Makers Mindful Coder Series: Week 8 — Compassion and Empathy

Makers
3 min readMay 10, 2024

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A 9 part series of Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence topics from our Daily Meditation sessions at Makers. Take a sneak peak into what our learners experience.

Four Makers students standing around a laptop talking and smiling
Makers Learners at Demo Day

As we journey through Week 8 of our program, we shift our focus outward to explore the profound impact of compassion and empathy, especially within the unique setting of the Makers Bootcamp.

Amidst the intensity of technical learning, it’s essential to recognise the holistic elements that contribute to our overall wellbeing and success.

The Value of Building Your Community

One of Makers’ key strengths and focal points is our community. This week, we explore the significance of building and leveraging our community within the bootcamp environment and beyond.

Whether it’s through collaborative coding sessions, peer support networks, workshops or socialising, cultivating a sense of belonging and support can bolster our resilience and motivation, enabling you to thrive in your learning/career journey and personally.

Emotionally Intelligent Communication

Effective communication lies at the heart of successful collaboration and teamwork. This week, we delved into the practice of compassionate communication, emphasising empathy, active listening, and understanding.

By fostering a culture of empathy and compassion, we can create deeper connections, resolve conflicts constructively, and build an environment of trust and support that promotes collective growth and success, aligning with the Makers values of trust, growth and joy.

A pink board with the words “Kindness Matters” on it.
Photo by Copper and Wild on Unsplash

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” — Oscar Wilde

The Value of Practicing Compassionate Action

Beyond words, compassionate action is fundamental to creating a more caring world. This week, we reflected on the importance of translating empathy into tangible acts of kindness.

Whether it’s assisting a struggling peer, volunteering time to mentor others, or simply offering a listening ear, practicing compassionate action strengthens our learning community bonds and reinforces our commitment to empathy and kindness in all areas of life.

This week’s reflection questions:

  • Who has made a positive contribution to you recently? Reflect on what you value and appreciate about that person.
  • How can you contribute to building a more compassionate and inclusive community?
  • How can you practice more empathy in your communication?
  • How will you stay grounded and maintain healthy boundaries in your communication with others?
  • What small act of kindness can you perform today to make someone’s day a little brighter?

At Makers, we support the holistic growth of our learners. While honing technical skills, we also integrate mindfulness tools and principles to support learners to develop a more well-rounded approach in their learning and career pursuits.

See you soon for the next instalment!

The Joy Team

Makers’ Joy Team, Fenella Powell and Dana Svoboda standing side by side smiling
Makers Joy Team — Fenella Powell and Dana Svoboda

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Makers

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