I only knew how to rush, hustle, force, push, and survive, for most of my life. My health was suffering, but it took me over 8 years of illness to put the two together. It wasn’t until a specialist pointed out that the two most concerning results of mine were my stress levels off the chart, and that I had completely depleted all my testosterone. I had forced myself far past my reserves and there was nothing left in the tank on the masculine side. From living a life of survival and fight-or-flight since childhood, then continuing into adulthood with high stress, high anxiety, worry, and rush, I was addicted to staying busy, pushing down real emotions, depleting my health bank until it all came crashing down. I was far beyond burnout; I was absolutely imploding.
What I learned from healing that transpired was that you can’t keep depleting from your reserve tanks without ever replenishing them, without dire consequences. My subsequent healing following resigning from my corporate job to save my life quite literally, taught me that it was so completely foreign to say yes to myself, to slow down, to learn to receive, to play, to imagine, to receive, to allow; I didn’t know how to be in the feminine. That was truly an aha moment for me; the need to live in balance. We’ve all heard the terms yin and yang, work and play, push and pull, give and take, masculine and feminine, but I never fully understood the need to have a balance until my health was on the line.
But it doesn’t have to get to the point of burnout or resigning, and work does not have to deplete your health. There are many steps that individuals and companies could take to bring true healing and balance into the workplace, and that we can take the emphasis on improving mental health a step further. I think we can cultivate a healthy environment and culture, and I believe it’s a win-win for the employees and the company; the employees are happier and healthier, and the company has increased retention and a more engaged workforce. You can have it all, both a successful career and your health; it doesn’t have to be either or.
Provided below are suggestions to create a healthier work environment:
- Work on yourself and your healing. By addressing stuck or old emotions that may be buried within you, you are preventing them from coming up within the workplace. Work on your healing to bring the best version of yourself to work. If you have any limiting beliefs, trauma, or other things you need to work on, it’s so important to address and release them and bring your best self to work.
- Bring your entire self to work. I used to place an imaginary HR hat on the moment I stepped into the office only being the HR person, and my coworkers thought I was quite the square. In real life I happened to be a lot of fun; I just felt like I had to play the role all the while hiding part of me and downplaying my illness. Be a complete individual, get to know your co-workers, be the unique person who you are, professionally and within the workplace policies of course. No one is expecting you to only be a worker; you are not a robot. Your personal skills and unique traits are valuable too.
- Keep a balance. If you are pushing, doing, and going all day, find ways to incorporate calming practices too. Can you add yoga, meditation, forest bathing (being present in nature), watching a sunrise or sunset, take a bath, try somatic or tapping practices, listen to classical music, or something else you find calming? Learning to slow down is of the utmost importance to health and balance.
- Be aware of sick building syndrome and nature deficit disorder (NDD). Being away from nature is detrimental to your health. In addition to having a balance in your body, it’s important to have a balance in nature. Take walking meetings or have one outside. If that’s not possible then take time outside of work to connect with nature. You can ground, listen to birds, appreciate a tree, feel the warmth of the sun, or put your feet in the water. It’s all healing.
- Creating a healing environment in the office. Can you play healing music, add plants, grounding mats, place a crystal or other helpful reminder on your desk, incorporate healthier snack food or water, add in some feng shui or ergonomic elements? There are plenty of small and realistic improvements that could help bring healing elements to the workplace without causing a disruption or breaking the budget.
- Finding your purpose or side hustle. I know it may sound controversial to be an advocate of a side hustle while talking about work, but finding purpose or passion in one’s life is a big healing pillar. Take the time to find out what really lights you up, even if it’s during your downtime outside of work. It will help you have purpose in your day to day and reduce monotony.
- Communicate your work style and strengths with your coworkers or manager. We are not all extroverts that thrive in bright lights, loud sounds, and lots of meetings. Some of us are introverts, or highly sensitive, or need more downtime to re-energize. Being aware of our own unique traits and effectively communicating our needs or boundaries where possible could also help prevent burnout. Diversity even in our work styles and soft skills adds incredible value to organizations, and it’s time that we provide more understanding and compassion around individual needs.
- Fill your own cup. Don’t forget to add play, joy, laughter, dance, or other things that refill your cup. Make sure you are doing something for you, choosing you, standing tall, taking up space, and knowing your own worth. Make sure you say yes to you.