Stress management has always been a huge interest in my life, ever since I was a student at the University of Tampa. It was the summer before my senior year in 2008, where I became an intern at Tampa General Hospital, working in the Employee Health and Wellness department. My supervisor (and mentor) was the coordinator of the department, where she had implemented monthly wellness programs for the hospital, where employees participated to work towards better health. I was introduced to my mentor through her husband, who was also a student at UT. I was studying both psychology and music, with the intention of pursuing music therapy. I took part in the internship believing that I would assist my mentor with activities during the summer. I learned that I would be taking part in a larger role. I ended up creating and implementing a stress management program that involved the use of music.
Per my mentor, I started researching stress in the workplace as well as the use of music as a stress reliever. After completing that, I had to create surveys to collect information from employees about their perceived stress while at work. Then I had to create three types of classes to be taught weekly as part of the stress management program for the summer. With help from my classmate from UT, I set up empowerment drumming, music with meditation, and aerobics (dancing) classes every week for seven weeks. Not only that the hospital employees were enjoying themselves throughout the program, but I was also enjoying myself as well. The hardest part about running the program was bringing it to an end, because I became attached to the people working at the hospital and overall enjoyed the environment. I went back to UT to finish my degree but did not get into graduate school for music therapy. What I did not realize was that it was a blessing in disguise, when I was reminded of my passion for workplace wellness through that internship. I started graduate school to study health and wellness psychology in 2010, completing my master’s in 2013 and doctorate in the same field in 2020.
While I was working towards my doctorate degree in health and wellness psychology, I discussed stress management in the workplace for my Applied Doctoral Project. I shared about how workplace organizations were spending $300 billion in health care costs due to the illnesses that employees encountered due to high workplace stress. As part of my project, I created a stress management program that involved yoga and guided imagery and music (GIM) called the Healthy Employees and Leaders (HEAL) program. While I surveyed one group of retail workers, I conducted the HEAL program with another group once a week for six weeks. The HEAL program was intended for both personal and transformational growth when it came to stress relief. Results showed that the HEAL program was beneficial to the retail workers who participated in the program, and as part of the post-program survey they felt that the program would be beneficial in the workplace.
To have stress management in the workplace, it is important to know that stress is a real issue, not only in everyday life but also in the workplace. In my book, Under Pressure: The Stress and Stressors of the Retail Industry, I discussed areas of stress that both management and non-management employees experience, such as absenteeism, sickness, and workload, and how it all affects work performance. I further discussed examples of the several forms of stress experienced in retail, either from interacting with fellow retail workers or with the customers that we are to serve and meet their shopping needs. Although most retail workers enjoy what they do for a living, it was important that they had a voice and that they were being heard as far as what they experience during the workday. I shared what I have experienced in the twenty years that I have worked in the retail industry, including having worked in the customer service and grocery departments. The retail industry is one of the industries often viewed as an underappreciated industry, and therefore the workers are not appreciated as much as they should be, especially during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, when they were essential workers. Through my book, I wanted readers to have a different perspective on retail workers, whether they work in grocery stores, clothing stores, home improvement stores, or those working at the warehouses, and understand what they go through to meet the customers’ needs.
I have added corporate wellness as part of my business, Fitness Slayers!®, because of my deep love for workplace wellness and happiness while serving others. I now seek to help others achieve personal and workplace wellness. My book, Under Pressure: The Stress and Stressors of the Retail Industry, is available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback format.
Dr. Ellisha Wells: Dr. Ellisha Wells is a health, wellness, and fitness professional who seeks to help women achieve personal health and happiness. She is the Founder and CEO of Fitness Slayers!®, LLC, which provides services focusing on physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health to women in the Tampa Bay Area. Dr. Wells is also the author of two fitness journals, The Fiercely Fit Woman and Strong Sustenance, where women are encouraged by fitness affirmations and Biblical motivations to keep track of their food and exercise intake. fitnessslayers@gmail.com