Commemorating Juneteenth in your workplace can be an opportunity to reflect on your company’s DEI practices and the relationship you have with Black employees and community members. However, it’s important to celebrate Juneteenth in ways that are actually meaningful, not just to recognize the day on a surface level.

Today, we offer 25 meaningful ways to celebrate Juneteenth in your workplace.

Why is it important to recognize Juneteenth at work?

Just like commemorating Veteran’s Day honors those who have served in the military, Juneteenth is an important day that honors the Black American community and the essential contributions they have made to this country. We undoubtedly have a long way to go, but the recognition of Juneteenth as a national holiday is one important step toward spreading awareness about Black history and the Black American experience.

When you recognize Juneteenth at work, it’s a way to take a clear stand. You are telling your employees, as well as the general public, that your organization supports Black American rights and that you stand in solidarity with the Black community.

Although this support and solidarity should never stay confined to special days like Juneteenth — there are ways to proudly stand for Black rights and uplift Black employees all year long — June 19th is one opportunity, of many, to reflect on your organization’s practices and ensure Black employees are treated equally.

25 ideas on how to celebrate Juneteenth at work

Here are 25 ideas on how to celebrate Juneteenth at work in a meaningful way. Some ideas are geared toward workplace leaders (to celebrate with the whole staff), while others are meaningful ways you can celebrate within your team or even by yourself.

Which ones will your organization implement this Juneteenth?

1. Give employees the day off

Just like employees are given the day off on other important holidays, consider making Juneteenth an organization-wide holiday if you haven’t already.

2. Review your DEI policies

To truly uplift your Black employees and colleagues, there needs to be structural change. Review DEI policies and practices to ensure that Black staff are getting equal opportunities.

3. Offer anti-racism training

Juneteenth can be an opportunity for solemn reflection on how much work there is left to do to truly achieve racial equity. Take the time to work toward this goal by offering anti-racism training to staff.

4. Support Black-owned businesses

Support local Black-owned businesses; for example, you can ask a Black-owned restaurant to cater an employee lunch or order employee gifts from a Black-owned shop.

5. Host a Juneteenth speaker series

Invite Black speakers to host workshops about different topics that affect the Black community. Just make sure to pay all speakers well for their time and labor!

6. Offer leadership development for Black employees

Black employees often don’t get the same opportunities for promotions and upward movements as their white counterparts. Ensure that your Black employees have access to leadership and professional development opportunities.

7. Create a Black Employee Resource Group (ERG)

If you don’t have one already, create an ERG for Black employees. Research shows that ERGs help employees feel a stronger sense of belonging at work.

8. Partner with a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)

Partner with a local HBCU to provide scholarships, internships, or continued education opportunities for staff.

9. Show a film

Host a screening of a documentary or film that teaches staff about Juneteenth or other issues that affect the Black community today.

10. Create an online learning portal

Offer education and resources about Juneteenth and Black History by creating an online learning portal that employees can access.

11. Incentivize self-reflection

Provide incentives for engaging with Juneteenth, such as incentivizing non-Black employees to self-reflect on their privilege or implicit biases.

12. Start a book club

Start a book club, and invite members to read one book by a Black author each month.

13. Partner with local organizations

Partner with local organizations that serve the Black community for giving opportunities, including corporate donations.

14. Highlight Black artists and musicians

Celebrate Black art and music history by creating and sharing playlists of songs by Black artists.

15. Create Black mentorship programs

Pair Black senior employees and leaders with newer staff to create mentorship opportunities for Black employees. This can help make it more likely for Black employees to gain access to upward mobility at work.

16. Implement accountability measures

Creating DEI policies is a good start, but it’s not enough. Implement measures to help you stay accountable to these policies.

17. Conduct an anonymous survey

Anonymous surveys can be a psychologically safe way for Black employees to offer feedback about your organization’s DEI practices and how supported they feel as a Black person in your company.

18. Juneteenth reflection prompts

Share daily reflection prompts about racial identity and privilege for employees to answer and discuss in team meetings or by themselves.

19. Invite staff to local museums

If your city has a museum or cultural center focused on Black history, purchase entry tickets for employees so they can visit and learn.

20. Create a Black scholarship fund

Establish a scholarship fund to support Black students pursuing higher education. Match employee donations to the fund.

21. Ensure culturally relevant mental health support for Black employees

Ensure your EAP (and any other mental health benefits) offers resources and support tailored to the needs of Black employees.

22. Partner with a Black leadership organization

Collaborate with a Black leadership organization to develop internship or job shadowing opportunities for Black students.

