Big emotions such as anger, worry, or sadness can overwhelm both children and adults. Family time in nature offers a simple way to calm those heavy feelings and bring everyone closer together.
Nature helps families regulate emotions, lower stress, and restore balance through simple shared experiences like fresh air, sunlight, and movement. Even short moments outside, such as walking under trees or sitting near water, give the mind space to reset and the body a chance to relax. For families living in Pasadena, that might mean an evening walk through a tree-lined neighbourhood, a visit to a nearby park, or a quiet moment in one of the city’s many green spaces.
Families that spend time in nature often notice calmer moods and easier communication. Natural settings reduce stress hormones, slow heart rates, and create peaceful pauses that help everyone process emotions more clearly. These small breaks away from screens and routines can encourage understanding and patience during difficult moments.
This article explains why nature supports emotional health for families and how everyday outdoor moments, like a park visit or garden game, can ease tension and strengthen wellbeing. Simple ideas and realistic examples will show how you can use family time in nature as a steady support for connection and emotional balance.
Why nature eases big feelings for families
Spending regular time outdoors can calm the body, balance mood, and build emotional awareness. Families who include nature in their routines often notice fewer arguments, steadier attention, and more relaxed communication.
Nature’s calming effect on the mind and body
Natural environments can lower the stress hormones that rise during frustration or anxiety. Studies show that being outside for even 20 minutes can reduce cortisol levels by more than 20%. The body’s stress response slows, breathing deepens, and muscle tension eases. Families often feel this calm within minutes of stepping into a park or forest.
Nature benefits adults and children differently but meaningfully. Parents report fewer headaches and better sleep, while children display more patience and focus. A licensed psychiatrist (Pasadena CA) often recommends incorporating outdoor time alongside therapy or medication as part of a steady emotional care plan. Practical options include short morning walks or quiet time in the garden to support mood balance.
Reducing anger, worry, and sadness through green spaces
Access to trees, grass, and sunlight can provide relief from anger, sadness, and chronic worry. People in green spaces experience lower rumination, the cycle of repeated negative thoughts, compared to those indoors. Families walking on a local trail often notice children’s tempers soften and adults’ concerns ease by the end of the outing.
A study from multiple public health groups found that families who spend time outdoors each week report higher relationship satisfaction and fewer daily conflicts. Outdoor play encourages laughter, light movement, and teamwork. These natural rewards act as gentle emotional resets. For individuals in therapy, such relaxation complements professional support from mental health providers across California who focus on lifestyle-based care.
Time in sunlight also raises vitamin D levels, which influence serotonin activity and support a stable mood. Simple outdoor routines often lead to better mornings and more restful evenings.
Mindfulness and mental wellness in natural environments
Nature naturally invites mindfulness, a state of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. The soft sounds of wind and birds can help draw awareness away from worries about the past or future. This mental pause eases emotional overload and gives families space to reset together.
Some people describe outdoor mindfulness as easier than indoor meditation because natural cues keep attention grounded. Parents who practice slow breathing outdoors with their children model stress management in a simple, visible way. Over time, families can learn to notice feelings sooner and respond with patience rather than frustration.
Licensed mental health professionals note that this awareness helps prevent emotional buildup that can lead to conflict at home. Even five minutes of quiet observation among trees or at a park bench can restore calm. Families who value mental balance often build small outdoor rituals, such as end-of-day walks, as reliable anchors for emotional wellness.
Simple ways to boost family wellbeing outdoors
Families can improve their mental health and strengthen emotional balance through shared time in natural spaces. Regular outdoor activities also build stronger relationships and encourage physical exercise that supports calmness and focus.
Outdoor activities to strengthen family bonds
Practical outdoor ideas include activities such as hiking or trail walking, which help build trust and communication among family members. Gardening together teaches care and shared responsibility as everyone participates in planting or tending to vegetables and flowers. Outdoor games and picnics encourage laughter and relaxation, giving families a chance to enjoy each other’s company in a fun and low-pressure way. Children who spend time outdoors often become more confident in expressing emotions, and parents also gain more patience and awareness of their children’s needs through these shared experiences.
Nature walks and the power of exercise together
Nature walks combine physical exercise with time spent in green spaces, which supports both physical and mental wellbeing. The fresh air, sunlight, and gentle rhythm of walking ease tension and can lower stress levels. Families can choose routes close to home, such as local parks, lakes, or tree-lined paths, to make this practice a regular habit.
Walking side by side is also a great way to create natural moments for conversation. Children often open up more easily in outdoor settings because the movement and scenery reduce emotional pressure. This allows parents to listen more closely and respond with understanding.
Short, regular walks – about 20 to 30 minutes – can benefit sleep quality, improve focus, and elevate mood. A comfortable pace suits all ages and encourages families to notice small details in nature, such as the sound of birds or the colour of leaves. These observations promote mindfulness and emotional grounding.
When families spend more time outdoors, practical preparation can help make these outings smoother and less stressful. Simple habits like carrying water, wearing comfortable shoes, or protecting devices with durable accessories such as Ghostek cases can prevent small frustrations from turning into bigger emotional moments. Having the essentials to hand allows you to focus on being present rather than worrying about minor mishaps. These small steps support the overall goal of creating calm, enjoyable outdoor experiences together.
Building emotional resilience in children through nature
Children develop emotional resilience through repeated experiences in nature. Outdoor exploration exposes them to challenges and discoveries that build confidence and adaptability. For example, climbing over a fallen log or identifying animal tracks allows them to practice problem-solving and patience.
Parents can use outdoor time to teach emotional regulation skills. Deep breathing exercises, quiet observation of waves, or naming positive feelings after completing a walk can help children link peaceful emotions with natural surroundings.
A simple family routine, such as weekly visits to a park or garden, is an easy way to support long-term mental health. These experiences reduce anxiety and strengthen emotional awareness. Over time, children learn that nature offers a dependable place of calm and safety when they face anger, worry, or sadness.
Summing up
Families that spend time in nature often notice calmer emotions and stronger connections. Simple activities like walks, picnics, or gardening can lower tension and help both children and adults control anger or worry. These shared moments give everyone a chance to slow down, breathe deeply, and reset their mood.
Natural spaces also create a setting where people feel safe enough to talk about their feelings. Fresh air, open skies, and quiet surroundings support honest conversation and reduce emotional strain. As a result, family bonds often grow steadier and more trusting.
By adding regular outdoor time to weekly routines, families can improve emotional balance and communication. Even short experiences outdoors can bring a sense of peace that lingers long after returning home. Together, these experiences show that nature can serve as a gentle guide through big feelings like anger, sadness, and worry.
As many workers note while checking changes in their company-provided health care plans during the open enrollment period that began November 1, U.S. employers have worked to provide their staffs with the most affordable medical insurance coverage possible. But a growing number of businesses are going even further by establishing on-site clinics, or partnering with nearby care providers. That has allowed them to slash the time and money employees must invest in seeking professional care, and considerably reduced their overall costs of keeping their workforces healthy.
The moves by manybusinesses to provide health care services within the workplace, or by partnering with neighboring clinics, was the focus of a Washington Post report this week. That effort goes beyond offering typical medical insurance coverage — whose costs to employers rose 6 percent this year, and are expected increase by double digits in 2026. Instead, companies took the considerable extra step of bringing health care providers into direct proximity to their employees. That nearness and convenience allows workers who may otherwise avoid doctor visits because they take too much time, are difficult to set up, or are prohibitively expensive to quickly schedule consultations when they need one.
That usually involves third-party companies setting up clinics within customers’ workplaces, or establishing facilities nearby that cater primarily to their employees. The effort permits employers to provide care to workers at lower costs, and without the habitually long appointment waits and travel times of seeing outside physicians. Meanwhile, clinicians primarily dedicated to employees can give them more time and attention than most doctors can spare.
“They offer a combination of low- or no-cost in-person and virtual care… (with) the convenience of same-day appointments, on-site labs, and consistent relationships with their providers,” the Post said of workplace clinics. “It’s a benefit strategy that is gaining traction across all industries, to attract and keep talent, and to address common U.S. health care woes — long wait times, short appointments, unnecessary and expensive ER visits — that can lead to less healthy employees and weigh on the bottom line.”
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Why would an employer assume the heavy lifting of establishing a workplace health care center for employees? Because most that have done so report big dividends in the form of lower overall costs and healthier workers.
According to a study by the Business Group on Health professional association, 48 percent of its member companies said they offered on-site health care. About half of those respondents estimated the rate of return on their clinic investments at 200 percent, with a quarter of participants putting that payoff at 300 percent. Frequently, improved health and cost benefits of those newly established medical facilities offset the finances used to launch them within a year.
“Employers are facing double-digit medical cost trend increases and looking for solutions,” said David Keyt, national director of employer health centers at insurance company Alliant in comments about a study it carried out with the National Association for Workplace Health Care.
Its survey found 28 percent of business with their own health centers said they planned to establish new clinics in new locations in 2026. Nearly 55 percent of respondents also said they intended to increase services or staffing at existing clinics.
“Directly contracted worksite and near-site care models have been a proven strategy that delivers significant value on investment,” Keyt said. “Employer health centers are a strong foundation for an employer total worker health strategy.”
It’s also a win-win initiative, with companies cutting costs and productivity lost to staff illnesses through improved worker health and well-being. Just ask the 26,000 employees at Oakwood, Georgia-based poultry company Wayne-Sanderson Farms, which hired clinic operator and medical service provider Marathon Health to set up an on-site healthcare facility nearly a decade ago.
“Making things easy, making things affordable, putting that care right there at their fingertips … is what we want to do,” Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ director of benefits, Christy Freeman, told the Post.
While some companies like Wayne-Sanderson establish clinics to provide close and accessible health care options to their largely rural staffs, businesses in urban centers have done likewise to make visiting doctors and getting treatment easier for swamped employees.
For example, in 2022 Washington, D.C., law firm Sterne Kessler asked CloseKnit Health to set up and staff an in-house clinic to serve its attorneys and support workers. Many of those employees don’t have time to set up outside doctor visits, or commute to them when they roll around.
“Working at a law firm isn’t easy,” Sterne Kessler chief operating officer Rob Burger told the Post. “You have a lot of stress and a lot of hours. I saw people neglecting themselves.”
Similarly, telecom and media group Charter Communications partnered with Marathon Health in recent years to open three on-site health centers on its corporate campuses. Those have already handled over 10,000 appointments, and helped cut the company’s overall healthcare costs.
“People get what they need,” Paul Marchand, Charter’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer told the paper. “They get it on time. They get it in a convenient manner, and they walk out saying, ‘Wow, that was easy.’”
What’s one thing every leader can do to make sure employees are happy at work and engaged with their jobs? Make sure they can trust in you, your organization, and each other. That’s the finding in a 2024 meta-analysis of studies more than 1 million participants. When leaders seek to improve employee wellbeing, they typically think about things like remote work, flexible schedules, and wellness offerings such as gym memberships. But trust may be the most valuable perk of all.
A 2024 meta-analysis by an international research team led by Minxiang Zhao and Yixuan Li of the Renmin University of China Psychology Department examined 132 studies on trust from around the world. The studies had a total of more than 1 million participants. The researchers focused on two types of trust, interpersonal trust and institutional trust, exactly the two types than can occur in workplaces. They found that both types of trust correlate with social, psychological, and to a lesser extent, physical wellbeing.
If trust is so important, how do you get more of it? Unlike some other things, you can’t mandate trust, and you can’t demand that employees trust you, your company, or each other. But you can provide a workplace culture where trust can flourish. Here are some ways to do that.
1. Be transparent.
If you want employees to trust you and your company, it’s obviously important to treat them fairly. But it’s almost as important to let them know what’s going on. You may have to find a delicate balance between sharing competitive information and keeping too much to yourself. But half the employees in a recent survey said lack of information about what was going on at their companies was their biggest source of stress. Keep that in mind when considering whether to share bad news.
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2. Be predictable.
Many years ago, a CEO known for turning troubled companies around told me that his employees should never have to guess how he would answer a question. He told them his top priorities so they could always predict what he would say. He never wavered from those priorities.
We may be fascinated with leaders like Elon Musk who often change their minds. But we trust those like Warren Buffett, who consistently say the same things year after year. The more they can predict what you will say and do, the easier it is for employees to trust you.
3. Be trusting yourself.
It may be hard for employees to trust you if, say, they know you’re using software to monitor their keystrokes. Admittedly, treating employees with trust can backfire in the short term if you trust the wrong person. But in the long term, research shows that more trusting organizations tend to perform better, even in the often mistrustful retail industry.
