NMRT (New Members Round Table)

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2021 topic is Managing Workplace Stress.

In 2018, I hosted a live Twitter chat on the similar topic of Managing Stress and Creating Work-Life Balance (here's the recap). Today, in 2021 - as we close in on a full year of a global pandemic and an incredibly difficult and stressful period for many both personally and professionally - I imagine this year's discussion of workplace stress may take on a very different tone and address many new topics. 

Even as I initiate this discussion, I am mindful of the fact that our members may be weary of participating in virtual conversations like this. We are all fatigued. If you have the capacity to do so, I hope you'll take the time to participate and share your experience in response to some of the discussion questions below: 

• What is the most stressful aspect of working in libraries for you? What approaches have you tried for managing this stressor? If you haven't already tried a specific approach, what ideas do you have? 
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected work stressors for you? Has it improved or exacerbated your stress related to work? How so?
• Self-care is still top of mind these days. What self-care practices do you already employ? What practices would you like to incorporate into your workday or personal life? 
• Self-care and other coping mechanisms can't solve everything. How can we advocate for change to alleviate systemic stressors? What changes would make a difference?
• What other tips or techniques for work related stress have been beneficial to you? Please share, along with relevant recommendations, articles, blog posts, websites, etc!

I look forward to hearing from the NMRT community on this month's discussion topic!

Hello all, 

My name is Laura Birkenhauer and I'm the Chair of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. Our committee's March 2021 topic is Managing Workplace Stress.

In 2018, I hosted a live Twitter chat on the similar topic of Managing Stress and Creating Work-Life Balance (here's the recap). Today, in 2021 - as we close in on a full year of a global pandemic and an incredibly difficult and stressful period for many both personally and professionally - I imagine this year's discussion of workplace stress may take on a very different tone and address many new topics. 

Even as I initiate this discussion, I am mindful of the fact that our members may be weary of participating in virtual conversations like this. We are all fatigued. If you have the capacity to do so, I hope you'll take the time to participate and share your experience in response to some of the discussion questions below: 

• What is the most stressful aspect of working in libraries for you? What approaches have you tried for managing this stressor? If you haven't already tried a specific approach, what ideas do you have? 
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected work stressors for you? Has it improved or exacerbated your stress related to work? How so?
• Self-care is still top of mind these days. What self-care practices do you already employ? What practices would you like to incorporate into your workday or personal life? 
• Self-care and other coping mechanisms can't solve everything. How can we advocate for change to alleviate systemic stressors? What changes would make a difference?
• What other tips or techniques for work related stress have been beneficial to you? Please share, along with relevant recommendations, articles, blog posts, websites, etc!

I look forward to hearing from the NMRT community on this month's discussion topic!