23. Start a Juneteenth committee

Encourage employees to form a Juneteenth committee to plan future celebrations and advocate for racial equity initiatives within the company. Employees should always be paid for their time, including overtime pay.

24. Publish a DEI report

Develop a company-wide report outlining diversity and inclusion goals, progress made, and the steps that you have yet to take.

25. Promote Juneteenth on social media

Use your company’s social media platforms to increase awareness, share educational content, and celebrate Juneteenth.

We hope that this list has given you some ideas of how you can meaningfully celebrate this important day at work.

Happy Juneteenth!

In solidarity (and to your wellbeing),

The MINES Team

The post How to Celebrate Juneteenth at Work: 25 Meaningful Ideas appeared first on MINES and Associates.

But it’s possible to do things differently – to set goals in a way that helps you to actually achieve them.

In our last article of 2023, we’ll give you simple tips on how anyone can set realistic, achievable goals – and sustain long-term motivation so that you continue to take steps toward your resolutions all year long.

Why are goals important?

Research has found that setting goals is an important component of good mental health and overall well-being. Setting and reaching goals helps you stay motivated and uplifted in life. It can also help you reflect on where your life is headed and make changes when you need to. Going on to meet those goals can give you a sense of confidence and mastery.

Setting goals is especially important if you live with a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. When we set goals for recovery, we can measure each small step we take toward taking care of ourselves and overcoming mental health challenges.

But New Year’s isn’t the only time we can set goals. Goals are important all year round. The start of a new year can mark a great opportunity to start working toward a new goal, but you don’t need to wait until January 1st if inspiration strikes another time.

How to stay focused on your goals

There are simple changes you can make to help yourself stay focused on your goals throughout the year. Here are some helpful, easy tips that you can follow as you prepare to make resolutions for the new year.

Set clear goals

When goals are vague, it becomes difficult to measure whether or not you’re meeting or even making any progress toward them. For example, take the goal, “Improve my physical health” – one of the most common goals that people set. What, exactly, does it mean? How will you know whether you’ve met this goal, and exactly how much “improvement” is enough?

Avoid this confusion by setting clear, measurable goals. For example, instead of “Improve physical health,” think about exactly what you want to improve and how. Is it taking your prescribed medication every day? Going to the gym 3 times per week? Whatever it is, make it as specific as possible.

Tell people

Research has found that committing to your goals publicly – telling other people about them – makes you more likely to stay focused on them. It’s the accountability partner effect – when others know that you’re working toward a goal, you don’t want to let them down. It becomes about more than just you.

But be careful about who you tell. Accountability partners are only effective if you value their opinions. Choose your partners wisely, and tell people you respect about your goals.

Think about what you want, not what you don’t want

A 2020 study looked at what helped people stick to New Year’s resolutions. They found that people who had approach-oriented goals (trying to get closer to what they do want) rather than avoidance goals (trying to move away from what they don’t want) were more likely to be successful.

When you’re setting your resolutions, look toward what you want rather than what you don’t want. Stay away from goals that start with “stay away from” or “stop doing.” Reframe them to think about what it is that you do and what your life looks like.

For example, instead of “Stop drinking,” set a goal of “Call my sponsor every time I want to have a drink.” Instead of “Stop mindless scrolling,” set your sights on “Spend at least 5 waking hours every day doing screen-free activities.”

Connect to your “why”

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based counseling technique that was originally developed to help people overcome alcohol addiction. One of the core concepts in MI is ambivalence or the idea that we usually both want to change something and don’t want to change it at the same time.

For example, if your New Year’s resolution is to go to the gym, there are probably lots of reasons why you want to accomplish that – losing weight, increasing energy levels, and so on – but also lots of reasons why you don’t want to go, including a lack of energy and want to spend your time doing other things.

To overcome this ambivalence, it’s important to be aware of the reasons that it’s important for you to meet these goals. Think deeply; why is it important to you to go to the gym? What would improved health mean for your life? What’s the deeper reason why you chose this goal?

Ask for support

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s challenging for any of us to meet all of our goals on our own. Asking for the support you need may mark the difference between being able to stay motivated toward your goals and letting them fall by the wayside.

Ask your friends to check in with you and encourage you to take steps. Be specific about how they can help you; for example, do you need someone to go to the gym with you? Do you need a sober friend to hang out with when you feel tempted to drink?

In addition, a professional counselor can help you stay focused on your goals by:

• Helping you identify triggers that lead you to stray from your goals
• Equipping you with coping tools to overcome those triggers
• Providing a safe and therapeutic space to explore the inspiration behind these goals
• Addressing any underlying mental health issues that could get in your way

Employee support and well-being with MINES

MINES has free and confidential counseling available to you 24/7. We’ve been offering unparalleled expertise in the area of business programs and employee psychology for 43 years – and 2024 will be no different.