I believe the reason for this is that, while we can easily see the cost of employee dishonesty when it happens, we don’t always recognize that our mistrust comes at a high cost as well. If an employee has their bag searched every time they leave work, they won’t feel the same trust or affection for the company that they otherwise might. And it’s human nature for them to try and figure out a way to sneak items out despite the search.
4. Help employees trust each other.
Setting up competitions that pit employees against each other for important things like compensation can bring about acrimony and mistrust among employees. Here again, the short-term gain may not be worth the long-term loss. Employees who trust their co-workers are more likely to collaborate effectively with those co-workers. They’re also likely to be happier, and to stay in their jobs. Relationships at work are often the biggest deterrent to leaving company.
You can help foster those relationships by asking people to collaborate on important projects and letting them share the credit equally. You can also create teams across different functions so that employees get to know their colleagues outside their immediate areas. And of course, any opportunity for employees to socialize, get together outside work, or work together on community projects, can help create those relationships and that trust.
In my book Career Self-Care, I explore workplace happiness, and how relationships at work can contribute to that happiness, or detract from it. The more employees can trust in you, your company, and each other, the happier and less burned out they’ll be. It’s your job as a leader to make that happen.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Most leaders travel alone for business. But how many leaders have intentionally taken a true solo vacation? No family, no work, no obligations. Just you, alone, facing your inner world and expanding your leadership potential.
I recently did exactly that, spending two weeks solo in Peru and Ecuador. The impact was profound, reshaping how I approach leadership, decision-making and strategic thinking at StoneAge, the employee-owned company I run. Here’s why I believe every leader should take a solo vacation and how doing so will make you more effective and impactful.
Solitude creates strategic clarity
Leadership is fundamentally about making clear decisions. But how can you make smart, strategic choices if meetings, emails and daily demands constantly clutter your mind?
Hal Gregersen wrote in a recent Harvard Business Review article, “Cultivating silence increases your chances of encountering novel ideas and information and discerning weak signals.” When you take a solo vacation, you find yourself sitting in silence, often with room to think and ideate. Bill Gates credits his famous twice-yearly “think weeks,” which are periods of intense solitude and reflection, with inspiring some of Microsoft’s most groundbreaking innovations.
During my solo adventure, without work emails or meetings, I finally had the mental space to outline my next book, clarify my vision for StoneAge and develop new leadership frameworks. The solitude sharpened my strategic clarity and renewed my focus in ways impossible to achieve amid daily distractions.
Routine is comfortable, but comfort rarely breeds innovation. Leaders often underestimate how rigid routines stifle creative thinking and limit growth.
According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, exposure to novel and diverse experiences enhances cognitive flexibility — a crucial skill for innovative and agile leadership. During my solo trip, navigating unfamiliar places, cultures and languages forced my brain out of autopilot mode, dramatically enhancing my creative problem-solving abilities. I returned home able to view business challenges more clearly and approach them with fresh, innovative perspectives.
Being alone strengthens self-leadership and emotional resilience
As leaders, our external effectiveness hinges on internal strength. Self-leadership — how effectively we manage our emotions, behaviors and decisions — is the cornerstone of successful leadership.
Traveling solo tests and develops self-leadership. When a canceled flight threatened my meticulously planned itinerary, I had to trust my instincts, solve problems quickly and stay emotionally regulated. I leaned into discomfort, managing loneliness and vulnerability without distractions. Each challenge enhanced my self-trust, emotional intelligence and resilience, qualities directly beneficial to leading my team through uncertainty and stress.
Presence creates authentic connection
Presence is a leader’s greatest currency. Yet, constant connectivity ironically often leaves us disconnected from those around us.
My solo trip forced me to be present in the moment. Without phone service, I engaged fully with strangers on trains, at restaurants, in markets and had deep, authentic conversations. Each interaction reminded me of the power of presence in building genuine connections. Practicing authentic presence with strangers strengthened my ability to be more fully present with my team at StoneAge, creating deeper trust, empathy and effectiveness as a leader.
Stillness generates breakthrough ideas
We’ve glorified hustle culture, but true leadership insights rarely come from constant activity. Instead, they arise from stillness and quiet reflection.
During my trip, moments of boredom and solitude gave rise to some of my most innovative ideas. Research supports this; cognitive scientists have found that boredom and stillness are crucial for creativity and innovative thinking. Leaders who embrace quiet moments cultivate deeper, more impactful insights.
How leaders can maximize a solo vacation for strategic advantage
Choose a destination that challenges you: Go somewhere that is culturally, physically or spiritually challenging. Stretching yourself boosts your cognitive flexibility and innovation capabilities.
Fully disconnect from work: No emails, no meetings. Disconnecting entirely allows your brain to relax, fostering deeper strategic insights.
Schedule intentional reflection: Allocate time specifically for journaling, meditation and quiet reflection. Structured reflection cultivates strategic clarity and emotional awareness.
Engage with strangers to build presence: Talk to people you meet. Engaging authentically with strangers develops your emotional intelligence, presence and interpersonal skills.
Observe and reflect on your inner experiences: Notice when you feel lonely, bored or uncomfortable. Reflecting on these feelings enhances self-leadership, emotional resilience and decision-making skills.
Solitude isn’t a luxury; it’s a strategic leadership advantage.
Breaking routine fuels innovation and creative thinking.
Effective leadership starts with deep self-awareness and emotional resilience.
Authentic presence strengthens your connections with your team.
True leadership breakthroughs come from stillness and reflection, not relentless hustle.
I returned from my solo trip not only refreshed but fundamentally changed. The clarity, confidence and creativity I gained now directly enhance how I lead StoneAge and engage with my employees. A solo vacation isn’t just good for your soul; it’s a strategic imperative for effective, innovative leadership.
Book your solo trip. Your team, your company and your future self will thank you.
Most leaders travel alone for business. But how many leaders have intentionally taken a true solo vacation? No family, no work, no obligations. Just you, alone, facing your inner world and expanding your leadership potential.
I recently did exactly that, spending two weeks solo in Peru and Ecuador. The impact was profound, reshaping how I approach leadership, decision-making and strategic thinking at StoneAge, the employee-owned company I run. Here’s why I believe every leader should take a solo vacation and how doing so will make you more effective and impactful.
Have you ever heard the term ‘coherence’ as it relates to inner harmony? Perhaps, simply reading the words ‘inner harmony’ and ‘coherence’ bring about a desire to feel a little more firmly planted within yourself?
It’s not easy right now. I mean, life is rarely what anyone would describe as easy – but as far as my lifetime goes, it’s never been quite this challenging to navigate while maintaining any sense of calm. I have come to trust that things unfold as they need to for our own greater evolution. To try and change what we cannot control is the greatest source of our self-inflicted suffering.
What I can change are my mind, my heart and my response in any given situation. This is well within all of our control and this is why understanding coherence and inner harmony is so critical right now. We need it more than ever.
A lot of us have a vision of what a happy life looks like. It might include a dream home, a vacation, a certain type of partner, or perhaps a certain level of wealth and financial security.
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The reality is that none of that is the ticket if we can’t calm the nerves and flow more effortlessly through life. The desires for those things that we think will bring us greater happiness are not really what we need or want. What we truly crave is to feel at peace. It’s a lot easier and more obvious to crave material things or extravagant experiences than to sit for five or ten minutes, focus on our breathing and allow what we really want to wash over us. And what we want is that inner harmony.
What Does It Mean To Be In A Coherent State?
We know that the brain sends signals to the body. As I type this, my brain is telling my fingers to get to work on my lightning-fast, slightly manic, two-finger typing to get these words on my screen. That’s the brain sending a message to the body.
We also know that if we witness a scary or startling event, we feel a jolt of fear and our heart rate elevates. These are the efferent pathways of the nervous system: brain to body.
Very few of us actively acknowledge that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart and the rest of the body. These are called the afferent pathways.
When we can tune into that rhythm of the heart and bring it into coherence, we can directly impact how we feel from a nervous system perspective (anxious vs. calm) as well as how the frontocortical and motor cortex of the brain functions (responsive vs. reactive).
Optimally, we want to be in a coherent state where we feel calm and peaceful and where we are better able to make mindful decisions, allowing for critical, creative and solution-oriented thinking to dominate. As you might now be seeing, this is not the state most of us are in as we go about our day.
Most of us, most of the time, are operating in an incoherent state where we are experiencing stress, overwhelm, anxiety, uncertainty and fear. When we are in this state, our ability to think clearly, be compassionate, kind and caring is impaired. In short, we are not remotely at our best.
To be compassionate, one of the most critical heart-based emotions that we all need to be embodying right now, means tuning into the heart and bringing ourselves into coherence. What’s really amazing is that being compassionate brings us into coherence, and when we are in a coherent state, we are more compassionate, loving, kind, appreciative, grateful, calm and peaceful. A beautiful thing about this is that when we are in this state, we also directly invite others to feel more heart-centred as well.
What I love about the technique I’m about to share is that you don’t have to sit quietly in meditation for 20 minutes to get there. You don’t need to remove yourself from life. Don’t get me wrong: it certainly helps to develop a dedicated meditation practice, as that will make the 30-second doses of coherence easier to achieve, but it’s not essential for impact.
The technique I’m sharing below is based on the teachings of the HeartMath Institute. There is no right or wrong way to be proactive; it’s all about steadying your heart rhythm and bringing your mind and body into coherence.
Getting Into Coherence
Take a few moments to focus on and slow your breathing. Consider trying an inhale for a count of 1-2-3-4 and then a 1-2-3-4 exhale.
Once your breath has steadied, envision this breath coming in through your heart and out through your heart. Continue with your slower than normal breathing.
Now, as you continue breathing slowly in and out through your heart, embody the feeling of love, compassion and appreciation. Feel in your body how it feels to be deeply cared for, appreciated and loved. I find it helpful to turn the corner of my mouth into a smile as I embody this feeling.
Sit with this feeling for as long as you have time for.
If you want to extend your practice, after a few minutes, you can extend that feeling of love, appreciation and compassion outward to someone you know, to a community or to the planet as a whole. Continue focusing on your breath, coming in and out through your heart and embodying these heart-centred emotions.
Inner Harmony In 30 Seconds
I have been doing this practice daily – sometimes for 5 minutes, sometimes for 20 minutes – for several years. It’s a bit of a personal check-in. Lately, however, I think I’m likely clocking in a lot more time because of my ongoing 30-second practices all day, throughout the day.
See, as I mentioned earlier, it’s tough out there. Tension is high, resilience is low and most people are going about their day operating from an incoherent state, making them reactive, short, fearful, and lacking patience and compassion. And I do my best to blast it out. I picture it a bit like the Care Bear Stare.
When I am standing in line, waiting at a red light on my bicycle, or even when my son is exhausted after a day of school and melt-down-ready, I mindfully slow my breathing and embody compassion while sending this emotion out to whomever is near me.
Imagine for a moment if 5% of us did this. Or what about 10%? If every 10th person we encounter was embodying love, compassion, empathy and care, we’d be living in a very different world.
If happiness is really what you’re after, you’ll get there a lot faster – in fact, you’ll get there today – if you take a few moments to get into coherence. It’s literally your next breath away.
Do you ever feel kind of tight and contracted, like the littlest thing can cause you to spring up (or lash out) for no real reason at all? Or that you are overreacting to things that should be no big deal, and even as you’re reacting, you know you’re being dramatic about it?
Why am I even asking?
We’ve all done it before. It may happen again. Rarely, however, do we spend a moment considering whatever it was that just went down and whether there could have been a better way to handle it. All we can ever do when we’ve behaved or reacted in ways that leave us in a state of regret, shame, or needing to apologize to everyone in our vicinity is to try and do better next time.
Stepping back, taking a pause, and acknowledging this is hard, can be laced with shame and embarrassment, and is also vital to helping us continue raising our set point to become more compassionate, empathetic, emotionally available, and evolved humans.
We can meditate our hearts out, do yoga under a full moon by the ocean, and drink all the green smoothies in the world, but it’s only when we get pressed, tightened, and wound up that we can truly test whether we are taking those calm-making practices out into the world.
Our goal should be to be more spring-like – a slinky spring, a loosey-goosey one that can move and shake and wiggle, adapt, and bend as needed. Most of us, however, end up winding ourselves up even more in times of stress. If we don’t find a way to unwind, exercise those muscles, and use the tools we have, we instead wind tighter and tighter until we spring forth in a reactive mode.
When I see this happening to people (because it’s so much easier to see in others, right?) all I can think is how uncomfortable they must be feeling. Springing out like a Jack-In-The-Box never makes anyone feel good.
Learning to have kind and productive responses to stressful situations and triggers is hard. One essential key to limiting those stressful responses is by regularly finding ways to unwind. That way, when you start bringing attention to the tightening, you can catch it, undo it, and unwind it before you bust out in anger or overwhelm.
Best Strategies To help you Unwind
1. Move Your Body
When the body grooves, the brain moves. Not like inside your head, but it can help interrupt a pattern of stressful reactive thinking and move you into a more helpful state of mind and way of thinking. Get up from your desk, your chair, your bed, wherever you may be, turn on your favourite song of the moment, and just bust it out! Dance, dance, dance for a whole three, four, or five minutes. No? Then at least take a walk around the block. Breathe and calm. You’ll change up the blood flow in your body, you’ll get your lungs pumping a little and, most importantly, you can be a little bit silly. Silly goes a long, long way to unwinding.
2. Breathe
When we sit with our shoulders slouched forward, as most of us do when working on a computer or driving, we are limited to only being able to take quick, shallow breaths. When we do this, we switch our nervous system into fight or flight mode, making us feel more fatigued, stressed, and ready to fly off the handle. Make a point to frequently stand up, or at least sit straight, and take a deep, deep, deep inhale filling your chest and your belly. As you exhale, drop those shoulders down and back, keeping your chest open. This will feel so good that you might just want to do it again and again and again.
A slumped posture drains our energy and has been associated with increased feelings of depression and anxiety. Remember – stand, and sit tall, and breathe deep!
3. Get In Coherence
What’s this coherence I speak of? Well, it has to do with your breathing and your heart rate. The heart and brain maintain a continuous two-way dialogue, each influencing the other’s functioning. The signals the heart sends to the brain can influence perception, emotional processing, and higher cognitive functions. Heart rate variability is the measure of the naturally occurring beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. When we feel stressed or anxious, this beat-to-beat measure is more erratic and we experience cognitive impairment. When we have a steady beat-to-beat ratio, different from an irregular heartbeat, it is called being in coherence. We are better able to problem solve, feel joy and love, and think clearly and calmly in that state.
We describe positive emotions such as love or appreciation as coherent states because they generate coherence in the heart-rhythm pattern. Negative feelings such as anger, anxiety, or frustration are examples of emotions that lead to incoherent states and reflect incoherence in the heart’s rhythmic patterns. By taking anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes or more every day to focus on inhaling and exhaling calmly and steadily, you can move into a coherent state. This can have lasting effects throughout your day and positively impact sleep patterns as well.
4. Make A Date To Have The Time Of Your Life
Doing the laundry, washing dishes, commuting to work – these are typically not the time-of-your-life-moments that you will look back on fondly one day. But time-of-your-life-moments can actually happen every day if you decide to make it so. And when we are having the time of our lives, we are also allowing ourselves to unwind from stress and refuel our vibrancy. Try to make a date every day to do something, read something, watch something, be with someone, hug a tree, jump on your bed, blast some music… Something that invites you to have micro-moments that make you feel blessed, cherished, and most awesome.
And those dishes and laundry I mentioned (by the way, I love doing laundry – folding underwear pockets is my meditation of choice!), shift your mindset from the “I need to”, “I have to”, or “I should” to “I get to”, “I want to”, and “I can”. Acknowledge the blessings in the little things. It rewires your brain over time and this is one of the most little and subtle life-changers I know.
These intentional moments will unwind you, while simultaneously fueling you up and changing how your brain is wired.
5. Eat To Support Emotional Wellbeing
When we’re stressed, we are more inclined to indulge in contractive foods like salty snacks, alcohol, sugar, and other junk foods that contribute to our winding up. Try and bring a little awareness to this habit and instead choose warming, grounding, nourishing foods that are home-cooked, slow-cooked, made from scratch with loads of nervous system-supportive fats that will give you the reserves you need to truly feel the unwinding happen.
6. Focus on Quality Sleep
People of all ages feel cranky and tightly wound when they haven’t slept, or when sleep has been fitful or spotty. In the short term, sleep deprivation can negatively impact our mood, increase anxiety and make us impatient and quick to anger. In the long term, lack of sleep can impact our immune system and leave us susceptible to chronic inflammation.
A good night’s sleep has long been a struggle of mine – and I now have a solid system in place to facilitate sleep. You can read more about that here.
Life is undoubtedly stressful. We all feel the shift in seasons, the quickening pace of busy schedules and new routines. The best thing you can do to manage the Jack-In-The-Box syndrome of the wind-up is to catch it before you hit your breaking point, to pay attention today. Taking on these little habits every day will rock your soul and help your happiness flourish.
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We all love the idea of self-care, but seriously — who has the time? A younger, hungrier, success-at-any-cost version of me would be nodding my head reading that statement. The more established, experienced, post-pandemic version of me who sits here today knows that’s just an excuse.
Stress and busyness
We’re culturally indoctrinated to accept chronic stress as a part of our life cycle. During that pivotal phase of life from 20-50 years of age, we juggle college exams, the pressure to land a good-paying job, moving up the ladder, balancing career ambitions against the biological clock, starting a business, being a good leader, parent, partner and friend.
All of these pressure triggers are a natural part of life, right? Well, I can agree that they are a natural part of life, but these events don’t have to feel so stressful. They only feel that way because the foundation holding it all up isn’t as solid as it could — and should — be. Constructing and reinforcing that foundation can happen at any time, but the best time is right now.
Our business-first culture glorifies the external face of success while often disregarding the sacrifices it took to get there. The body that carries us, and the constantly revolving mind that fuels our great ideas, they require respite. The problem is that we don’t believe we can afford to pause with purpose and still be successful. That’s because we don’t know where to look for good examples.
In my work, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing several women who are doing self-care right. Recently I spoke with Erica Diamond, a practiced professional who has helped countless women, including Arianna Huffington, prioritize their own well-being, first. Diamond practices yoga and meditation to calm her central nervous system. I spoke to Karena Dawn, an entrepreneur who built a fitness empire by encouraging women to work through generational trauma through movement. These are just a few of the women who are showing us a better way to function in a world where overwhelm is normalized.
Unlearning bad habits
Before adopting the self-care practices we see others emulating around us, there’s a deeper job to do. We have to unlearn the bad habits we’ve collected over a lifetime. This can especially be true for women, having learned from our mothers that taking care of others comes first.
If you could time travel and ask a housewife in the 1950s what her self-care routine was, she’d likely tell you, “It’s called Mother’s Day.” Incidentally, Anna Jarvis’ campaign to recognize Mother’s Day in the U.S. was funded by a department store owner. The business sector co-opted the holiday, and Jarvis spent the rest of her life railing against its commercialization.
The moral of the story is that when a holiday that was created to show appreciation for the most selfless people in our lives gets exploited as a business opportunity, then our cultural priorities deserve a second look. It’s time to take back taking care of ourselves.
Overwhelm is typically the entry point into a self-care journey. It’s the chronic fatigue, the inability to shut down, snapping at people for no reason. If you run a business then you know what it feels like. The good news is that you can incorporate practices that will bolster your ability to move through potential stressors with more grace, and with practice, avoid overwhelm altogether.
Stop making excuses: If you’re experiencing overwhelm, don’t wait to address it. This can lead to more serious problems down the road. Face it now and take one small action to address it.
Practice mindfulness: This is a fancy way of saying “be present.” Meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce stress levels, and it’s a common practice among burnout recoverees. Journaling is another great way to center yourself, and it’s helped me tremendously over the years.
Move more: Yoga, stretching, swimming, jogging and walking in nature are all effective ways of releasing pent-up overwhelm healthily. Studies show that once you get into a routine with movement, you’ll be better able to manage stressful events without succumbing to overwhelm.
From self-care shame to shameless self-care
The voices promoting our need for self-care have never been louder, and that’s a good thing. However, it also means that self-care has become a double-edged sword. We’re almost being shamed into it.
If you’re an entrepreneur and you’ve been interviewed, no doubt the “What’s your self-care routine?” question has been raised. Knowing what it takes to run a business, balance relationships and do and be all the things, it wouldn’t surprise me if half of us weren’t lying through our teeth about our self-care habits.
We have to really step back and look at how we plan our day. Time is currency, and being busy doesn’t mean we’re important or even doing important things. When we see the signs of burnout, start a conversation. We need to do a better job of supporting balanced lifestyles among our professional peers.
There are a billion methods, books, podcasts and workshops designed to help you adopt a self-care practice. The problem is that we’re all individuals, so there’s no perfect formula for the masses. Finding what works for you starts with unlearning the behaviors that don’t consider your well-being and reversing the cycle. Then, you just have to try on different self-care hats and see what fits.
If something works for a while, know that it might not work the same way in three years. Pivot, but don’t give up. Self-care isn’t a cookie-cutter thing. One size does not fit all. It’s personal, and it’s an ever-evolving, ever-integrative process. Start with what’s doable for you now. A solid self-care foundation that will help you live and work more sustainably starts with one achievable step at a time.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Coping with the intensity of running a business — whether you’re a solopreneur, creator or leading a large company — can be physically and mentally taxing. Not only can heavy stress diminish your business success, but studies show it can take as much as three years off your life. As a creator and founder of a tech startup, this hit home for me a few years ago.
Between scaling a business and becoming a dad, I developed behaviors that were negatively impacting my sleep, concentration and overall wellness. One of my motivations for staying healthy includes being fit and able to do all the fun stuff as my kids grow up — dancing at their weddings, playing with grandkids (if they have them) or just keeping up with them at their own sports. It’s a goal I don’t want to put in jeopardy.
I’ve been reading more about healthspan — not just how long we live, but how long we live healthily — and I knew I had to make some changes. Like many, I looked to the usual suspects: exercise and diet. But it has also meant reexamining my relationship to other factors, including alcohol and screen time.
I’ve slowly been working on creating healthier habits in all of these areas. If I’ve learned anything, it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what works and how to make good habits stick. So for any leader, creator or entrepreneur looking to make positive health changes for the long haul, here’s what worked for me (and what didn’t):
For some people, going cold turkey on bad habits is the only way. For me, not so much.I figured out pretty quickly that I am not an all-or-nothing guy. As it turns out, when it comes to building new habits, top performers aim for consistency over perfection.
A flexible approach is how I’ve managed to almost entirely cut out alcohol, which was wreaking havoc on my sleep. How? By adopting a mantra: “Not tonight.” I told myself I was simply passing on drinking for now, not forever — and kept that going for months. If a good wine came my way, I allowed myself a few sips (which I don’t recommend if addiction is an issue). I was able to enjoy the satisfaction of a taste without staying awake all night.
I’m not alone in this approach. Focusing on personal exploration and incremental change versus strict rules is a hallmark of a growing sober curious movement. It’s exciting to see the benefits of elective sobriety being discussed more, as well as other leaders sharing their experiences on this path.
Gamify your goals
The healthcare gamification market is expected to hit $15.9 billion by 2030. Why? It’s an approach that works. Studies show that using a leaderboard to track your progress or receiving virtual gold stars for every milestone achieved can radically boost your motivation to keep going.
I’ll be the first to admit it: Drumming up motivation to work out before or after a long day of work can be tough. So using my Apple Watch was a great way to gamify exercise and challenge myself. I started small with just five minutes a day, then built up to 30 minutes five days a week. Seeing the success streak tracked on my watch kept me going (embracing flexibility also came in handy when my battery died and I had to start over).
I also found an app that helped gamify calorie tracking. Now, I’m not the type to live on greens and almonds, but gamifying my goal did prompt me to add more nutrient-dense foods to my diet (hello sardines for breakfast!). And that made all the difference in getting quick results.
As the founder of a business that helps creators share their expertise with the world, it’s no surprise I’m a huge proponent of seeking out expert content, resources and learning communities to master new skills and supercharge accountability.
Following people who were doing what I wanted to be doing was a no-brainer. And research backs this up: Peers and social relationships can be powerful allies in building healthy habits.
For me, that meant adding health experts and authors to my media mix and digging deeper into the science behind habit changes. Leaders like Ray Dalio helped me see how the results could make me better in my role as a CEO, too.
Accept that not all strategies work (but only some have to)
I’m not going to pretend my journey has been entirely smooth. For every strategy I tried, there was at least one that didn’t work. It’s important to acknowledge that failure is as much a part of this process as success.
It’s also a reality that some behaviors are simply much harder to give up. This brings me to my current focus and what I’ve struggled with the most: reducing screen time. The evidence is clear that excess time on digital devices is as bad for adults as it is for kids, leading to sleep disruption, decreased physical activity and a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Of course, like many, I work in a business that requires me to be online. That means going completely dark isn’t an option (or desirable, truthfully). Instead, I’m working to optimize my screen time by getting more intentional about the content I consume and when I consume it. I deleted the apps off my phone and strive to put it away in the evenings (at least until the kids are in bed), but I’ve also accepted that exceptions will be the norm in this case — and I think that’s okay, too.
