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Working women face challenges at every level, from the need to multitask to the constant struggle between personal and professional time. With COVID-19 keeping everyone at home, we have to juggle work, homeschooling, meal preparation, and household chores, not to mention the constant fear of an unseen virus.
A recent study by CARE, a non-profit international aid organization, found that while few are spared from the overall emotional fatigue caused by COVID-19, women are almost three times as likely as men to report suffering from significant mental health consequences (27% compared to 10%), including anxiety, loss of appetite, inability to sleep, and trouble completing everyday tasks.*
While some organizations are being more sensitive towards women and their ongoing struggle to deal with their situation, at CleverTap we introduced the Nurturing Circle, a program designed to create a safe space for women in the organization to nurture and celebrate one another, to replenish ourselves, share views, and learn from our experiences.
Over a span of 8 weeks, we held weekly sessions open to all our female employees, sessions which aimed to build resilience and strength through learning about emotional Intelligence, coaching conversations, yoga, mindfulness, neuroscience, and art. As the group got comfortable, the further modules naturally transitioned into the space of women sharing examples and supporting each other in the workplace and having constructive conversations about career ambitions and personal growth.
After the program, we surveyed the women who participated in the session and were amazed to hear their responses and the impact of the sessions on their personal and professional growth.
Here are their personal stories with key takeaways from the program:
Shruti Shanbhag – Product Manager
“A realisation I had before but was strengthened during the sessions is that I don’t pause and take a moment for myself. For me, the day is full of meetings and my two kids. There isn’t a quiet moment for myself. Even my meals sometimes happen while in meetings or with my kids. I am now trying to consciously make time in the day for myself. It not only allows me to take a break and breathe a bit but also I get some time to think a little deeper and focus on myself. It leaves me feeling energized and able to cope with the rest of my day”
Sanskriti Agarwal – QA Engineer
“I have always been a firm believer in maintaining a good work/life balance. Our personal life, goals, and aspirations are as important as our professional deadlines. However, due to strict corporate targets and expectations, I took my personal goals for granted and lost accountability for the same. Nurturing Circle sessions helped me realize the value of my life outside work and how important it is to take a break and be creative to function with maximum productivity at the professional front.”
Priya Baptista – Lead – Learning & Development
“While there is always the question: ‘Will I be able to influence and add value?’ The session on Adding Positive Power at Home and at Work made me realize that we have more influence and power than we think. As women, we think, we are wonder women who can manage everything. Sometimes expressing ourselves or asking for help and support both at home and at work eases things for us and helps us focus on what we truly want to do. Expressing our ambitions in the right moment to the right people with courageous and intentional conversations can take us a long way in our careers.”
Shruti Shanbhag – Product Manager
“The session on ‘Elevator’s Pitch’ was enriching. During the session, I did identify some value-based qualities that describe me but there are many things that I do professionally that did not come to my mind at all. This made me wonder if I give enough credit to myself for the work I do. I believe, as women, we tend to do this a lot. We don’t take ourselves seriously and fail to give credit to ourselves. Working on one’s self-brand and acknowledging the strengths that we bring in to the organization is essential for growth.”
Sanskriti Agarwal – QA Engineer
“A lot of times it happens that life puts us in a difficult situation either at the personal or the professional front. But the show must go on and in order to do that, it is important to understand the right coping mechanism and a suitable approach. Latha, the facilitator, explained that beautifully and I loved Geeta’s story about how strategically she dealt with her challenges.”
Priya Baptista – Lead – Learning & Development
“The short meditation routine during the workshop gave me a sense of calm and relaxation, right in my seat. The practice of gratitude journaling introduced during the workshop has now become a part of my daily routine and is slowly making me appreciate things and people around me much more.”
I’m proud to be a part of an organization that believes in such high-impact initiatives for women — initiatives that leave us feeling empowered and that create a deeper impact on our emotional and mental wellbeing to bring out the best in us. It speaks a lot about the organization’s commitment to work towards employee well-being for maximum productivity and growth.
