SUNY Oneonta’s Women in Business (WIB) and BassNLotus collaboration

Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer

On October 22, SUNY Oneonta’s Women in Business (WIB) and BassNLotus clubs collaborated to inform and educate students about stress and burnout. 

WIB’s president, Olivia Retcho, thought that it would be a good idea to invite another club to their meeting to discuss mental health. WIB wanted to highlight and raise awareness of an issue that seems to affect everyone at some point in their lives. They began the meeting by sharing some statistics about burnout in the workplace. 

They shared that 77% of workers reported experiencing work-related stress in the previous month and that 92% of workers also said it is important for employers to provide support for mental health. They highlighted how, when you are applying for jobs and looking at the websites, you can see if they have a page for protecting their workers’ mental health. It should be something to consider if mental health is a priority of yours. Notably, 3 in 4 employees experience workplace burnout. So while you may not be able to avoid burnout, it is important to be aware of what causes it and what to do to recover. 

As a club focused on women in the business field, members shared how women often face additional pressures related to leadership expectations, workplace bias, caregiving responsibilities, and work-life balance. Many women report feeling pressure to excel professionally while also managing responsibilities outside of work.

BassNLotus is Oneonta’s yoga and meditation club. They host yoga every Saturday at 10 am, and Sunday at 11 am in the Alumni Dance Studio. They are also planning a trip to Binghamton to go ice skating. 

BassNLotus discussed skills and ways to cope with stress. The first step is to identify if you have your “foot on the brake, foot on the gas, or when you’re in between.” If you have your foot on the brake and are frozen, try adding movement, such as lifting weights and going on walks. If you have your foot on the gas, take a moment to slow down, such as eating a good meal and reading. You want to be somewhere in between to balance stress and relaxation. 

Everyone then participated in a meditation break. BassNLouts shared four stretches you can do while sitting. These stretches are great for your back and neck and only take a few seconds. Taking a few moments for yourself in the middle of a busy work day is a great way of regulating how you feel and allowing your brain to reset.