It’s been 10 years since I first started down the path of building healthier habits. My biggest takeaway for anyone looking to do the same is that this is a marathon, not a sprint — when habits are for life, you have to keep tweaking them as you go.
But there’s also been a silver lining that I didn’t see coming: equanimity. It’s that deep sense of calm in the face of stress and the quiet confidence that comes from being able to be the kind of leader (and person) I’ve always admired: centered, present and better able to handle whatever life — and business — throws my way.
Summer brings the perfect opportunity to encourage children to swap indoor screens for sunshine and fresh air. Getting outdoors is not just a way to burn off energy; it’s essential for their physical health and mental well-being.
Whether tending to a garden, swinging from the monkey bars, or exploring on scooters, there’s a whole season ahead to foster a love for the great outdoors in young explorers. Here are some easy ways to encourage kids to get outdoors this summer.
Organising garden play dates
Hosting play dates in the garden is a fantastic way to enhance your child’s social skills and keep them actively engaged with peers. These gatherings can be themed around various outdoor games and activities, such as water play, sports, or a nature scavenger hunt, making them exciting and memorable for all children involved.
To ensure these events are successful and enjoyable, it’s important to plan activities that suit the age group and interests of the attending children. Additionally, structured games and free play periods can help manage energy levels and give every child a chance to participate.
Safety is paramount, so supervising closely while children are at play and having first aid essentials on hand are crucial preparations for any garden play date.
Exploring play structures
A well-designed play area can transform any garden into a hub of activity and fun for children. Installing diverse and engaging playground equipment in your garden not only entices children to spend more time outdoors, but also invites them to climb, swing, and explore. These activities are excellent for developing their motor skills, coordination, and balance.
Regular use of swings, climbing frames, and forts promotes endurance and strength, crucial elements of physical health. Additionally, playing outside enhances cognitive and social skills as children learn to interact, solve problems, and negotiate turns with peers. The physical exertion involved helps to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost overall well-being, making outdoor play an essential component of a healthy childhood.
Implementing screen-free times
In today’s digital age, it’s important to balance screen time with outdoor play. Setting aside specific times during the day when electronic devices are off-limits can encourage children to discover alternative activities outdoors. These screen-free periods help children develop creativity as they find new ways to entertain themselves, whether through imaginative play in the garden, a game of hide and seek, or a treasure hunt.
Parents can support this transition by providing suggestions and organising engaging outdoor activities that capture children’s interest. This approach reduces dependency on screens and promotes physical activity and interaction with the natural world, fostering a healthier lifestyle and enhancing family bonding.
Starting with simple gardening
Gardening with children is a fantastic way to introduce kids to the wonders of nature and the responsibility of caring for living things. Starting with simple, low-maintenance plants can make this activity accessible and enjoyable for kids. Sunflowers, cherry tomatoes, and herbs like basil and mint are perfect for young gardeners because they grow quickly and require minimal care. These plants offer immediate results that can grab children’s attention and sustain their interest in gardening.
Engaging children in planting seeds, watering, and watching their plants grow teaches them patience and the value of nurturing life, all while spending quality time outdoors. This hands-on approach beautifies your garden and instils a sense of accomplishment and pride as they watch their efforts bloom.
Promoting active transportation
Encouraging children to use bicycles or scooters for their adventures is an excellent way to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. These modes of transport not only provide fun and freedom, but also help improve physical fitness, coordination, and spatial awareness.
As children pedal or scoot around the neighbourhood or garden, they gain a sense of independence and confidence. Safety should always be a priority, so equipping them with helmets and protective gear, and teaching road safety rules, are essential steps.
Planning family bike rides or scooter excursions on local trails can turn these activities into enjoyable family outings that everyone looks forward to, further reinforcing active habits and creating cherished memories.
Enjoying outdoor family activities
Spending time outdoors as a family is enjoyable, strengthens bonds and creates lasting memories. Organising regular garden parties, barbecues, or even simple picnics can offer everyone in the family a chance to unwind and connect in a relaxed setting.
These gatherings can include a variety of games and activities that cater to all ages, ensuring that everyone has something to enjoy. From relay races to outdoor movie nights, the options are limitless and can be tailored to the preferences of your family.
These activities don’t just promote healthy physical activity; they also encourage communication and cooperation, playing a pivotal role in building a cohesive family unit.
Will you be trying any of these easy ways to encourage kids to get outdoors this summer?
The time in between is where the magic is. It’s what I am learning to live for and be present for. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard though. It’s hard to get there. Now more than ever perhaps.
In fact, for me, writing is one of those things that fills a need for my mental wellbeing. It’s how I process ideas. Some of it you get to read, some of it never sees the light of day. I go into the zone where my heart and brain are in full coherence. I am in flow. You know this feeling, but perhaps haven’t given it the acknowledgement and appreciation it needs. If you have young children, it’s an absolute joy to witness them in this state. They’re focussed, calm and often can be found humming or singing, or even talking to themselves as they go about doing whatever it is they’re doing.
As adults we’ve been trained (and perhaps conditioned) to fill all the time we have. We fill it with perpetual busyness and when we don’t have something to do, we get twitchy. Hello phones! We scroll, we click, we formulate comments, we scroll and click some more until it’s time for us to do something else. More time filled.
With what? Every moment that passes us by, where we fail to be present is a potential wasted opportunity of just being; of enjoying that time in between where we experience absolute joy and happiness.
Look around yourself right now. If you’re in your home, consider that everything that surrounds you, all the stuff, was once money. And that money was once your time. Is it all worth it? It might just be. The next question of course is if you’re mindfully enjoying what your time and effort has provided for you, or have you already moved on to the next distraction? The next need?
As the weight of the world continues to feel heavier and heavier upon all our shoulders, it becomes ever more critical to create the headspace and the physical space in our lives to be able to be present for the time in between. We cannot do this if we are overwhelmed by jumble in our minds and homes.
When it can be exquisitely easy to be consumed by the chaos, the fear, the tragedy and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness, we can also choose joy. We can choose to find the times to be present with the big and small joys in our life. It always begins in our mind. Yes, some moments will be easier than others.
Here is what I can promise you: with your effort, you will reap the benefit. Maybe today it’s two minutes of just walking hand in hand with your child. Or maybe it’s looking up from your computer to watch a bird on a tree. Maybe it’s that first embrace with someone you haven’t seen in a long time. And maybe it’s taking a half day off of work to sit and read a book on the grass.
Stopping to enjoy the time we create to be still might just take the most discipline of all. But for those of you who are productivity junkies like me, here’s a tip – when you take those breaks, everything else works more efficiently. Your body, brain, and whatever it is you seek to create.
Take a pause.
And when you’re done, if you’re still reading, you’ll want to take a moment to look at how I’m working to help guide people to more peace, calm, and compassionate leadership. It takes time between the doing to do it all with heart.
On My Mind Episode 30: The Time In Between: How To Be Present
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Photo Credit: Nilkki McKean
Free Resource Library
Enjoy more than 40 downloadable guides, recipes, and resources.
What is your purpose? Do you know? Asked another way – what gets you out of bed in the morning (and don’t say coffee or Wordle as the case may be).
Did you think you were clear on your purpose and what made you feel of service and useful, and then 2020, 2021, 2022, whatever this year is bringing is happening and you’re not sure anymore? Or perhaps the events and experiences of the last several years made that purpose clearer?
It can be very easy when we become overwhelmed by that which feels out of our control to attempt to go inward, to think about the self. Purpose? Who cares! This is survival, right?
How do I protect myself and my family?
How do we keep safe?
Concerning ourselves primarily with the self is our lowest intuitive order.
It is about our instinct of survival.
When we are in this state it is impossible to see the big picture, let alone shine a light on the parts we can’t yet see or that haven’t made themselves known, let alone be in a creative state. This is where our blind spots are biggest, and our dissonance most dangerous.
Creativity is shut off. Creativity, however, is where the healing happens and this is often when we need it most.
That unexpected diagnosis turned my entire vision of my future upside down. At 26, I realized all that I had been working towards, that I had been wanting and envisioning for my life, no longer made sense. It was the first time in my adult life that I had no choice but to walk into The Unknown.
Once again, the events of life are asking me to leap into The Unknown. I have a feeling that you’re reading this because, like it or not, you’re in it with me. Despite some semblance of ‘normalcy’ returning, none of us are coming through the last 4 years unchanged.
As uncomfortable as it is, I am trusting the process. I’ve been here before. You probably have been, too.
It was from my healing experience in 2006 that I found my way to the highest intuitive order – that of being of service to others. I did it through health education and cooking. This was my way in. I have no idea where or how the idea came to me to start teaching cooking classes. I didn’t even really know how to cook. But I trusted that inner voice and went for it.
Our highest intuitive order is about supporting other people’s survival – the survival and thriving of the whole.
be part of the light
We are seeing this play out all around us right now, the low and high actions, as the service and healing of the whole is what is needed desperately for humanity.
There are those that have made themselves known to only be about their own safety, survival, and personal power and those that are taking the path of serving the whole, the greater greatness in the spirit of love, unity, connection, and community.
Remember, the darkness enables us to see where the light shines, and also where the light is needed most.
In case you didn’t know it yet, you are part of that light. You are here for it, like it or not.
You can, of course, resist it – plug your ears and sing a song so you can’t hear that inner voice of your own. Or you can think it’s me or someone else and can unfollow, unsubscribe, even throw a nasty message on your way out, but none of those reactions have anything to do with anyone other than you. That’s just resistance or fear. Likely both.
Little questions can quickly become big ones. We’re not always ready for the answers.
Some are referring to what’s happening right now in our world as a mass awakening. I am well aware of how terms like “awakening” can now be triggering or inspire others to shut down and back away. Stay with me. Words have been turned into weapons– let that go.
Whatever you want to call it, it is happening.
Over the last several years there has been a shift towards mass connection, and in recent months there has been a collective desire to grow stronger as a community – to be more loving, accepting, and kind. We missed each other.
Of course, not everyone is up for the adventure or is going to be a part of it. We have to accept that.
Opening our eyes, looking around, questioning things, seeking a higher purpose, and tuning into our intuition on all levels has nothing to do with anyone else. That is all you.
Resisting it will create suffering. Don’t believe me? Try and find out. There are a lot of us in this camp right now.
I am struggling in resistance mode. I’ve watched spiritually-inspired videos saying that we all asked to be here for this. I’ve heard us be called the “bridge generation”, and that we are raising little warriors. And I’m thinking– No. Both me and my soul want to be at the beach maxing and relaxing. Literally and metaphorically, I’d really, really like to get to a beach.
But here I am. Here you are.
surrender to your higher purpose
I thought that asking that first big question waaaaay back in 2006 “Can I heal this?” was just going to lead me to some green juice and yoga classes.
When I started my business in 2008, I wanted to show up, make some smoothies for you, get you to eat your greens, drink more water, get better sleep, and enjoy nature with a smile on your face and then retire at 35.
Cute, right? Maybe that was preparing all of us for this.
A couple of years ago, during the holiday season, I was hosting these free and open sessions called Wake-Up Wednesdays. They started small and then I had more than 200 beautiful humans joining me to meditate mid-day, mid-week.
I facilitated conversations I didn’t feel remotely equipped to facilitate and yet, people kept coming and then flooding my inbox with love and kindness. And I recognized my resistance as my own fear.
I often share this quote with my students from author and doctor Rachel Ramen: “Fear is the friction of all transition”.
Dear friends, I feel it right now. I feel this friction deeply. I feel the transition. Do you?
I am diving into a new calling, serving in a new way. I am not questioning my purpose so much as asking what is needed of me.
The answer always comes back crystal clear: surrender. This isn’t surrender from a “giving up” perspective. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s bowing to the truth of what is needed of me at this moment.
trust in the unknown
As such, I’m working on resting my nervous system while tuning in to what’s real and what matters in greater ways. It includes the following goals:
Rise above the chaos, go with the flow, tune into the heart, seek out the light and the light seekers, let go of that which no longer serves (and that includes relationships), and see where The Unknown leads.
Remember – there are plans unfolding. Big ones. Bigger than us all and bigger than we can ever know or figure out. Spending time down in the weeds of it all, only diverts us from the important urgent work that requires our energy, focus, and attention.
We can look at plans and events unfolding and throw labels on them, and allow fear to penetrate our being, but ultimately our lesson here is to keep rising. To trust in The Unknown for it is in The Unknown that absolutely any and every outcome is possible.
