Last week was Mental Health Week in Canada, a time to reflect on how we care for ourselves and others. At Narratives, this reflection continues year-round. In community-based research, especially in work that engages with stories of survival, grief, and systemic harm, mental health is not separate from the work. It is part of how we build relationships and honour what is shared with us.
Wellbeing, for us, is collective. It is found in the care we offer to one another, in the time we take to listen well, and in the respect we bring to each part of the research process.
What We Carry
At Narratives, research begins with relationships. We are honoured to listen as people share experiences that are often deeply personal and profoundly rooted in community. Elders speak about survival and knowledge passed forward. Survivors recall systems that have caused harm and shaped their lives. Family members reflect on loss, resilience, and the questions that remain.
These stories are offered with courage, trust, and care. They reflect experiences that are personal, but also shaped by family, community, and the lasting impacts of colonialism over generations. As researchers, our responsibility is not to carry this weight on behalf of others, but to create space where it can be shared safely and honoured with respect.
This kind of work calls for deep attention. It requires us to listen closely, not just to the words being shared, but to the ways they are offered. While the emotional impact on researchers is real, it remains secondary to the responsibility we hold to honour each story with care and integrity.
Carrying from a Distance
As research has become more remote in recent years, many of us find ourselves spending long stretches of time with community stories in quiet spaces, reviewing transcripts at home, preparing engagement reports from our desks, or working through archival records alone.
This shift has opened new possibilities for collaboration across distance and has made some aspects of research more accessible. At the same time, it has made it easier to overlook the emotional weight of the work. Sitting with stories of harm, loss, and survival can take a quiet toll. Without shared office space or informal debriefs, researchers may carry the weight of this work more privately and perhaps, as a result, more heavily.
When we talk about mental health in research, it’s important to remember that care isn’t only for those we interview or engage with. It includes the people supporting that process, too.
Embedding Care in the Work
Being trauma-informed means considering the emotional context of a project, not only for participants, but for everyone involved. It is not a checklist or a single conversation. It is a way of working.
Here are a few approaches we’ve found helpful:
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Start with check-ins. Ask team members how they’re feeling, not just what they’re working on.
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Create breathing room. Build timelines that allow space for rest and reflection.
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Create intentional closure. Marking the transition after emotionally difficult work, whether through a quiet moment, a shared debrief, or a small act of care, can support clarity and release.
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Recognize care as part of the work. When people are deeply present, they are also deeply affected, which is not a liability but rather a sign of commitment.
These practices help ensure the integrity of the research while supporting the wellbeing of those carrying it forward.
Staying Connected While Working Apart
As remote and hybrid work become more common, staying grounded in relationships takes extra intention. Strong partnerships begin with trust, but trust needs time and tending.
Some strategies we continue to explore include:
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Peer mentorship. Pairing researchers for regular conversations creates a consistent space to share and reflect.
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Digital coworking. Even quiet shared time online helps reduce isolation and build connection.
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Personalized wellness planning. Encouraging team members to reflect on what supports them, both in and outside of work, helps maintain steadiness.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to care. However, every project benefits when people feel supported and connected to one another.
Mental Health Week Is Over, but the Reflection Continues
Mental Health Week offers an annual reminder to pause. But for those engaged in relational, community-led work, that reflection continues every day. We carry it into the interviews, the archives, the conversations, and the quiet moments of processing in between.
Holding space for care, both for ourselves and for those who share their stories, is not separate from the work. It is a quiet privilege, and often what allows the work to happen at all. When we meet that responsibility with humility, intention, and respect, we offer care not only in what we do, but in how we do it.