I recently attended a lunch and learn, focused on Managing Microaggressions & Unconscious Biases. Having learned a little about both topics from previous training and discussions I wanted to freshen up my knowledge. Plus, it didn't hurt to get a free lunch as well! A quick refresher for anyone that may not know what each are; Unconscious Bias: Involuntary, deeply ingrained stereotypes or attitudes towards certain groups that affect understanding, actions, and decisions without conscious awareness. Microaggressions: Everyday verbal, nonverbal or environmental slights, snubs or insults, that can be intentional or unintentional and communicate hostile, negative or derogatory messages to marginalized groups. During the presentation we were given example statements, then broken into small groups and were asked: What could have been said instead in each instance? The best answer we came up with collectively was, "Think before you speak." Many of us, myself included, encounter both microaggression and unconscious bias on a daily basis. Being that the person performing the act most times does not intentionally do so, it may go unnoticed, but to the person on the receiving end, it can leave them with a feeling of insult, stress and negative well-being.
With May being Mental Health Awareness Month it got me thinking about the effects of these two instances on the mental health of both the person(s) performing and receiving them. The person(s) performing the unconscious bias or the microaggression after realizing what they have done can become uncomfortable both mentally and physically from guilt and realization of the actions. Depending on the severity of the instance(s) or the duration that they took place, the feelings can vary from minimal to extreme. These situations once realized lead to increased self-awareness, enhanced emotional intelligence and improved decision making both from a "Think before you speak" standpoint and also from a situational awareness perspective, by looking at the long term effect that a decision can have on someone from a different background. Acknowledging unconscious bias does not make someone a "bad person" it shows that everyone has learned responses from their life experiences and once they are recognized it is the first step in overcoming them.
The person(s) on the receiving end of the unconscious bias or microaggression can have feelings of chronic stress, anxiety, exhaustion and low self-esteem which long term can lead to depression. Marginalized groups are disproportionally affected by the above. Historically they have a lower percentage of people receiving the proper mental health care needed, due to inadequate health care access and socioeconomic factors such as poverty and mental health stigma. How can we fix it? Self-Reflection, education/training and supportive environments are the key to both minimizing the use of unconscious bias and microaggression and also reducing the mental health impacts associated with them.
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Brandon Patocka, PTMP
Engineering Technician II
City of Omaha, NE
Omaha NE
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