What if it all turns out dramatically more incredible than we ever could have imagined? That’s also possible.
At least from my experience, trusting the process continues to prove this. It doesn’t however, get easier. That, of course, is where we just have to close our eyes, get quiet, and leap.
Trust that higher intuition
How can you serve the whole of humanity? The planet? You can’t — at least not if that’s your goal. You’ll quickly become overwhelmed and stop.
It starts with you, your energy, where you put your time, how you engage and communicate with others, and most of all, by speaking, doing, and being in alignment with your heart. Not forever, just right now. And again in the next moment when you remember. And the next.
Doing the work becomes the easy part when you’re focused on operating from that higher place.
How do you get there? Start with a few deep breaths.
Get quiet and choose love.
We have to get quiet if we want to hear anything at all and it is the power of love that changes the world.
Just as words can be weapons, words can also be our medicine. This is my offering for your peace and wellbeing.
Lastly, if you want to tune in to that inner voice and take a low-risk dive into rising above the chaos, cultivating more peace and creativity in your life and tuning into your intuition, check out Rise and Shine, my newest instant-access course that will help you upgrade how you operate.
On My Mind Episode 27: In Pursuit of Purpose and Rising Together
Subscribe today on your favourite podcast app and never miss an episode.
Photo credit: Nikki Leigh McKean
Free Resource Library
Enjoy more than 40 downloadable guides, recipes, and resources.
What is your purpose? Do you know? Asked another way – what gets you out of bed in the morning (and don’t say coffee or Wordle as the case may be).
Did you think you were clear on your purpose and what made you feel of service and useful, and then 2020, 2021, 2022, whatever this year is bringing is happening and you’re not sure anymore? Or perhaps the events and experiences of the last several years made that purpose clearer?
It can be very easy when we become overwhelmed by that which feels out of our control to attempt to go inward, to think about the self. Purpose? Who cares! This is survival, right?
How do I protect myself and my family?
How do we keep safe?
Concerning ourselves primarily with the self is our lowest intuitive order.
It is about our instinct of survival.
When we are in this state it is impossible to see the big picture, let alone shine a light on the parts we can’t yet see or that haven’t made themselves known, let alone be in a creative state. This is where our blind spots are biggest, and our dissonance most dangerous.
Creativity is shut off. Creativity, however, is where the healing happens and this is often when we need it most.
That unexpected diagnosis turned my entire vision of my future upside down. At 26, I realized all that I had been working towards, that I had been wanting and envisioning for my life, no longer made sense. It was the first time in my adult life that I had no choice but to walk into The Unknown.
Once again, the events of life are asking me to leap into The Unknown. I have a feeling that you’re reading this because, like it or not, you’re in it with me. Despite some semblance of ‘normalcy’ returning, none of us are coming through the last 4 years unchanged.
As uncomfortable as it is, I am trusting the process. I’ve been here before. You probably have been, too.
It was from my healing experience in 2006 that I found my way to the highest intuitive order – that of being of service to others. I did it through health education and cooking. This was my way in. I have no idea where or how the idea came to me to start teaching cooking classes. I didn’t even really know how to cook. But I trusted that inner voice and went for it.
Our highest intuitive order is about supporting other people’s survival – the survival and thriving of the whole.
be part of the light
We are seeing this play out all around us right now, the low and high actions, as the service and healing of the whole is what is needed desperately for humanity.
There are those that have made themselves known to only be about their own safety, survival, and personal power and those that are taking the path of serving the whole, the greater greatness in the spirit of love, unity, connection, and community.
Remember, the darkness enables us to see where the light shines, and also where the light is needed most.
In case you didn’t know it yet, you are part of that light. You are here for it, like it or not.
You can, of course, resist it – plug your ears and sing a song so you can’t hear that inner voice of your own. Or you can think it’s me or someone else and can unfollow, unsubscribe, even throw a nasty message on your way out, but none of those reactions have anything to do with anyone other than you. That’s just resistance or fear. Likely both.
Little questions can quickly become big ones. We’re not always ready for the answers.
Some are referring to what’s happening right now in our world as a mass awakening. I am well aware of how terms like “awakening” can now be triggering or inspire others to shut down and back away. Stay with me. Words have been turned into weapons– let that go.
Whatever you want to call it, it is happening.
Over the last several years there has been a shift towards mass connection, and in recent months there has been a collective desire to grow stronger as a community – to be more loving, accepting, and kind. We missed each other.
Of course, not everyone is up for the adventure or is going to be a part of it. We have to accept that.
Opening our eyes, looking around, questioning things, seeking a higher purpose, and tuning into our intuition on all levels has nothing to do with anyone else. That is all you.
Resisting it will create suffering. Don’t believe me? Try and find out. There are a lot of us in this camp right now.
I am struggling in resistance mode. I’ve watched spiritually-inspired videos saying that we all asked to be here for this. I’ve heard us be called the “bridge generation”, and that we are raising little warriors. And I’m thinking– No. Both me and my soul want to be at the beach maxing and relaxing. Literally and metaphorically, I’d really, really like to get to a beach.
But here I am. Here you are.
surrender to your higher purpose
I thought that asking that first big question waaaaay back in 2006 “Can I heal this?” was just going to lead me to some green juice and yoga classes.
When I started my business in 2008, I wanted to show up, make some smoothies for you, get you to eat your greens, drink more water, get better sleep, and enjoy nature with a smile on your face and then retire at 35.
Cute, right? Maybe that was preparing all of us for this.
A couple of years ago, during the holiday season, I was hosting these free and open sessions called Wake-Up Wednesdays. They started small and then I had more than 200 beautiful humans joining me to meditate mid-day, mid-week.
I facilitated conversations I didn’t feel remotely equipped to facilitate and yet, people kept coming and then flooding my inbox with love and kindness. And I recognized my resistance as my own fear.
I often share this quote with my students from author and doctor Rachel Ramen: “Fear is the friction of all transition”.
Dear friends, I feel it right now. I feel this friction deeply. I feel the transition. Do you?
I am diving into a new calling, serving in a new way. I am not questioning my purpose so much as asking what is needed of me.
The answer always comes back crystal clear: surrender. This isn’t surrender from a “giving up” perspective. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s bowing to the truth of what is needed of me at this moment.
trust in the unknown
As such, I’m working on resting my nervous system while tuning in to what’s real and what matters in greater ways. It includes the following goals:
Rise above the chaos, go with the flow, tune into the heart, seek out the light and the light seekers, let go of that which no longer serves (and that includes relationships), and see where The Unknown leads.
Remember – there are plans unfolding. Big ones. Bigger than us all and bigger than we can ever know or figure out. Spending time down in the weeds of it all, only diverts us from the important urgent work that requires our energy, focus, and attention.
We can look at plans and events unfolding and throw labels on them, and allow fear to penetrate our being, but ultimately our lesson here is to keep rising. To trust in The Unknown for it is in The Unknown that absolutely any and every outcome is possible.
What if it all turns out dramatically more incredible than we ever could have imagined? That’s also possible.
At least from my experience, trusting the process continues to prove this. It doesn’t however, get easier. That, of course, is where we just have to close our eyes, get quiet, and leap.
Trust that higher intuition
How can you serve the whole of humanity? The planet? You can’t — at least not if that’s your goal. You’ll quickly become overwhelmed and stop.
It starts with you, your energy, where you put your time, how you engage and communicate with others, and most of all, by speaking, doing, and being in alignment with your heart. Not forever, just right now. And again in the next moment when you remember. And the next.
Doing the work becomes the easy part when you’re focused on operating from that higher place.
How do you get there? Start with a few deep breaths.
Get quiet and choose love.
We have to get quiet if we want to hear anything at all and it is the power of love that changes the world.
Just as words can be weapons, words can also be our medicine. This is my offering for your peace and wellbeing.
Lastly, if you want to tune in to that inner voice and take a low-risk dive into rising above the chaos, cultivating more peace and creativity in your life and tuning into your intuition, check out Rise and Shine, my newest instant-access course that will help you upgrade how you operate.
On My Mind Episode 27: In Pursuit of Purpose and Rising Together
Subscribe today on your favourite podcast app and never miss an episode.
Photo credit: Nikki Leigh McKean
Free Resource Library
Enjoy more than 40 downloadable guides, recipes, and resources.
What is your purpose? Do you know? Asked another way – what gets you out of bed in the morning (and don’t say coffee or Wordle as the case may be).
Did you think you were clear on your purpose and what made you feel of service and useful, and then 2020, 2021, 2022, whatever this year is bringing is happening and you’re not sure anymore? Or perhaps the events and experiences of the last several years made that purpose clearer?
It can be very easy when we become overwhelmed by that which feels out of our control to attempt to go inward, to think about the self. Purpose? Who cares! This is survival, right?
How do I protect myself and my family?
How do we keep safe?
Concerning ourselves primarily with the self is our lowest intuitive order.
It is about our instinct of survival.
When we are in this state it is impossible to see the big picture, let alone shine a light on the parts we can’t yet see or that haven’t made themselves known, let alone be in a creative state. This is where our blind spots are biggest, and our dissonance most dangerous.
Creativity is shut off. Creativity, however, is where the healing happens and this is often when we need it most.
That unexpected diagnosis turned my entire vision of my future upside down. At 26, I realized all that I had been working towards, that I had been wanting and envisioning for my life, no longer made sense. It was the first time in my adult life that I had no choice but to walk into The Unknown.
Once again, the events of life are asking me to leap into The Unknown. I have a feeling that you’re reading this because, like it or not, you’re in it with me. Despite some semblance of ‘normalcy’ returning, none of us are coming through the last 4 years unchanged.
As uncomfortable as it is, I am trusting the process. I’ve been here before. You probably have been, too.
It was from my healing experience in 2006 that I found my way to the highest intuitive order – that of being of service to others. I did it through health education and cooking. This was my way in. I have no idea where or how the idea came to me to start teaching cooking classes. I didn’t even really know how to cook. But I trusted that inner voice and went for it.
Our highest intuitive order is about supporting other people’s survival – the survival and thriving of the whole.
be part of the light
We are seeing this play out all around us right now, the low and high actions, as the service and healing of the whole is what is needed desperately for humanity.
There are those that have made themselves known to only be about their own safety, survival, and personal power and those that are taking the path of serving the whole, the greater greatness in the spirit of love, unity, connection, and community.
Remember, the darkness enables us to see where the light shines, and also where the light is needed most.
In case you didn’t know it yet, you are part of that light. You are here for it, like it or not.
You can, of course, resist it – plug your ears and sing a song so you can’t hear that inner voice of your own. Or you can think it’s me or someone else and can unfollow, unsubscribe, even throw a nasty message on your way out, but none of those reactions have anything to do with anyone other than you. That’s just resistance or fear. Likely both.
Little questions can quickly become big ones. We’re not always ready for the answers.
Some are referring to what’s happening right now in our world as a mass awakening. I am well aware of how terms like “awakening” can now be triggering or inspire others to shut down and back away. Stay with me. Words have been turned into weapons– let that go.
Whatever you want to call it, it is happening.
Over the last several years there has been a shift towards mass connection, and in recent months there has been a collective desire to grow stronger as a community – to be more loving, accepting, and kind. We missed each other.
Of course, not everyone is up for the adventure or is going to be a part of it. We have to accept that.
Opening our eyes, looking around, questioning things, seeking a higher purpose, and tuning into our intuition on all levels has nothing to do with anyone else. That is all you.
Resisting it will create suffering. Don’t believe me? Try and find out. There are a lot of us in this camp right now.
I am struggling in resistance mode. I’ve watched spiritually-inspired videos saying that we all asked to be here for this. I’ve heard us be called the “bridge generation”, and that we are raising little warriors. And I’m thinking– No. Both me and my soul want to be at the beach maxing and relaxing. Literally and metaphorically, I’d really, really like to get to a beach.
But here I am. Here you are.
surrender to your higher purpose
I thought that asking that first big question waaaaay back in 2006 “Can I heal this?” was just going to lead me to some green juice and yoga classes.
When I started my business in 2008, I wanted to show up, make some smoothies for you, get you to eat your greens, drink more water, get better sleep, and enjoy nature with a smile on your face and then retire at 35.
Cute, right? Maybe that was preparing all of us for this.
A couple of years ago, during the holiday season, I was hosting these free and open sessions called Wake-Up Wednesdays. They started small and then I had more than 200 beautiful humans joining me to meditate mid-day, mid-week.
I facilitated conversations I didn’t feel remotely equipped to facilitate and yet, people kept coming and then flooding my inbox with love and kindness. And I recognized my resistance as my own fear.
I often share this quote with my students from author and doctor Rachel Ramen: “Fear is the friction of all transition”.
