I’d been looking for ways to support mental health in the research software community, but I was struggling to come up with practical solutions. Then, a surprising idea emerged from a conversation at the SSI’s Collaborations Workshop in 2024.
CW24
Collaborations Workshop is an amazing event, hosted each year by the Software Sustainability Institute (SSI), and I’m not just saying that because I’m now an SSI Fellow! The event takes place over three days, and you spend most of it splitting into groups to discuss a range of topics. Usually, this includes things like generative AI, sustainability in high-performance computing and maintenance of open-source software projects.
However, I had already decided to apply for the SSI Fellowship to continue the conversation around mental health in the community. And so, when we split into groups on day two to discuss ideas for the Hack Day, we went around the table and introduced ourselves. I mentioned my interest in mental health and everyone was very supportive. I was surprised to find that many of them had been through similar experiences, and we spent some time discussing the challenges we face and how they affect our mental health.
Then, someone mentioned that they had been using a task management framework to help them manage their workload, and that it had helped them with their life-work balance and wellbeing. I was initially sceptical about this idea, but then someone else mentioned that they had done something similar. So, we discussed it a bit further and came up with an idea that became our suggestion for a hack day project.
Task Management for Humans as Self-Care
The idea was to create a Software Carpentry-style course that would introduce a range of task management systems, with the focus being on value for the individual, rather than on value for their employer.
There were some key principles: The course would focus on self-care and life-work balance, rather than productivity. It would introduce a range of task management systems, allowing participants to choose the elements that work best for them. It wasn’t a case of “do it this way or your doing it wrong”, but rather “here are some options, try them out and see what works for you”.
The idea won the top prize for the Ideas Session, and so it was selected as a project for the Hack Day. On day three, we worked together to create a course outline with some example content and deployed it to the Carpentries Incubator. The project went on to win the top Hack Day prize.
I think the fact that we go so much engagement, and that the project won both prizes, shows that the community understands how important mental health is, and that they are willing to engage with such projects. It also showed that ideas can come from unexpected places, and that great ideas can emerge when we share our experiences and work together.
Final Thoughts
CW is always a great event, but CW24 was special. The engagement from everyone at the workshop was amazing. The experience of working on this project inspired me to apply for the Fellowship, in the hope of creating similar projects and engaging with the community to help support mental health. I am excited to see what other ideas will emerge from this wonderful community. I also hope to bring together ideas like this on this website, so that the whole community can benefit from them.
More
- You can read more about the project on the SSI website.
- The course is available on the Carpentries Incubator.
This project is also listed on our Projects and Communities page. If you know of any other projects that should be listed there, follow the instructions to submit them.
Thanks for reading.
Take care of yourselves.
