Worker Wellness Blog: Two Quizzes for You

Date Posted: July 9, 2024

Posted In: Discussion, Workforce,

by Dr. John Gaal

Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature.

The MO Works Initiative focuses on creating healthy and recovery friendly workplaces; connecting laid-off workers with job-search or upskilling resources for future employment; and collaborating with community partners to offer innovative points of entry to traditional apprenticeship opportunities.

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog offers you a look at how a popular “Happiness” professor deals with her mental health; to a current rise in COVID plus views of its after effects; to a smattering of U.S. Supreme Court rulings…from “immunity” to OSHA.

This week I would like to take this opportunity for you to participate in 2 quizzes: one on ACES (childhood trauma) and the other to see if you handle our kids’ Math.

Far too often, some of us tend to pass judgement on issues we are somewhat “removed” from. A few of you may remember me touching on the topic of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) many months ago. Just maybe, if we took the time to grasp a better handle on how “early” trauma impacts one’s future—as an adult—we might create some empathy towards others in the workplace and community.

The book that changed my mindset on this matter a couple of years ago is “The Body Keeps the Score” by Dr. B. Van Der Kolk. A book that was published in 2014 and yet still appears—for weeks at a time—on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

ACES have been linked to mental health, toxic stress, and negative coping mechanisms. To be sure, we cannot ignore one’s upbringing…it is part of one’s DNA. To expect people to “leave issues at the door” is akin to asking a tiger to change its stripes. Bluntly put, how you or I view a situation and/or solve problems is directly linked to who/what we are and how we react. PLEASE take the quiz linked below as the first step in this journey.[1]

Finally, last week a number of reports indicated that our nation’s K-8 students’ test scores have not recovered after COVID…as was hoped for. I think it would behoove all of us to take a step back and dig deeper into this critical matter…our nation’s future! Without a doubt, math (and reading) has been linked to one’s success in life.

While school districts across the nation have invested in recovering from learning loss related to the pandemic still more needs to be done. So, once again, empathy plays a major role in our ability to understand what others—often beyond our inner circle—are facing.

Therefore, I kindly request that you test your math skills via the related link below.[2] And, join me in opening our minds and hearts. Thank you!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources:

[1] https://www.pathfinder.health/post/ace-quiz

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2024/dc-school-math-quiz/