The Village Blog

“We are all a little different and that is OK. In fact, it’s good, if we strive to understand each other, accept each other, and respect each other. If we do that, our diversity can make us stronger as a community.” Recently we’ve been writing about the importance of examining our unconscious bias [...]

In any relationship, there will be conflict. The trick isn't to avoid it; it's learning to deal with those disagreements in a healthy, respectful way. It's a matter of fighting fair. Kelly Olson of The Village, says couples shouldn't be afraid to talk about issues. Each person in a relationship [...]

Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but it doesn’t have to be a disabling one. The term stress refers to our emotional and physical reaction to events that we find challenging. These events can be negative, such as the loss of a job, or positive, such as buying a home. Stress also can be short [...]

As humans, we tend to worry. We worry about what might happen tomorrow, next week, or maybe even later today. If we draw breath, we’re susceptible to worrying. While none of us are alone in the worry-wart business, worrying is unique to mankind and to the future. We don’t worry about what happened [...]

Unconscious Bias “Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise.” – Rear Admiral Grace Hopper Hopper’s words are true for how we have recruited, screened, interviewed, and [...]

At some point, we all "get by with a little help from our friends." And at other times, we're the one supporting a friend in need. Having a strong social support system improves our mental health outcomes and our resiliency, or the ability to bounce back from stressful events. "While 1 in 5 people [...]

In his short life, Xavier* experienced so much trauma. His parents battled substance use disorders, which caused him and his siblings to be neglected. Child Protective Services became involved, and Xavier lived in several foster homes before moving in with his adoptive family at age 5. As a result [...]

At some point in our lives we all experience loss. It may be the end of a relationship, being let go from a job, losing a home, or the death of a loved one. You may have experienced a lot of loss in the past few years – upheavals to our routine, cancelled events, milestones we've missed. It's [...]

As our communities and workplaces continue to evolve and become more diverse, we need to pay attention to what professional practices may need to change along the way. We need to examine our unconscious bias. What Is Unconscious Bias? Unconscious bias includes the social stereotypes about certain [...]