Learning from airline emergency procedures
Self care is the best advice on well-being you can give to others
It was the 10 year anniversary for Jason’s Non Profit Organization that worked on ‘Water conservation’. From a handful of volunteers, it had now mushroomed into a 150 strong volunteer group. Over the decade, as water scarcity hit key countries, corporate and government funds propelled his organization into a period of growth across the country.
Young, passionate and resourceful - his core team was the spine that powered the mission for the organization. Many times, they had to travel through tough terrains, bear inclement weather and deal with hostile government authorities. It often took a toll on health, but sheer determination helped them trudge through them.
One night, the stress caught up and Jason came down with a gall bladder attack. Emergency procedures helped handle the situation but Jason came out of this episode shaken and disturbed. He could see his team working erratic schedules to fulfill their mission. But, now, he could also envisage them getting hit with such health impairments.
Wiser now, he started urging them to adopt new health regimens and focus on their wellness. He pulled in sessions on nutrition, exercise, meditation and also worked on fortifying the insurance covers for his staff.
It had been almost an year now and he could sense a fatigue in his staff whenever they were dragged to these sessions or webinars. Besides, none of his core team had really changed their routines - the same arduous travel, stretched days with imbalanced nutrition. He wondered what could be the reason.
Anxious that few of them might hit a serious health issue, he began to urge them in their staff meetings. Nudges became arguments, which then cascaded to debates and then silence. His anxiety grew and with it the toll on his health as another gall bladder attack, albeit a mild one hit him.
At the health clinic after the episode, the doctor - Alissa and Jason had a chat
Alissa- “Jason, you look as if something is eating you from inside. Have you been doing the exercises I mentioned to you last time?”
Jason muttered - “Yeah, I do them, once a week. I try to be regular…but, you know…”
Alissa quipped - “You are 45 and getting weaker. You need little exercise, but you need to do it regularly. What you do today, does not cut it..”
Jason - “ I know, I get it. After my health episodes, the worry for my team, our organization, our work has increased. I am afraid what will happen to them if they get affected like me? I keep chasing them to take care of their health, but you know, they are just so busy…”
Alissa - “Well, as your doctor, I can only keep reminding..”
A week passed and Jason was on a flight to another city. As the flight boarding completed, the air hostesses readied themselves for the routine broadcast of the emergency procedures. Like most passengers, Jason grunted as he watched the routine for the umpteenth time. When the video entered the oxygen masks section, something caught Jason’s attention.
He wondered on the specific cast of a mother and her child for this section. The video reel rolled on to show that in case of emergency, oxygen masks would dangle from the top. It advised the mother to first put her oxygen mask and only when sure of it move onto assisting her child. Why would they say so? Wouldn’t a mother want to protect her child first in a life-death situation?
The penny dropped at this juncture for Jason. He realized that unless the mother is safe, she cannot possibly do anything to safeguard her child. By ensuring her safety, she has the best shot to protect her child, else both are at a bigger risk.
All this while, Jason only worried about his team health and kept chasing them. Rather, like the mother in the flight emergency video, if Jason focused on his well-being regularly, he would be in a better position to show it to his team. As the team observed what a good health regimen does, they would be nudged to focus on their individual well-being too. The more regularly they see, the more subtly they would register in their minds.
Self-care is not selfishness. It is a signal that one’s well being is at the core of one’s ability to serve others. If one does not have the right strength, how will he/she help others? Selfcare is the platform on which selfless service is built.