We look forward to continuing to work together to support your organizational and personal wellness.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post Simple Tips to Help You Actually Stick to Your Goals in 2024 appeared first on MINES and Associates.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – except for many people, it’s anything but.

If the holidays bring more stress than cheer for you, you’re not alone. The holidays are a time of year when obligations seem to pile up. You may have family gatherings to attend and shopping to complete. And if you’re working on top of that through the holidays, life could quickly start feeling overwhelming this time of year.

The holidays may not be “stress-free” for anyone. But with these tips, you can make sure you’re protecting your mental well-being while you navigate all the challenges the season throws at you.

Here are 7 tips to cope with holiday stress both at work and at home.

Take a break

Some companies close down for the holidays. But even if your workplace doesn’t, you may want to consider the possibility of taking some time away. Taking a break can be a good way to intentionally slow down during this hectic time of year.

Talk to your supervisor about the possibility of taking some time away. If you work in a setting that’s busier than usual (and impossible to escape) during the holidays – such as in retail – you can still talk to your supervisor about when it might be possible for you to take some time off. Having a vacation to look forward to may help you get through the stress of the season.

There are also smaller, but still impactful, ways to take breaks that don’t require you to go on a lengthy vacation. For example, go out for a nice lunch instead of eating at your desk. Take the long, scenic way home from work. Practice a 5-minute mindfulness meditation.

Maintain boundaries with colleagues and family

Family gatherings are a joyful occasion for some, and a nerve-wracking one for others. The same goes for company parties. These are often times when loved ones and colleagues tend to push your personal boundaries. They might ask you personal questions you aren’t comfortable answering. Or they may expect you to take on more tasks (or attend more events) than you feel like you have the time and energy for.

Practice setting, and maintaining, personal boundaries with both colleagues and family members. Use assertive communication.

For example, you could decline your boss’ request to work overtime by saying something like: “I usually would be happy to support the team in this way. But I had set aside my evening to bake cookies with my daughter; it’s a tradition that’s really important to her. If there’s another way I can support the team, please let me know.”

Keep a routine

A big part of why the holidays are so stressful for so many of us is because our usual routines get disrupted. This has a big impact on important health behaviors like your sleep, eating, and exercise schedules.

It’s normal for these routines to be disrupted during the holidays. But as much as possible, try to keep your regular schedule. Getting 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep every night is especially important. Being sleep-deprived can you feel more stressed, anxious, and depressed than you already are. Physical exercise can also be a very effective tool to combat holiday stress.

The more you can stick to these regular self-care routines, the better.

Let go of perfection

Sometimes, holiday stress accumulates because of the pressure for everything to be perfect. There is so much pressure during the holidays to be “jolly” every minute of every day. A lot of us feel like we need to prepare a perfect holiday feast for our perfect families, just like a scene from a holiday greeting card.

This is far from reality – and this can be disappointing and stressful. This year, let go of the expectation of perfection. Understand that things will go wrong, and that’s okay. Focus on the things about the holiday season that are important to you, whether that’s family, spirituality, or giving back to the community. Allow yourself to let the rest go.

Plan ahead

One of the best ways to tackle holiday stress is to have a solid plan going into it. When you know what to expect, you may feel better prepared for the emotional and financial impact of the holidays.

Examples of helpful planning include:

• Ask for days off in advance
• Set a budget, and stick to it
• Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, gift-wrapping, etc.
• Prioritize work projects and schedule hours for “deep work”

Be careful of alcohol

For many families, alcohol is a big part of holiday gatherings. Many people may also drink more during the holidays to cope with the stress that this season brings.

This is completely understandable. At the same time, alcohol is closely linked to several mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Having a glass of wine after work probably won’t hurt, but excessive drinking may make you feel even more stressed. Be conscious of how much alcohol you’re consuming.

If you think you may have an addiction to alcohol, then professional treatment can help. You can locate substance abuse treatment near you by calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline at 1-800-622-HELP.

Seek support

A counselor or a therapist can be a dependable source of support for you during the holidays. If you aren’t already working with a therapist, reach out to your company’s EAP (Employee Assistance Program). Your human resources department can connect you.

MINES & Associates’ EAP program offers free and confidential counseling that’s available to you 24/7. Whatever you’re going through, we are here to help. In addition, we also offer financial, legal, and parenting support as well as professional wellness coaching. We can help you get through the holidays with your mental health intact.

A very Happy Holidays to you and your family from the MINES team!

The post How to Cope with the Holiday Blues appeared first on MINES and Associates.