Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to April Wensel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi April, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
I approach self-care at several levels. On the surface, I do the usual: journaling, yoga, running, meditation, spending time in nature, and preparing healthy plant-based meals. At a deeper level, though, my self-care also includes speaking up for myself and setting boundaries. Another essential component is self-compassion, i.e. not being too hard on myself when I make mistakes. Having a steady self-care routine has helped me maintain a sense of stability and power during my entrepreneurship journey, even through the turbulent years of the pandemic. Caring for myself also helps me recharge so that I can best serve others.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
After a decade of working as a software engineer at various tech companies, I realized that the whole tech industry is built to support the stereotypical anti-social programmer, which often alienates women and anyone else who doesn’t fit the stereotype. This cultural imbalance in tech also leads us to create products that harm society.
At first I tried to fit in to the stereotypical tech culture, but denying parts of myself ultimately led to burnout. After embarking on my own personal development journey, I decided to start Compassionate Coding to challenge the status quo and promote a more heart-centered approach to software development through writing, speaking, and providing emotional intelligence training for companies and individuals.
I’m able to connect with engineers on a technical level, while also sharing strategies for collaborating more effectively and considering the social impact of our work. My favorite part of my work is winning over skeptics—and believe me, there are plenty of engineers who are skeptical about compassion.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
One of the most important skills is self-awareness, especially the ability to uncover your core values. Core values provide a compass for navigating the difficult decisions that will inevitably come your way. Setting aside some time for deep reflection is a good place to start.
Another key skill is communication. So many opportunities have come by way through personal connections I’ve made with people at events. It’s time to come out of hiding from the pandemic, revitalize our communities, and meet people face to face.
The final skill that I’m still working on is optimism. We’re constantly bombarded by negativity, whether on social media, in the news, or in our own survival-focused brain. It takes conscious effort to focus on the positive. This doesn’t mean denying reality or embracing “toxic positivity,” but it does mean cultivating gratitude for all that we have and maintaining faith that we can face any challenges.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When there are so many projects to develop and so many opportunities to pursue, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—and I often do! Thankfully, I found meditation, which has been a big help for quieting my mind and helping me figure out where to put my focus. I heard a meditation teacher explain it this way: imagine shaking up a jar filled with water and dirt. It would be all cloudy and hard to see through. That’s the typical state of our busy minds. Now imagine setting the jar on the counter and patiently waiting for all the dirt to settle to the bottom. That represents the state we can achieve through meditation. With that level of clarity, we will likely feel less overwhelmed.
Another helpful practice here is consulting your core values. They can help you figure out what actually matters and what you can ignore. Then you can cut through some of the noise that’s contributing to your overwhelm.
It will also help to step away from the computer and phone. These non-human devices with a never-ending stream of information are probably contributing to your overwhelm, and you might not realize it until you spend some time away.
It’s also important to remember that we can’t be everything to everyone. We must focus our efforts, even if we may disappoint some people. Otherwise we risk overwhelm and even burnout.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://compassionatecoding.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilwensel/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aprilwensel
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@compassionatecoding
Image Credits
Dalton Rooney, Vincent Roazzi Jr.
