Mind&Seek PH’s Thrive series talks about the importance of self and community care, and their place in the “new normal.”
The idea of “safe spaces’’ isn’t well defined, especially in the Philippines. For some, the term might have entered their lexicon with the passage of the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313) in 2019, which defines a safe space in the context of preventing gender-based harassment online, in public areas, or in private institutions. As Vox puts it, these are areas where others such as women and the LGBTQIA+ community can “feel welcome and accepted in an often-intolerant world.”
While the Republic Act does express one aspect of what a safe space is — physical or virtual areas where vulnerable people can express themselves securely — it doesn’t encapsulate it entirely. A safe space can be a group, a physical place, or a virtual arena where one can process their experiences. And while these are often associated with marginalized groups, they are intended to be open to everyone. However, the caveat lies in how it shouldn’t harbor behaviors or individuals that can disrupt its sanctity, like purveyors of hate crimes.
Its role then is to protect the individual from further harm. With 2020’s repercussions seeping into the new year — including the siege at the US Capitol Hill to news of the newly mutated COVID-19 strain — creating safe spaces to thrive becomes all the more crucial.
But in what ways can we do this, especially in the new normal?
Creating Crisis-Proof Safe Spaces in the Workplace
Because of recent events, 2021 already feels like an extension of 2020. And the constant state of stress this brings can take its toll the further along it goes.
Aside from adverse health effects, chronic stress may push us toward unhealthy behaviors that disrupt our lives. In the workplace, we’re often pressured to feel productive thanks to unrealistic standards. But these standards were overturned once the pandemic hit, and clinging on to old standards that no longer work, while navigating the current chaos, can turn into a vicious cycle. Often, this mounts more stress on ourselves, which further tanks productivity.
Employers and workplaces are then called to pivot from these old norms. And often, the best way to do this is through a vibrant company culture.
In his talk for Mind&Seek PH’s Thrive series, Lloyd Anastacio — president & CEO of Servicio Filipino Inc. and Human Capital Strategist — talked about how their core identity helped them get through the chaos. As a company that puts value in its people, SFI followed through on this when it came to their response, including implementing safety protocols, keeping all their employees, and changing their processes to sustain their clients.
Anastacio then noted that when employers provide resources and actions that help value people, they also create a safe space for productivity to flourish. In this vein, organization and workplace leaders need to get on the field and see what it is their employees need the most.
Transforming Crisis into Opportunities
While the current climate makes it hard to be optimistic about the future, seeing these challenges from a different lens can make all the difference. This shift is especially important for leaders who are tasked with creating a sense of security for those they lead.
For Edric Mendoza — president of Homeschool Global and The Parentschooling Co., chairman of HAPI, and CCF ministry head — the key is to look inward and see these challenges as opportunities, not limitations. In his talk for Thrive, he used the LEAD acronym to prove his point:
- Let a vision guide you. Just as companies need to revisit their core identity during times of chaos, so do we need to revisit our values and what we find important to us. Mendoza noted how tension usually arises when we do things that do not fit our vision for the future. By creating a clear vision of what we want to achieve, it becomes easier to see where we can (and should) place our energy.
- Eat challenges for breakfast. Challenges, in certain doses, allow us to grow. And while it can be scary to take on these obstacles — especially after 2020 — Mendoza noted the importance of evaluating why we do the things we do. This “why” goes back to the vision we’ve crafted for ourselves.
- Adapt and allow people to shine. To create a safe environment, it’s essential to have the voices of those involved heard. After all, those on the ground can see what most leaders miss out on because they are the ones affected. Having a flexible mindset fosters greater adaptability that isn’t tone-deaf to others’ needs.
- Don’t have a Messiah complex. Mendoza stressed the need to be humble when it comes to handling these crises. Instead of trying to control the outcome, we should remember that there is only so much we can do. Bouncing back after uncertain times, after all, takes team effort.
Responding to Chaos
Finally, it’s important to note that safe spaces can exist within ourselves. Psychologist Joanna Herrera — founder of We Thrive Consultancy and Wellbeing Services Inc. — noted how the space between the stimulus we receive and how we react can be a great source of freedom despite the circumstances.
According to Dr. Herrera, we currently live in a VUCA world — a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. What used to give us comfort no longer does, and this type of environment triggers our stress responses.
To combat this, we need to find ways to relax. However, unlike our stress response, the relaxation response needs to be cultivated. The journey to cultivating this doesn’t have to involve big gestures; small micro-actions that add up in the long run would work. Dr. Herrera summarized these actions in six Ps:
Pause. When we pause before reacting to a situation, we allow ourselves the opportunity to see different perspectives and to make more informed decisions. These moments can include a quick break.
Presence. Instead of running away from our experiences, we instead turn toward them. In this practice, it is important to be kind, instead of critical, of ourselves. The same goes for when we interact with other people.
Purpose. Much like what Anastacio and Mendoza discussed, finding the things that matter to us can help us through times of crises. And crises can help reveal what these things are.
Participate. Aside from attending to our inward needs, helping and connecting with others remind us that we can move above our circumstances. This sense of connectedness also helps us tap into our common humanity.
Possibility. When things go wrong, we tend to look at the bad side of things and project it onto a future event. Instead of these limiting beliefs, cultivating a growth-focused outlook lets us see beyond the challenges and helps us realize the avenues of change we can undertake instead.
In the end, all our inner systems are connected, including those responsible for self and community care. When we take care of ourselves, we can take care of others as well. And when we are in a position to uplift others, creating safe spaces becomes easier to do.
This article was written by our contributor, Pam Musni.
