WTS Spotlight – Carol Martsolf, PE, PMP, CPTD, ENV SP, LEED AP

In honor of Mother’s Day, National Caregivers Day, and Mental Health Awareness Month, WTS Philadelphia is shining a light on the experience of a remarkable past president who embodies the strength and compassion of the sandwich generation—Carol Martsolf. As a caregiver to an aging mother and a new grandchild, she shares her personal journey and offers valuable mental health tips for those navigating similar challenges. 

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If there is one word to describe Carol, it’s “active.” Carol is an elected official in her hometown, she is on the American Society of Civil Engineers Board of Directors, and she is co-chair of the Delaware County Sustainability Commission. She is also a Past President of the WTS Philadelphia Chapter, as well as a member of the WTS Philadelphia and WTS International ED&I committees. She loves giving back and helping the community! Now Carol has two new roles: She is a new grandmom and Director of Engineering Services at Envision Consultants, Ltd. (Envision). Carol is so excited and honored to be on the Envision team! It’s especially meaningful to her to be working at a woman-owned small business with the great reputation that Envision has. In her role as Director of Engineering Services, she manages and works with other discipline leads on engineering support services, and is responsible for strategic planning as well as organizational and business development. In addition, she is responsible for managing, planning, developing, and administering training programs. She is also enjoying her role in public involvement. Envision provides added value on a wide range of design and construction support services, including Program and Construction Management (PM/CM), Project Controls, Public Involvement, Project Management Oversight (PMO), Railroad Coordination, and Training and Development.

Throughout her 30 years of experience, Carol has had to balance her work and home life, whether being a mother (she is so proud of her daughter) or caring for her mother in recent years (which she feels honored to do). If she has any advice to share, it’s to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. When you care for others and work hard at your livelihood, putting yourself last is easy. But if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t help others and may not perform the best at your job. Even if it’s just small things.  

Here are some tips that I try to practice myself:

• Go outside during your lunch break. Even if it’s cold outside, getting fresh air is replenishing. Especially when it’s milder weather, taking a walk during lunchtime revitalizes me in every way. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. The very best shoes I have ever bought (thanks, Carol Rose, for the recommendation years ago 😊) are Rothy’s. They are professional (and made of recycled plastic!) but so comfortable—great for walking! 
• Be sure to stay hydrated during the day. Be careful not to have drinks near your computer (so easy to spill!), but sipping on water throughout the day can prevent dehydration. In even warmer weather, be in tune with your hydration cues. I keep a bottle of water on my desk, so it’s handy and easily accessible. 
• Exercise in small chunks of a few minutes at a time (called “exercise snacks”). I’m a big fan of exercise snacks because they are easy to fit into your day. If you have to go to another floor in your office, try to take the stairs instead (if it’s safe to do so). If you have to use the restroom, go to one that is a bit farther away to get more steps in. Take time during your lunch break to walk a bit. Every bit of movement adds up!    
• Read every day, even for a short time. Reading is a great way to relax and learn new things. I personally try to read from a non-digital source before going to sleep at night.
• Prioritize Sleep. Sleep improves almost every measure of health, including brain function, immune system, mood, reduces inflammation, and many other reasons. I use a sleep tracker.
• Exercise. Find activities that you enjoy, and block out time in your schedule to do them. It’s not always easy when you are busy. But every attempt to schedule some exercise is worth it. One of my favorite quotes is from Louisa Nicola, a neurophysiologist and human performance coach, who said, “Exercise is medicine, and your muscles are the pharmacy.”  

For all of you who are caring for others, please be sure to do something for yourself, regardless of how much or how little time you have. Every effort in self-care is worth it. What do you do to prioritize self-care?