Providence Gastroenterology combats workplace stress with relaxation room 

The idea of creating healthy workplaces is nothing new, but the COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need for mental health support at the office – perhaps nowhere as much as in the healthcare setting.  

Having had it on their wish list for years, USA Health Providence Gastroenterology employees are now able to enjoy their own self-care space, stocked with coloring and puzzle books, yoga tips, USA Health support resources, and more. 

Diana Enseroth, practice manager for the GI group, has worked to accommodate staff requests. 

“I've really tried to listen to them because I can tell they are enjoying it, and I want to make sure they have things that will help them relax in their own way,” she said. “We've added blankets, mood trackers, fidget toys, puzzles, Jenga, and my staff sometimes brings in little items for the room.” 

February’s employee engagement activity focused on how to love yourself. Enseroth discussed data from a 2024 State of Workforce Mental Health Report.  

According to the survey, stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression were listed as the top mental health issues affecting U.S. employees. More than half of workers (64%) agreed that if their employer improved work conditions that negatively impacted their mental health, it would boost their job satisfaction. 

“We discussed ways to de-stress, talked about our favorite ways to relax, ate some goodies, and toured our completed ‘chill room,’" she said. “We've always had this room, but we did a lot of fine-tuning to it over the last few months or so and finally completed it with decor, lighting and extra supplies. My staff loves it so much, and we are super proud of it!”  

Since 2020, Enseroth said, employees in her offices have been asking for a relaxation room. But the spaces available at the time were too small to accommodate the request. 

“We desperately craved a space for this,” she said. “When it was announced that my offices were moving to A101 (the physician office building connected by a walkway to the hospital), the first thing we all said was, ‘Now is our time to find our room!’” 

The journey to find the perfect space went through the expansion of the GI clinic, the dissolution of another due to retirements that Enseroth managed until a bigger room was finally available. 

Decorated with relaxation in mind, the room offers staff a physical and mental break from the demands of their job. Enseroth said she can tell a positive difference among the employees when they utilize it.  

“My staff uses it often — some during their lunch breaks, some on regular breaks. I'd say most of us enjoy it at some point or another through the week,” she said. “We had one of our associates who utilized it as a pumping room, so that was another thing I was proud of that she felt comfortable enough to relax in there for that purpose.”

Supporting employees’ mental health is becoming important, and that is what makes spaces like this one essential in the workplace. 

 “We have a very busy office, and it can be a lot at times. I think everyone struggles to understand how to relax in their own way,” she said. “You want to work in a place that recognizes that your mental health is important, and that supports these types of projects.  

“If you feel supported by the organization, you will want to support that organization as an employee/leader. It no longer becomes a job; it becomes a home — a place you enjoy going and a place where you feel comfortable and secure.”