Today’s professional workplace may seem vastly different from those your elders were a part of. Everyone is looking to work faster, with fewer resources. Regardless of how well-equipped you are, you can easily find yourself overwhelmed, stressed, and sorely lacking work-life balance. While you may not be able to change everything about your work life, look to your Native traditions to help you manage stress and create more balance. Here are a few ways to do just that.
Nourish Your Body
It’s no secret that taking care of yourself allows you to feel better both mentally and physically. Native traditions value the connection to Mother Earth, and the ability to nourish the body, soul, and spirit. In order to nourish your body, you need to do things like eat well, sleep well, and exercise. To nourish your soul and spirit, think about what you enjoy, what makes you happy, and what propels you forward. For example, some may find connecting with Native relatives to practice language makes them happy. For others, it may be participating in cultural rituals or performances. Don’t shy away from things that you enjoy. Nourishing your body, soul, and spirit will allow you to tackle work issues head on, which, in turn, will lead to less stress.
Practice Smudging
Smudging is an ancient ritual that focuses on cleansing an area, blessing individuals, and bringing out good energy. For some, smudging can also be a form of meditation, as they practice silence and look inward to connect with themselves. Focusing on removing the bad energy and welcoming the good can help you feel better about any work-related stress. It may also give you time to work through problems in your head or create space for you to separate from work — something that everyone needs.
Attend a Powwow
Powwows initially began as a way for nations to celebrate success. While that focus has shifted slightly in today’s world, powwows remain an important way to connect with other tribes and to celebrate life. Powwows typically include singing, dancing, and plenty of opportunities to connect. They can also energize, and reaffirm your connection to Mother Earth. For many, a powwow is an immersive experience, which includes disconnecting from work. What's more, they provide a chance to enjoy time with family and friends — another good stress-reliever.
Avoid Stress(ors)
Many Native Americans use healing rituals to bring participants into harmony with themselves. While it may not be feasible for you to attend a healing ritual regularly, think about ways that you can adapt that mindset for your everyday life. Avoiding stress allows you to live in harmony with yourself.
Don’t Forget About the Medicine Wheel
Used by generations of Indigenous people, the Medicine Wheel has four different areas that may mean different things to different people. Regardless of what the four areas are, the idea is to try to balance all of them. This can be a useful tool to refer to if you find that work seems to be taking over, or is becoming more stressful. Look at the four dimensions and consider where you are in each one. Can you do more or less of one to create more balance and harmony? By using the Medicine Wheel as your guide, you can create more work-life balance and better manage your stress.
Being a working professional can be taxing on the body and the mind. Without the necessary coping skills or support in place you may find yourself quickly overwhelmed. Try not to get to that point. Make sure to tap into your Native traditions to help you focus, create harmony, and center yourself. Set aside time to take care of yourself the way your ancestors did. There are some amazing Native traditions that can help you to find a better work-life balance and manage your stress. Try out a few to see what works for you.
On Topic
Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Diné, is a principal hydrologist in the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources – Water Management Branch. She has worked collaboratively with Navajo Nation partners on water-related research since 2013. Her work pre-pandemic focused on protecting and managing water resources in the Navajo Nation; since the start of the pandemic, her work focused on providing more safe water access for Navajo residents has increased. She has a PhD in geology and an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in sustainability from the University of Utah and a master of water resources in hydroscience and bachelor of science in earth and planetary sciences from the University of New Mexico. She has served a past Region 3, Junior and National Student Representative, and a student representative on the AISES Board of Directors. At the 2021 AISES National Conference, she received the Professional of the Year Award.
How do you apply Native practices to help manage your stress?
It's easy to get caught up in work, deadlines, and the endless list of to-dos. I've had to come up with strategies and boundaries, so I could find the work-life balance when I was a student and now as a professional. K'é (kinship, family) is an integral part of the Navajo philosophy and lifestyle. For me, I created a priority in my life, and that priority was to my family and building kinship in the communities that I was in or am in — for example, school organizations, the community I was living in, or the professional networks I am a part of. K'é also has guided my actions. When I would visit someone or do something out of kindness, I would say, "k'é biniye." This phrase is not fully able to be described in English words, but the one word that is able to briefly describe the English translation is charity. I am not referring to the Oxford language definition "an organization set up to provide help and raise money for those in need." Instead, I am referring to the service aspect of charity.
What helps me manage my stress is actually not focusing on myself, but helping those around me because that increases my joy, allows me to take a break, and encourages me to act outside of work-related tasks. Recently, I looked in my freezer and saw the pumpkins I pureed from my garden and froze for later use. I thawed out the puree and invited my children to make two batches of cookies with me. We shared the cookies with our neighbors and family. Using what I grew, creating new memories with my kids, and smelling the wonderful scent coming from the oven helped reduce my stress that day.
In addition, stress-reducing strategies like mediation, going for a walk or a hike to enjoy nature, or thinking about and writing down what I'm thankful for helps bring serenity into my life, too. I have also followed the Navajo teaching of T’áá hwó’ ají t’éego (if is to be it is up to me), particularly to set boundaries. For example, since I became a mother, I decided that once the clock turns 5 p.m., I rush home to my family, and before quickly accepting a new opportunity, I assess what is currently on my to-do plate and consider if I have the capacity and desire to participate in another task. Navajo philosophy has encouraged me to think holistically about my being emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. Hozho (striving for balance) is what I seek daily through my actions in life to help manage stress.