Dear friends, I feel it right now. I feel this friction deeply. I feel the transition. Do you?
I am diving into a new calling, serving in a new way. I am not questioning my purpose so much as asking what is needed of me.
The answer always comes back crystal clear: surrender. This isn’t surrender from a “giving up” perspective. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s bowing to the truth of what is needed of me at this moment.
trust in the unknown
As such, I’m working on resting my nervous system while tuning in to what’s real and what matters in greater ways. It includes the following goals:
Rise above the chaos, go with the flow, tune into the heart, seek out the light and the light seekers, let go of that which no longer serves (and that includes relationships), and see where The Unknown leads.
Remember – there are plans unfolding. Big ones. Bigger than us all and bigger than we can ever know or figure out. Spending time down in the weeds of it all, only diverts us from the important urgent work that requires our energy, focus, and attention.
We can look at plans and events unfolding and throw labels on them, and allow fear to penetrate our being, but ultimately our lesson here is to keep rising. To trust in The Unknown for it is in The Unknown that absolutely any and every outcome is possible.
What if it all turns out dramatically more incredible than we ever could have imagined? That’s also possible.
At least from my experience, trusting the process continues to prove this. It doesn’t however, get easier. That, of course, is where we just have to close our eyes, get quiet, and leap.
Trust that higher intuition
How can you serve the whole of humanity? The planet? You can’t — at least not if that’s your goal. You’ll quickly become overwhelmed and stop.
It starts with you, your energy, where you put your time, how you engage and communicate with others, and most of all, by speaking, doing, and being in alignment with your heart. Not forever, just right now. And again in the next moment when you remember. And the next.
Doing the work becomes the easy part when you’re focused on operating from that higher place.
How do you get there? Start with a few deep breaths.
Get quiet and choose love.
We have to get quiet if we want to hear anything at all and it is the power of love that changes the world.
Just as words can be weapons, words can also be our medicine. This is my offering for your peace and wellbeing.
Lastly, if you want to tune in to that inner voice and take a low-risk dive into rising above the chaos, cultivating more peace and creativity in your life and tuning into your intuition, check out Rise and Shine, my newest instant-access course that will help you upgrade how you operate.
On My Mind Episode 27: In Pursuit of Purpose and Rising Together
Subscribe today on your favourite podcast app and never miss an episode.
Photo credit: Nikki Leigh McKean
Free Resource Library
Enjoy more than 40 downloadable guides, recipes, and resources.
It’s unusual for a medication to become a household name; even more uncommon for its branding to become, like Advil, shorthand for an entire class of products; and rarest of all, for it to change not just U.S. medicine, but U.S. culture.
Approved in 2017 as a type 2 diabetes medication, Ozempic has largely made its name—and a fortune for its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk—as a weight-loss aid. Novo Nordisk knew early on that diabetes patients often lost weight on the drug, but even company executives couldn’t have guessed how widely it would eventually take off as both an off-label anti-obesity treatment and a vanity-driven status symbol for those simply looking to shed a few pounds. Its runaway success mirrors that of similar medications, including Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Wegovy, another Novo Nordisk product and the only one in the trio technically approved for weight loss. Prescriptions for all of them are flying off the pad at an eye-popping rate.
No one can quite agree on whether this frenzy is a good thing. Plenty of physicians (and, of course, the pharmaceutical executives who stand to get very, very rich) say it is, given that roughly three-quarters of U.S. adults qualify as either overweight or obese and are thus, according to leading public-health authorities, at risk of a range of serious health complications. “Obesity is an epidemic, and we urgently need effective treatments,” says Dr. Sahar Takkouche, an obesity and bariatric medicine specialist at Vanderbilt Health.
But some doctors, researchers, and activists are uneasy about living in the age of Ozempic—one that has felt like a kind of deja vu, a return to an era when thinness and weight loss were unquestioningly valued. Before the Ozempic tsunami, a growing number of doctors and researchers had begun advocating for Health at Every Size, a research-backed set of principles from the Association for Size Diversity and Health that hold body size is not a measure of health or worth, and that all people deserve high-quality, non-stigmatizing medical care. Their efforts contributed to a burgeoning field known as “weight-neutral” medicine, which sees “weight” and “health” as separate, and worked in tandem with the wider body-positivity movement to help loosen the diet industry’s vice-like grip on American psyches. As the 2000s progressed, women’s magazines stopped pushing diets quite so hard. Clothing brands bragged about hiring models larger than a size 0. Even Weight Watchers rebranded as a “wellness” company called WW.
Then Ozempic and its cohort came along, and it turned out lots of people still wanted to be skinny. Some industry watchers have even predicted that the rise of drugs like Ozempic—and an impending crop of new competitors that are potentially even more effective—could spell the end of obesity. But as these drugs transform both standard medical practice and cultural ideas about weight loss, a contentious debate is simmering beneath the surface: should we even be treating obesity?
The U.S. medical establishment is clear about its stance on obesity: it is a “common, serious, and costly chronic disease,” as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts it. By CDC estimates, more than 40% of U.S. adults and almost 20% of children and adolescents are obese, putting them at risk of health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer. An additional 30% of adults are considered overweight, meaning less than a third of U.S. adults meet the CDC’s standard for a healthy body weight.
If obesity is a disease, it follows logically that it should be treated. Historically, diet and exercise have been plan A for treating obesity. But in practice, lifestyle changes like these often aren’t enough. “Try as we might, a lot of exercise typically does not result in a significant amount of weight loss,” says Glenn Gaesser, a professor of exercise physiology at Arizona State University. That’s in part because people tend to get hungrier the more they move, offsetting whatever calories they burn at the gym, and in part because the body gets used to its size and works to stay at that set point, Gaesser explains. Lifestyle fixes can work for some people, studies show, but lots of people lose only modest amounts of weight or regain the pounds over time—a process known as “weight cycling” that is itself linked to cardiovascular and metabolic health problems.
For years, doctors had relatively few options to offer the many patients for whom diet and exercise didn’t work—things like the type 2 diabetes drug metformin, which can cause a modest amount of weight loss, and bariatric surgery, which works well but is unpopular among patients. And then came Ozempic and the rest.
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro all work by simultaneously slowing digestion and mimicking the appetite-suppressing hormone GLP-1 through a weekly injection. (Mounjaro also targets a second type of hormone receptor.) This double whammy means people need to eat far less food than usual, leading to an average 15% to 20% reduction in body weight after about a year. They don’t work well for everyone, but compared to older meds, “the efficacy of these drugs is remarkable,” Takkouche says. “The weight loss is undeniable.” And this class of drugs doesn’t just lower the readings on a scale. According to data from Novo Nordisk, semaglutide (the generic name for both Ozempic and Wegovy) slashes the risk for major cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke by 20% among overweight or obese adults with heart disease.
Justin, who asked to use only his first name to protect his privacy, saw “life-changing” results when he began taking Wegovy earlier this year. After struggling to lose weight through diet and exercise, the 29-year-old from North Carolina lost about 30 pounds in less than six months on the medication. As he followed instructions and scaled up his dosage over time, though, Justin started to experience side effects including acid reflux, nausea, diarrhea, and lethargy. (Research suggests intestinal blockage and an elevated risk of thyroid tumors are also potential side effects.) Eventually, Justin felt he had to choose between his health and his quality of life. As much as it pained him, quality of life won out.
Since quitting Wegovy in June, Justin has gained back about half the weight he lost, a common outcome for patients who stop using GLP-1 drugs—which many do, either because of side effects or cost, since many insurance plans don’t cover weight-loss drugs and out-of-pocket prices can exceed $1,000 a month. Despite his mixed experience, Justin would still recommend that someone trying to lose weight consider Wegovy, and may someday go back on it himself at a lower dose. “It made enough of a difference, and it’s something I’ve been wanting for so long” that it’s tempting to go back, he says.
Many obesity-medicine specialists share Justin’s feelings. “We have effective tools” for weight loss now, says Dr. Laura Davisson, director of medical weight management at West Virginia University Medicine. “Why not use them?”
There is one big reason, according to a passionate group of doctors, researchers, and activists who believe in the principles of Health at Every Size. They feel obesity never should have been labeled a disease in the first place—and thus may not need to be treated at all. “Manipulating weight is not a path to health,” says Ragen Chastain, a certified patient advocate who co-authored a library of Health at Every Size resources. “The belief that fewer fat people existing is good—that’s weight stigma.”
As Chastain and others like her see it, Ozempic and its sister drugs are not life-saving anti-obesity medications, but new tools for reinforcing old, damaging body standards rooted in stigma, not science—all while raking in gobs of money for pharmaceutical companies.
Chart by Elijah Wolfson and Lon Tweeten for TIME
The idea that obesity is not a disease is still a controversial take in mainstream medicine. The CDC and American Medical Association (AMA) disagree with it, as do many physicians in the field.
“‘Healthy at any size’—I don’t even like the connotation,” says Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “There is unhealthy body weight.”
“We’ve got this entire body of research based on a hypothesis that if you make fat people look like thin people they’ll have the same health outcomes,” Chastain says. But she’s not convinced that’s the case at all.
For one thing, body mass index (BMI), the measure commonly used to diagnose overweight and obesity, is inherently flawed—a fact acknowledged by influential organizations including the AMA. When the AMA designated obesity a disease in 2013, its own Council on Science and Public Health urged against that decision. The council’s chief concern was the imprecision of BMI, which is a crude measure of total weight relative to height that, on its own, does not say much at all about someone’s health. It cannot, for example, distinguish between fat and muscle—which is why some athletes have BMIs that technically put them in the obese range.
BMI’s path to ubiquity is convoluted. The formula—weight in kilograms divided by height in meters, squared—was developed in the 1830s by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician interested not in diagnosing obesity, but in defining the “average man,” an effort that mostly glossed over people other than white men. The resulting formula, known as the Quetelet Index, fit neatly into the burgeoning field of “race science,” a pseudoscientific effort to draw distinctions between people of different races that fed into the eugenics movement, explains scholar Sabrina Strings, author of Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia.
By the early 1900s, prominent U.S. eugenicists had latched onto the idea that fatness was a marker of moral failing associated with people of color. “We think that fatness is linked to disease,” Strings says, but “the history of fat stigma actually transits through race science and eugenics.”
Later, in the 1960s, Black women were integral in starting fat-liberation movements that laid the groundwork for the modern body-positivity movement. These activists ran counter to the mainstream medical community, which was growing increasingly concerned about weight. In the 1970s, more than a century after the Quetelet Index was first developed, the prominent American physiologist Ancel Keys revived it. Keys felt insurance companies were using flawed methods of assessing weight-related health risks among people they covered. He proposed using the Quetelet Index (renamed as BMI) instead—even though, in a study he co-authored in 1972, Keys did not demonstrate that BMI consistently correlated with future heart disease risk.
Today, experts widely agree that BMI is imperfect. And yet, it’s still used in research, to diagnose obesity, and to determine who is eligible for drugs like Wegovy. “We’re knowingly saying, ‘We don’t even know how to measure [excess fat], but we’re going to use the measure we have anyway and define two-thirds of the population as diseased,’” says Dr. Lisa Erlanger, a Seattle-based family-medicine physician who supports Health at Every Size.
Erlanger believes that weight functions less as a measure of health than as a social determinant of health—in other words, a non-medical factor that nonetheless affects health through its impact on overall wellness. The weight stigma larger people encounter in doctor’s offices, the workplace, and social settings can all harm health, Erlanger says. And in the U.S., adults with obesity are likely to be non-white and non-college-educated, two socioeconomic factors also linked to poorer health outcomes due to structural inequality.
Erlanger feels so strongly that she has stripped weight from her medical practice wherever possible. Her office is designed to be comfortably navigated by people who are larger. The reading material in the waiting room doesn’t mention diets or weight loss. She doesn’t weigh patients at the beginning of their appointments. She never prescribes weight loss, and especially not weight-loss drugs.
“I support anyone’s efforts to reduce their marginalization in society,” she says. But, at the same time, “I believe I have an ethical obligation not to offer a treatment with false promises.”
It wasn’t weight loss that motivated Irene, who is 54 and lives in Washington State, to ask for a semaglutide prescription. Irene—who asked to use only her first name to preserve her privacy—has binge-eating disorder and often stayed up late into the night, snacking for hours after her husband and children had gone to bed. Irene read on social media that semaglutide had helped other people manage their binge-eating disorder, so it seemed worth a try. But it also felt something like self-betrayal.
