and firms can do to support themselves and each other, including an honest assessment of firm culture to identify areas of improvement, as well as support for flexible, sustainable work-life relationships. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Leading incremental change and creating accountability in firms have the power to build a healthier profession. Join us at "],[0,[2],1,"Women\u2019s Leadership Summit"],[0,[],0," September 28 - October 1, where we\u2019ll continue the conversation and blaze the way forward."],[0,[7],1," "],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Check out the "],[0,[8],1,"webinar on-demand here"],[0,[],0,". "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Resource List"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"From AIA"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[9],1,"Guides for Equitable Practice"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[10],1,"The Elephant in the (Well-Designed) Room "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Mental Health Online Courses"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[11],1,"https:\/\/www.meruhealth.com"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[12],1,"https:\/\/www.joincoa.com"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Find a therapist"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[13],1,"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[14],1,"https:\/\/www.ayanatherapy.com"],[0,[],0," "]]]]}