We're All Coping With So Many Collective Traumas At Work Right Now

mathisworks via Getty Images There's a name for all this: Cascading collective trauma. “One of the best ways we can intervene with the effects of cascading trauma is creating space for more rest,” Boykin said, noting that rest is not just about naps or a vacation, but also could mean detoxing from news for a while, or volunteering and reconnecting with people. “To genuinely ask the people who work for you to create ways for them to even anonymously share when things happen that are traumatic, what kind of resources do you need available to you at work?” For Nancy Hanks, an Atlanta-based partner at a management consultant organization, cascading collective traumas included the death of her mother a year into the pandemic. “When my mother died, no one questioned that… But in that situation, it was more like ‘Hmm, must be pretty sweet for her.’” To explain the nuances of how trauma impacts everyone, Hanks tells her team at work that they are in the “same storm, different boats.” “We are all experiencing these storms,” she said. “We’re in it together, but depending on how you are situated, whether that’s your identity, your background, your socioeconomic status, your mental health, physical health, caretaker responsibilities, it can feel vastly different.” Hanks said the collective traumas have made her a more somber, quieter and more empathetic manager.