For most of her life, Irene was locked in a cycle of losing and regaining weight, obsessing about food and calories and constantly wishing her body looked different. Then, a few years ago, she learned about Health at Every Size and threw herself into the community with gusto. She sought out doctors who shared her perspective and joined a fat-liberation group—which made her deeply hesitant about using semaglutide, a drug infamous for helping already-skinny Hollywood starlets slim down. “It has been tricky to lose some weight and not get caught up in that as an aspiration going forward,” Irene says. “I deeply, deeply believe in [Heath at Every Size] and would love for the rest of the world to come around to it as well.”
But now, she has to balance her support for the movement with the reality that, in an effort to manage her eating disorder, she has become one of the millions of people driving demand for anti-obesity medications to new heights.
It’s no surprise, then, that an army of new weight-loss medications are marching toward regulatory approval, some with results even more impressive than their predecessors. Data from Eli Lilly suggest an anti-obesity drug it is developing can help people lose about a quarter of their body weight in less than two years. The pharma giant is, along with other companies, also exploring oral GLP-1 drugs, which would have an even lower barrier to entry than their injectable formulas. (Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus is already available as a pill.) With so many options currently or soon to be available, it’s not so far-fetched to imagine a world when all anyone needs to lose weight is a prescription.
Davisson, the obesity specialist from West Virginia, says about 80% of her patients are already on some form of weight-loss drug. She feels anyone who is overweight or obese should consider some form of treatment, since they may develop complications over time even if they’re healthy at the moment. “Everyone is metabolically healthy,” she says, “until they’re not.”
But other physicians are struggling with their place in this new world. When Dr. Mara Gordon, a family physician in New Jersey, finished her medical training almost a decade ago, she didn’t question the idea that weight loss was a good thing. But the longer she practiced—and saw how her patients shut down when she urged them to drop a few pounds—and the more studies she read, the more she began to doubt whether weight loss should be an assumed goal. “I found, increasingly, that it was all downside,” she says.
Gordon minimized weight’s role in her practice, focusing instead on other markers of health—things like insulin resistance (which can predict diabetes risk), blood pressure, chronic pain, mental health, and quality of life. Today, though, more and more patients come into her office asking for Ozempic and Wegovy by name. Often, she says, patients who want to drop pounds are technically overweight but have little medical reason for taking a GLP-1 drug: normal cholesterol, good blood pressure, no diabetes or warning signs for it. On a purely medical basis, Gordon feels there’s no need to take out her prescription pad.
But when she looks at the whole picture, the decision becomes more complex. Her patients’ test results may not signal a problem, but they’re still desperate to lose weight—maybe so they have the energy and mobility to play with their kids, or to improve their body image, or simply fit into a world that prizes thinness. In those moments, Gordon has to set aside her personal feelings about Ozempic, and about weight loss writ large.
“If you’re facing hatred and fatphobia on a daily basis, if you can’t do the things you need to do because the chair at your office isn’t the correct size,” Ozempic may truly help, Gordon says. “I wish we lived in a less superficial society. But my job is to take care of the patient right in front of me.”
About 150 million women around the world take the pill, mostly for birth control but also to regulate periods or reduce acne.
The combined (estrogen and progesterone) pill and progesterone-only pill are more than 90 percent effective as birth control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Millions of women take the tablets without any issues, but some experience serious physical and mental side-effects. Newsweek contacted pill users in North America, Europe and Australia to find out more.
One woman in the U.S., who did not want to be named, told Newsweek her personality changed so drastically that she had to be assessed for borderline personality disorder.
Clockwise from top left: Sarah Graham, Rylie Lane and Kira Holli. All three women spoke to Newsweek about how the pill affected them.
Another woman, who also did not want to be named, said the two weeks she spent on the pill were among the worst of her life. “I was depressed and I wanted to beat my husband up,” she said. “I was so depressed and angry. It really messed up my hormones.”
Side-effects and risks
The Government Office on Women’s Health states that the combined pill, first approved in 1960, can have side-effects including headaches, upset stomachs, sore breasts, period changes, mood changes, weight gain and high blood pressure. “Less common but serious risks include blood clots, stroke and heart attack; the risk is higher in smokers and women older than 35,” it adds.
The progesterone-only tablet, or mini-pill, can have side-effects including irregular, weight gain, sore breasts, headaches and nausea, according to the office, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Below, Newsweek talks to four women about how their years on the pill affected them—and to doctors about how common their experiences are.
Struggling To Get Pregnant After Coming Off Pill
Jane Jones (not her real name) was 15 when her doctor prescribed the pill. “I was experiencing painful ovarian cysts. My doctor had told me that going on the pill would reduce them,” she told Newsweek.
Jones, now 45 and boss of a PR consulting firm in Washington, was on the pill until she was 29, despite “frequent mood swings and terrible headaches before my cycle each month.”
She stopped taking it, but her periods stopped too. Many women find it can take a few months for their cycles to “reset.” For Jones, this lasted a few years, a condition known as post-pill amenorrhea.
“This lack of cycle went on for a while before I realized anything was wrong,” she said. “At first, I was relieved not to have the headaches often or at all, which is why I didn’t talk to my doctor right away.”
By her early thirties, she wanted to start a family. Her obstetrician-gynecologist said she should consult an endocrinologist to find out why she wasn’t ovulating.
Post-pill amenorrhea can be related to problems with the thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), primary ovarian insufficiency, stress and even over-exercise.
Jones said: “My doctor told me it was likely as a result of my cycle not regulating on its own after being on birth control. Ironically, the first thing they did was put me back on birth control to restart my cycle. It worked to reset everything.”
After this, she “spent about eight years in and out of fertility treatment.” The headaches returned even worse than before, as she was having extra hormone injections.
“I recall feeling overwhelmed and unsure,” she said. Fertility treatment “was very hard on me and those around me.”
The treatment worked and Jones is now a mom of two. She argues that although the pill helps regulate menstrual cycles, the side-effects are “not fun. If I had the choice in taking the pill or not taking it again, I would not.”
Newsweek asked Dr. Semiya Aziz, a general practitioner in London, about the pill and fertility. She said: “Contrary to many women’s beliefs, using hormonal birth control does not affect the woman’s ability to have a baby in the future.”
Aziz, who also gives health advice on the British TV show This Morning, pointed out that the pill could actually disguise problems that do affect fertility, such as irregular periods, PCOS and endometriosis.
‘I Asked the Doctor, Did the Pill Cause the Cancer?’
Sarah Graham, who lives in Liverpool, U.K., was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2021 when she was just 26, after she found a lump while checking her breasts in the shower.
She had a lumpectomy, plus 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 21 rounds of radiotherapy. Now 28 and cancer free, Graham believes her illness was down to being on the pill for 10 years.
“I had no family history of cancer at all. I had multiple genetic screenings which all came back negative, showing no new mutations. It was basically potluck,” she told Newsweek.
“They say that your chance of getting cancer is also defined by environmental factors, but my sister has never had it and we grew up together.”
She added: “When I was diagnosed, the first thing I was told was that I need to stop taking the pill because it contains hormones that will continue to feed the cancer. If I gave my body any more, it would just eat it up and make the cancer spread.”
Graham had taken the combined pill for seven years and the mini-pill for three, without any breaks. She had switched to the mini-pill because the combined tablet was giving her migraines.
After her diagnosis, she asked her doctor whether the pill had played a role, but the physician evaded her question and Graham was left feeling that the topic was “taboo.”
“I asked the doctor, did the pill cause the cancer? She just said that we can’t say yes, but I’ve got no family history of cancer, I’m so young and the only thing that I’d taken was this contraception,” she said.
Graham now talks about her experiences on social media to alert other women. “I feel like doctors offer us the pill so flippantly, because it helps with acne and heavy periods as well as protecting against pregnancy, but you should be told about the breast cancer risk.
“You should be given an informed talk, and you should be told to start checking for lumps. I probably wouldn’t be here, or I’d be in a worse state, if I didn’t check.”
Scientific research has found the combined pill can increase the risk of breast and cervical cancer and, in March this year, University of Oxford scientists reported a similar “slight increase in breast cancer risk” linked to the mini-pill.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that “an analysis of data from more than 150,000 women” who had participated in 54 studies showed that women who had used oral contraceptives had a 7 percent increased risk of breast cancer while women who were currently using oral contraceptives had a 24 percent higher risk.
This risk declines once the user has stopped taking the pill. “No risk increase was evident by 10 years after use had stopped,” according to the institute.
The NCI also points out that studies have found “the risks of endometrial, ovarian and colorectal cancers are reduced” in woman taking the pill.
Aziz pointed out that the reduced risk of ovarian cancer was particularly apparent in women who carry the harmful mutation BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
She added that most of the studies on cancer risk are observational and “unable to definitively establish the fact that exposure to the oral contraceptive may cause or prevent cancer.”
This is because women who take the pill may differ from those who don’t in many ways—and those other differences could explain the varying cancer risk.
Stock image of contraceptive pills on a pharmacy counter. The combined pill was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1960. Getty
‘I Could Have Had So Much More Out of Life’
Rylie Lane is a health and mindset coach based in Melbourne, Australia. The 27-year-old was prescribed the combined pill at 18 and stayed on it for almost nine years.
“I experienced cystic acne, mood changes, depression, anxiety, gut health issues and out-of-character reactions,” Lane told Newsweek.
“Within the first few weeks of being off the pill, I felt like a normal person again. I had so much energy and full enjoyment in life. It really felt like my real personality had been repressed for years.”
She added that she’d tried “many different things” to lift and regulate her mood, to no avail.
Looking back, she said, “I know that coming off the pill would have fixed those problems, but back then there was no education about what the pill could do to your body. I could have had so much more out of life over those years.”
She added: “The pill shouldn’t be the default mode of contraception that we’re offered.”
‘I Became Really Sad and Really Argumentative’
Kira Holli, 20, had a similar experience to Lane on the combined pill. The production assistant from Manchester, north-west England, took it for nine months between September 2020 and June 2021, before her partner pointed out how much she had changed.
“I became really sad and really argumentative too. I’m lucky, though. I feel we caught what it was doing to me early,” Holli told Newsweek.
She’s now scared to go back on any type of hormonal contraception, for fear it could have the same effects despite the different brand names.
Dr. Nathan Goodyear, medical director at Brio Medical in Arizona, told Newsweek that hormonal “contraception and mood disruptions” go hand in hand.
Although many women who stop taking the pill do so “due to intolerable side-effects such as changes in mood,” as Aziz put it, the evidence on the link is mixed.
A review of research studies, published in 2016, said it was “difficult to make strong conclusions about which CHC [combined hormonal contraception] users are at risk for adverse mood effects. Until more prospective data is available, clinicians should recognise that such effects are infrequent.”
A study of more than 1 million women in Denmark, published in November 2016, suggested adolescents who were prescribed the pill had a higher risk of developing depression, and a Swedish study this year reported similar results.
Writing about the Danish research on the Harvard Health Blog, Dr. Monique Tello said: “Should we stop prescribing hormonal birth control? No. It’s important to note that while the risk of depression among women using hormonal forms of birth control was clearly increased, the overall number of women affected was small.”
She added: “I plan to discuss this possibility with every patient when I’m counseling them about birth control, just as I would about increased risk of blood clots and, for certain women, breast cancer. In the end, every medication has potential risks and benefits.”
Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Let’s be brutally honest: Would you stick with your company if it failed to prioritize your wellbeing? You’re not alone if the answer is a resounding “no.” Workers are sending a clear message to the corporate world — wellbeing is non-negotiable. Forget the antiquated notion that a hefty paycheck is the ultimate carrot on the stick. The data is in, and it’s irrefutable: workers really care about their wellbeing and flexibility, and corporations better listen if they want to win the talent wars.
Workers are working less voluntarily
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recently released a paper that delves into why the U.S. labor market has tightened post-pandemic. It focuses on two prongs of this phenomenon: The declining number of workers and the receding number of hours those workers are willing to commit to their jobs.
In the realm of academic endeavors, one line from this paper feels like a bombshell: “Circumstantial and direct evidence indicates that the hours reduction among workers [from 2019 to 2022] is voluntary. In addition, although the reduction may have been caused by the pandemic situation, it is expected to persist.” This is not a fleeting, reactionary change. Rather, it’s an enduring shift in worker behavior and priorities, revealing a collective reassessment of what’s truly valuable in life.
This shift is most pronounced among men, particularly those with college degrees and those in their main working years. It signals that the individuals who traditionally occupied power seats in the corporate world are stepping back, reassessing their options, and consciously opting for a reality that allows them to live fuller lives outside their cubicles. And here’s where it gets interesting: It’s those men who were already logging in more hours and earning more who have chosen to pull back the most. What does that tell us? These are not decisions of necessity but are based on the realization of an unspoken need for balance, wellness and, dare we say it, happiness.
