This month’s TOPkit Digest is brought to you by Florence (Flo) Williams (Florence.Williams@ucf.edu), LinkedIn, Ph.D., Associate Instructional Designer, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida, and Diana Ruggiero (Dmrggero@memphis.edu), LinkedIn, Ph.D., Spanish Online Coordinator, World Languages and Literatures Department, University of Memphis. They discuss the topic of Mental Health for Instructional Designers: Tips for Promoting Self-Care & Well-Being.

The Sanctuary Group introduces Five Ways to Well-being as part of a mental health literacy initiative. In the video, they discuss the importance of utilizing simple techniques for boosting mental health and positive reinforcement. The strategies support self-care actions and identify opportunities for an action plan that Instructional Designers could implement to guide mental well-being in their personal and professional lives.

Instructional designers (IDs) must create engaging and effective learning experiences for various audiences and rapidly shifting contexts. While completing job-related tasks is satisfying, it can also be stressful and demanding, especially with uncertainty and constant change. In this digest, we loosely use the terms IDs, faculty support professionals, and learning and development specialists to include all professionals who provide support for creating, delivering, and troubleshooting training and learning design. Petherbridge et al. (2023) suggest that IDs must embody increased flexibility and resilience as team numbers fluctuate and institutions adopt new strategic directions. There have been positive gains from the Emergency Remote Instruction (ERT) developed for the Coronavirus pandemic as non-ID practitioners better understand essential instructional design terms, models, and principles. In support of the idea of normalcy, we introduce strategies to encourage healthy change that erases cyclical behavior. We hope IDs will have the tools and language to raise awareness within their teams and institutions. 

#1 Recognize the Signs of Burnout and Seek Help. Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or frustration (Demerouti et al., 2021; Gewin, 2021). It can lead to the gradual depletion and loss of incentives, which affects motivation, performance, and health. Signs of burnout include:

IDs must constantly self-assess and act if they notice any of these signs. While it may be easy to ignore the signs, IDs must proactively seek professional help. Institutions may provide employee assistance support through counseling, therapy, or coaching. Professionals trained in these areas can help identify the sources of stress, provide strategies for coping with emotions, and offer tips that may guide improvements.

#2 Design for Mental Health and Well-being. IDs can design learning experiences that promote mental health and well-being for learners. This design should consider the well-being of the ID in (a) planning the scope of work in the design and (b) the training and transitional needs of those who will utilize the materials. Considering the expectation gap between human resources, project timelines, and performance will support task prioritization. Needs analyses can also facilitate the creation of interprofessional teams— stakeholders who can help manage the scope and reduce the stress that could result from scope creep and changing completion timelines. Some strategies that support inclusive design are:

#3 Understand Cultural Norms. According to Helman (2007), IDs must be aware of and respectful of cultural norms, beliefs, and practices that may impact how people perceive stress and use coping mechanisms to maintain their mental health. That is when designing a course while being aware of the instructors' needs and empathic towards their ways of perceiving content from a cultural perspective. Here is where the concept of cultural humility comes into place, where we place ourselves in a humble place and ask questions as if we meet the person for the first time, not assuming anything about their culture, no matter how much we think "we know." While IDs should participate in Cultural Competency Training, to improve empathy, sensitivity, and efficacy in cross-cultural communication and collaboration, it is recommended to keep in mind cultural humility (Sue et al., 2012). To ensure the best communication practices, IDs must manage their cultural identity and support inclusion practices by understanding how cultural background impacts their workplace behavior. Some awareness practices may include:

#4 Use Tools to Thrive. Several tools and resources are available to help professionals improve their mental health and resilience. IDs can explore online tools to identify what works best and share them with colleagues who may benefit from them. Some examples of tools to thrive are:

#5 Practice Self-care. Self-care is not selfish; it is essential for the mental health and well-being of the busy professional. Self-care means caring for your physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Some ways you can practice self-care are:

#6 Be Kind to Yourself and Others. Finally, be kind to yourself and utilize affirmation practices. It is ok to acknowledge that you are not perfect. Although there are instances where you are by yourself, you are not alone. Set your work hours, prioritize tasks, and know your limits so you can confirm that you are doing the best you can. Do not be too hard on yourself or compare yourself to others. Instead, acknowledge your strengths and achievements and identify your growth opportunities. Celebrate your progress and learning while acknowledging team accomplishments. Appreciate your efforts and contributions and assess how teamwork supports task completion. Forgive yourself and others for mistakes and failures, and treat everyone with compassion and respect.

Mental health is valuable to individual instructional designers and is critical for team success. Oliveira et al. (2021) contend that the ERT context led to mixed outcomes regarding the education process and reflects the impact on practitioner mental health. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, we encourage faculty support professionals to add at least one tip to their practice each month to enhance individual well-being and improve team performance.

I have been wondering if there is an effective way to explain that concept to students. At times I am unclear about the grouping of assignments and the ultimate value of specific assignments. I imagine that students are also somewhat muddled by this concept. Thanks in advance for any clarification you can provide, both for me and to share with others.

Signed,

Muddled & Confused

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Course design involves various legal content considerations, such as respecting the rights of the original authors, obtaining consent for reusing existing work, and complying with the laws and regulations for higher education content. The authors provide intriguing advice about creating, using, or distributing content and provide strategies for avoiding legal risks.

View references for this month's TOPkit Digest.

Bren Bedford, MNM, SFC®, Web Project Analyst, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida

Florence Williams, Ph.D., Associate Instructional Designer, Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida