Day after day, work and studies in the lab keep our bodies constantly busy. Various concerns, such as deadlines, projects, theses, papers, and many others, continually build pressure on our minds, which can lead to increased stress or a feeling of being worn out.
On the other hand, it is important to note that all our laboratory members — professors, students, researchers, etc. — share this pressure together. We share our workspace, our offices, our meetings, even our reagents. We ultimately end up building a community among us.
So, how can we booster the mental wellness of our members and develop better relationships in our team?
At TReN, we try to address this issue not only with measures inside the workspace but also performing activities out of the lab, enabling an unwinding and enjoyable time for our team.
Among these activities, we visited the climbing centre in Ristikko on a sunny Wednesday 22nd of May. We enjoyed a well-deserved moment of relaxation and fun. It required a lot of physical effort, but it also cultivated happiness and trust among us. At the end of the day, we returned to our daily routines with a bolstered spirit.
Science demands a lot of work, it's true, but science also offers the opportunity to grow and establish new relationships, bonds, and experiences. And we must not forget that we are just people like any other, with a particular fascination for the “secrets of nature”.
Text by Carlos Valenzuela, PhD Student at TReN