Survey says! Results from the ABG Community Check-In
Sincere thanks to the 200 of you around the world who took time to share your thoughts, concerns, insights and hopes for the ABG Community Check-In survey. This week we will share Part 1 of what we learned, with Part 2 tackling ways we can help support the community moving forward. All responses were completely anonymous which, judging by your additional comments, helped in the honesty department. So, thanks for being forthcoming with your input.
No doubt our industry globally has taken a substantial hit and many of us are out of work while others are trying to work while managing family obligations. It is OVERWHELMING. But hope remains, and despite all that we are facing each day, a sense of optimism, resilience and spirit came through in your responses.
Here are the key takeaways:
Mental Health and Wellness
COVID is taking a toll on our mental and physical wellness with 72 percent of respondents feeling slightly worse (58 percent) or much worse (18 percent) than pre-COVID. In an industry built on relationships, nearly 75 percent of respondents miss in-person contact most of all followed closely by business travel (46 percent) and trade events and business gatherings (44 percent). Surprisingly, only 35 percent of respondents miss their work colleagues.
On the question of loneliness, 41 percent feel about the same level of connection as pre-COVID, with 39 percent of respondents feeling more alone than pre-lockdown; these results point again to the social nature of our industry. Fourteen percent of respondents only dream of a moment alone, with the pressure of working from home and home-schooling taking its toll. The balance of the community is feeling about the same level of connection to family, friends and community.
Physical Wellness, Diet and Exercise
COVID’s impact on diet and exercise showed a mixed result across the board with people pretty evenly split between better, worse or about the same. It’s worth pointing out that while some respondents had more time for exercise, their diets have been worse because of a more sedentary lifestyle or a change in eating habits due to family and work demands. Mixed results, for sure. We’ll keep trying!
Drinking and Moderation
Alcohol consumption in the community is mixed. Forty percent of the group is drinking more, one-third have not changed their consumption, and 26 percent are drinking less than pre-COVID. This could be a reflection of the change in demands from job-based tasting and entertaining, or it could indicate ways that people are moderating their own consumption.
When it comes to how MUCH people are drinking, it’s also a mixed response. Forty-two percent of respondents indicated they are drinking a glass a day or less, with the majority of the group drinking seven to 14 drinks per week (or one to two glasses per day). Thirty-two people total indicated they are consuming a bottle a day or more.
What Keeps You Up at Night?
With a number of issues to choose from, financial concerns were understandably the number one concern for our community with more than two-thirds of respondents listing it as their number one concern. This is closely followed by mental and physical health (61 percent), and concerns around social justice and equality (57 percent). The pressure of parenting with remote schooling is a pressure for 22 percent of respondents; concerns about the political future, family and industry outlook concerns more than one in five of the respondents.
Twelve-Month Outlook
Again we are a resilient bunch, with the 12-month outlook overall for more than one-third of respondents optimistic, followed by 23 percent ambivalent (or unsure) and 22 percent pessimistic. Many respondents referenced the issues of isolation, anxiety, sadness and tiredness; we plan to increase our support around mental health issues in the coming months.
In good news, the final open question provided a goldmine of ideas and positive comments, and we thank you in advance for your energy and gratitude for the forum of A Balanced Glass. In a future post we will be sharing more information about ideas to continue to bring the community closer, offering opportunities for practical ways to help support your health and wellness.
Once more, our collective and sincere thanks for your input. No one can do any of this alone, and your willingness to be honest, open and forthright helps to shape future content and programs. A special shoutout to community member Alicia Laury who helped dig through the details on the survey. She loves numbers.
Namaste,
Beck
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
The Power of a Pause, by Chris L. Johnson for Mindful Leader
If these past few months of enforced pause have shown us nothing else, it’s that we’re able to learn on the fly.
A Mindful Alternative to Meditation, by John J. Murphy for Mindful Leader
The professor behind Yale’s most popular course ever, The Science of Well-Being, tells us how to be happier right now.
Black Drinks Innovators, by Dorothy Gaiter for SevenFifty Daily
Ten rising stars charting creative new paths - and pushing for inclusivity - in the world of wine, beer and spirits.
I Work in Racial Equity, My Husband is Working on COVID. Here's How We're Coping, by Marisa Renee Lee for Vogue
From giving a bit of grace to committing to therapy, here are four suggestions for managing pandemic life and two equally intense careers.
Can Your School Open While Avoiding a COVID-19 Outbreak? These Two Factors Matter Most, by Ruth Reader for Fast Company
Whether a community can keep coronavirus transmission depends on the resources of the school and its local public health department.
Meet the Community!
Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Max Hollander, Assistant Head Sommelier / Assistant Restaurant Manager, Royal Mail Hotel (Dunkeld, Victoria, Australia)
Years in the Industry:
I've been working in the industry for almost ten years, starting out in gastropubs in New Zealand at the age of 19. I became interested in wine in 2013 and moved to Melbourne to learn more about hospitality at a higher level. I returned to New Zealand in 2015 after traveling around Europe for two months, exploring food, wine, beer and culture. A focus on wine didn't really emerge until I began working in fine dining with a very respectable wine list and being guided by an MW (candidate at the time). I completed my first vintage in 2016, then traveled and worked in the USA and Manchester, UK (where I acquired my WSET L3) before moving back to New Zealand and my current role.
My Biggest Challenge to Wellness:
I am my own worst enemy, and keeping my mental health positive is difficult. I tend towards depression and anxiety as well as having very high expectations of myself. If I don’t do enough, then I don’t feel like enough. This year has been particularly tough. I have been incredibly fortunate to have kept my job, and my employers are very supportive and understanding. Moving to a new place alone is always difficult, but there were some plans to visit home, have friends and family come to visit me, and do some more international travel. Those plans have all been put on hold, and life has felt a bit lonelier than usual.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
Music is a big coping mechanism for me. I've been playing guitar for 13 years, and writing songs and poems for 20. During times when I know I'm not coping well, I'll noodle around on the guitar and try to find something that brings a sense of peace or resolve. I may hold onto it or it might be forgotten, but it helps me to cope in that moment. I've taken some of those songs over the years and have done a few recording projects, one of which has been released. When I find that meditation is too challenging, I'll put on my favourite album and sink into the sonic waves, taking all of the weight away and processing the struggles that are going on in my head.
You can connect with Max on Instagram.
Let's Get Connected:
Sharing events from our friends in the global ABG community.
Thursday September 10th 6.30pm PT | 9.30pm ET
ZEN TO PEN - Pen2Paper with Nock Collaborative Writing Workshop | $20
What if instead of asking, how are you doing? We asked how are you processing?
In the final installment of this three part series, this one hour workshop we’ll play with our food - figuratively and literally. We'll explore the relationship we have with time. In a moment that time feels like a blur, while equally standing still, how are we using this unprecedented moment in time to heal, create, connect and tune in?
Join us for an uplifting workshop, as we scribble about time. Register for the Zoom call here:
Sunday September 13th 4pm PT | 7pm ET
Clear Power Coaching Tips for Moderation
In his book, Quit the Easy Way, Allen Carr says something to the effect “if you could moderate, wouldn’t you have done it already?” Join sobriety/mindful drinking coach Martha Wright online for a free virtual chat via Zoom as she shares her best tips for moderation. Connect with Clear power Coaching for more information here.
Have an event that our ABG community would love? Email to events@abalancedglass.com for consideration!
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