How do I promote well-being and how do we plan our company based on the seasonal cycles? I’m always looking ahead at the year, taking into account the things we know are coming. 

This doesn’t just mean giving people time off but making sure they’re not overwhelmed with work when they come back. It’s about finding the balance between the type of projects we take, the timing of them and our ability to do good work without feeling run over. It means not saying yes to every incoming inquiry because we’re working from a scarcity mindset. We work on projects we are inspired by and excited about and we really like the people we get to work with who also understand the importance of well-being. 

Centering well-being is an investment but it’s such a worthwhile investment. Businesses and organizations lose way more money on burned out and triggered teams than those who invest in the well-being of their teams. 

Every December I choose to pay my entire team their full salary for two weeks of time off. What I know about burnout is that it causes you to work from your brain stem. When you work from your brain stem it makes it almost impossible to be solutions based, effective and creative. Sometimes we feel like we perform better under pressure when in fact we’re forcing our bodies to run off adrenaline and when that happens you will eventually crash. It’s not a question of if, it’s always when. 

Our team came back on January 3rd filled with excitement for the new year and full of ideas and energy on how they could tackle their projects. I know January to March is a time when many government funded projects feel pressured to overperform and hit deadlines. I’m incorporating a bingo challenge for our team to find ways to get away from their computers, rest, process feelings and spend time in nature. We’re hosting weekly prizes and a grand prize of $500 at the end of March for the team member with the most lines completed. I don’t just want my team to focus on their well-being during their own time. I want them to make sure they’re doing it throughout their day. 

From a team member: How did having a paid holiday break help your well-being?

My other career path is a hairstylist, and normally our industry is bustling around the holidays. However, the last couple of winters have slowed down, with each one slower than the last. I'd pick up extra shifts to potentially make more commission and be eligible for stat pay, thus not receiving a break at all and nearly no time to spend with friends or family. Had it not been for the paid holiday break at Naqsmist, I would've had to do the same thing this year and in hindsight, wouldn’t have been able to fill my schedule anyway. I also had back-to-back colds I couldn’t shake off. T

he paid break allowed me to finally get appropriate rest without the financial stress, and I was able to schedule time with loved ones. My physical health had the chance to recover, my mental health received the attention it needed, and my heart felt full knowing I could make time for those I care about and that I was taken care of by my company. For the first time I didn’t feel guilty about enjoying my holiday. I am always in awe and gratitude that Elaine truly centers our well-being and cultivates the safe space that allows us to honour ourselves.