What was merely a hunch or a buzzword in corporate seminars is now backed by empirical evidence: Workers are not just saying they desire more from life than work — they are manifesting these desires through tangible actions. This act of self-determination is altering the landscape of labor availability, making this a two-edged sword. On one hand, we are moving toward a more balanced and humane concept of work; on the other, it brings about challenges of labor shortages that cannot be ignored.
In the corporate arena, this leads to a potentially seismic shift. If you are a business leader failing to account for this fundamental transformation in worker attitudes, prepare for a rude awakening. Worker wellbeing is no longer a “nice-to-have,” it’s a “must-have” if you hope to attract and retain the top-tier talent needed to fuel innovation and growth in an increasingly competitive market.
This paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis doesn’t merely add an interesting viewpoint to the dialogue about the future of work. It serves as a clarion call for the immediate reevaluation of long-held assumptions about what motivates people to commit their time and energy to an organization. The time to act is now because, as the Fed suggests, this is not a temporary phenomenon; it’s a deeply rooted, long-lasting transformation that is expected to endure. Ignore it at your own peril.
Gympass’ annual State of Work-Life Wellness Report this October has gifted us some startling figures from a survey of over 5,000 global employees that reinforce the Fed’s findings. A whopping 87% said they would consider jumping ship from a company that disregards employee wellbeing, a notable increase from 77% just a year ago. Moreover, 93% equate wellbeing with salary in terms of importance, up 10 points from last year’s 83%. The clincher? An overwhelming 96% will consider only those companies that give prime importance to employee wellbeing for their next job hunt.
When it comes to wellbeing and the workplace, there’s a myth that has long been shattered: One size fits all. In reality, our surroundings wield considerable influence on our emotional and psychological states.
Employees operating in work environments that don’t resonate with their preferences for flexibility — such as remote-capable workers forced to do in-office work due to a top-down mandate against their will — are not just mildly inconvenienced: many are categorically struggling. According to Gympass, workers who find themselves in such discordant settings are twice as likely to describe their condition as “struggling” or “really struggling” than those fortunate enough to be in their ideal work environments. Let’s pause to consider the weight of that statement. It means that a vast swath of employees are grappling with a work setup that not only affects their daily satisfaction but potentially curtails their longer-term mental wellbeing.
But the report doesn’t stop there; it draws a stark picture of how drastically our sense of wellbeing can be impacted. While 77% of employees working in their preferred flexible environments feel equipped to take care of their wellbeing, this percentage nosedives to a startling 65% for those who don’t have the luxury of such alignment. That 12% differential isn’t merely statistical noise; it’s the loud cry of an unsatisfied and disengaged workforce. And more than a third of employees wish they worked in a different work environment that aligns with their preference.
Let’s call it what it is: this is a seismic shift in employee expectations. Flexible work arrangements are no longer just attractive benefits to be dangled in front of potential hires. They have transitioned into non-negotiable components of an employment package. Why is this so vital? Because of the nexus between flexibility and wellbeing underpinning workplace satisfaction, engagement, and productivity.
And herein lies the vulnerability to cognitive biases that can hamstring effective decision-making. One major obstacle is the status quo bias, an innate preference for keeping things the way they are. Business leaders clinging to conventional work arrangements risk not just falling out of step with current trends but also substantially diminishing their appeal to top talent. Another cognitive trap is the empathy gap, wherein decision-makers underestimate the emotional needs and responses of others—particularly their employees. This bias could lead to underestimating just how essential flexibility is to staff wellbeing.
Strategies for a wellbeing-centric, flexible work ecosystem
Many corporate leaders are acutely aware of the shifting sands but often stumble when it comes to implementing concrete measures. In my consultancy, Disaster Avoidance Experts, I’ve honed in on specific strategies that businesses can adopt to make a tangible difference. The confluence of wellbeing and work flexibility is more than a passing trend; it’s the new cornerstone of sustainable, profitable operations. Here are some action steps that I strongly advocate for when serving clients.
First, it’s time to let go of your traditional “nine-to-five, in-the-office” mindset, a relic that is increasingly at odds with today’s dynamic workforce. For those still clinging to a rigid structure, this might feel like a leap into the abyss. However, the alternative is a debilitating anchoring bias — relying too heavily on the first piece of information encountered (in this case, traditional work models) when making decisions. Shake off this outdated mooring and embrace hybrid and even fully remote work options. Use this as an opportunity to gather data on productivity, engagement and wellbeing, adjusting your course as needed.
Second, pivot to a team-led model for flexibility, where collective decision-making takes precedence over a one-size-fits-all approach. Allow teams to collaboratively determine their work environment — be it remote, in-office or hybrid. This not only fosters a sense of ownership and engagement but also optimizes the unique strengths and requirements of each team. Teams can decide when face-to-face interactions are most beneficial for creative brainstorming or complex problem-solving and when remote work can maximize individual focus and productivity. This approach transcends mere optimization of individual roles; it creates an ecosystem where the team, as a cohesive unit, is empowered to make decisions that maximize its collective effectiveness.
Third, invest substantively in employee wellbeing through targeted financial support. In an era where 93% of employees view their wellbeing as equally important to salary, your investment in wellness programming is more than just an employee perk — it’s a strategic imperative. Consider offering stipends for mental health support, from licensed therapy to mindfulness apps. Subsidize fitness memberships or offer in-house wellness programs ranging from nutrition seminars to stress management workshops. Financially support ongoing education, not just in terms of professional development but also in areas that contribute to general wellbeing, such as financial literacy courses or parenting classes. By dedicating actual dollars to these initiatives, you’re not only enhancing the quality of life for your employees but also setting a cultural tone that prioritizes wellbeing as much as quarterly earnings. After all, when employees feel their wellbeing is taken seriously, they’re more engaged, productive and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Finally, for those concerned about the economic implications of reduced hours, as highlighted by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, it’s important to recognize that wellbeing and productivity often exist in a symbiotic relationship. My advice? Focus on outcomes rather than hours. Assess performance through deliverables and milestones instead of the antiquated metric of “time spent at the desk.”
These steps are not mere suggestions; consider them a call to action. Given the skyrocketing significance workers are placing on wellbeing and flexibility, executives and decision-makers can no longer afford to be passive bystanders. Your company’s relevance, appeal, and, ultimately its success are bound up in how adeptly you navigate this paradigm shift. It’s a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces, but the picture it forms is unmistakable: a more humane, flexible and productive future of work.
Conclusion
It’s not just about beanbags, free lunches or casual Fridays anymore. The Fed and Gympass data illustrate that wellbeing and flexibility are directly proportional to how engaged, happy and productive employees are. After all, who wants to give their best to a company that treats them as expendable? Your workforce is your most invaluable asset; treat them as such. It is simply illogical to expect top-tier performance from employees who feel neglected and undervalued.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of entrepreneurship, one critical yet often overlooked aspect is the workforce’s wellbeing. Where success is driven by constant innovation and growth, wellness often falls short. The barriers to investment in workplace mental and physical health remain significant.
So why do these limitations still remain? From insufficient knowledge of the best practices to scarce research on why such investments have a positive impact, this topic is still full of prejudices and stereotypes. As a result, they hinder many entrepreneurs from prioritizing this vital area of their business growth.
The growing mental strain many employees experience often drives them to lower performance, meaning the business is presented with the threat of losing its valuable workforce. At the same time, replacing an employee with a new hire is not only a logistical challenge but also a costly affair. It typically costs one-half to two times that employee’s annual pay. With talent at a premium and the competitive landscape intensifying, you can expect the financial toll to lean toward the higher end of the spectrum. This cost can go unnoticed without paying enough attention to the wellness costs of operating a business.
Undoubtedly, all entrepreneurs understand the significance of assembling a talented and motivated long-term team. However, the true impact of neglecting employees’ wellbeing on the overall success of a business is often underestimated. Fostering a healthy environment is the future of workplaces worldwide, so explore the tangible benefits of integrating it now.
The wellbeing of leaders amounts to the wellbeing of the entire team
Investment in yourself is the best investment, particularly for the people who drive the entire workforce with them. Any great organization starts from a leader; similarly, the leader’s wellbeing and resilience directly impact that business’s success. Here are a few ways that a leader’s wellness affects the bigger picture:
1. Improving retention rates
This is not evident, but investing in leaders’ health also indirectly impacts employee retention rates. When leaders show genuine care and support for their team members’ mental and emotional wellbeing, it fosters job satisfaction and loyalty. Employees are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover and retaining top talent.
2. Prioritizing human-centered approach
A human-centered approach is essential when building a business. Being mindful of their own wellbeing allows leaders to understand their team better and be more empathetic and connected to them. For example, 10 people who joined BetterMe right from the start are still a part of the team years later.
3. Leading effectively in challenging times
Leaders who prioritize their stability possess the skills needed to navigate difficult situations. They can manage stress, make informed decisions, and stay composed under pressure. Resilience enables them to guide their teams through challenging times, inspiring confidence and giving energy to overcome fear.
Making wellness a priority: Let’s talk numbers
Prioritizing wellness and resilience in leadership development is not just a good idea on paper. It has proven to yield substantial returns on investment (ROI) for organizations. Multiple case studies give insight into workplace wellness’s positive, tangible benefits to employee engagement, productivity and overall business growth.
Let’s take research conducted by Gallup, a leading analytics and advisory company, as an example. Its study reveals a strong correlation between employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives. Companies with high employee engagement experience significant benefits, reporting 41% lower absenteeism rates and 17% higher productivity. These findings show a direct correlation between such targeted initiatives and business performance. Research proves it’s an important metric to start taking seriously.
BetterMe, with its headquarters in a country amid war and crisis, provides a compelling case study of how prioritizing wellness and resilience in leadership development can lead to exceptional growth, even in challenging circumstances. Despite the adversity, the BetterMe team members demonstrated innovation and creativity in providing solutions for customers worldwide. As a result, the company experienced significant financial and headcount growth in 2022, reaching an impressive 20%.
This case again shows that crises can be both tests and opportunities for growth. It only emphasizes how organizations handle challenging situations. By investing in leadership development programs prioritizing wellness and resilience, companies can equip their leaders with the skills to navigate crises effectively, manage their energy better (not time), and drive business growth.
As the topic of corporate wellness continues to grow, organizations are seeking ways to measure the impact of wellness tools on leadership effectiveness. Seeing the evidence can help them realize the potential benefits and make an informed decision toward that first step.
One effective way to measure the impact of wellness tools on leadership effectiveness is through ROI analysis. According to Deloitte, companies implementing wellness programs for three or more years achieved a median yearly ROI of $2.18 CA (estimated $1.65 USD). We cannot argue with numbers — the benefits are evident.
As the CEO of BetterMe, I myself can serve as an example for all these findings. Through consultations with various companies, I have observed a considerable demand for reliable and engaging corporate wellness programs. Simply put, wellness is a hot topic in the business world. With a potential boost of over 50%, it becomes clear that the returns on investing in wellness are worth serious consideration.
Seeing the indisputable benefits of integrating the employees’ wellbeing as one of the business priorities, a few industry professionals can remain indifferent. Whether you’re a manager, a business, or a team leader – hop on that train. Explore new possibilities for growing a prosperous, healthy workforce by all means to build better businesses.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There’s quite a lot of dialogue about employees’ mental health taking place now in the corporate world — the importance of prioritizing wellbeing, making work a safe place to be and shifting the expectation away from dangerous stress and burnout.
But how much is really changing?
While workplace discourse may be shifting to acknowledge the importance of employee mental health, many are just paying lip service to it. What we don’t want – and what I sometimes fear – is that mental health awareness is becoming the latest trend without a real deep connection to how to support the workforce best. With a doctorate in psychology, more than 20 years of expertise as a psychologist, and 12 years as a coach and trainer, I am seeing firsthand little change in large organizations. Unfortunately, what continues is the negative impact on employees from working in environments where their mental wellbeing is not a priority.
In 2023, the Workforce Institute at UKG surveyed 3,400 people across 10 countries and found that two-thirds of employees would accept reduced pay for a job that better supports their mental health. They found that managers impact employees’ mental health (69%) more than doctors (51%) and spouses (69%). Even the 2022 Gallup State of the Global Workplace survey data found that 60% of people are emotionally detached at work – with 19% saying they’re “miserable” and 44% experiencing stress “a lot.” Interestingly, they found that employees who are “engaged but not thriving” have a 61% higher likelihood of ongoing burnout than those who are “engaged and thriving.”
Supervisors micromanaging their employees’ workday is a crucial issue impacting employees’ mental health. Having someone sit at your shoulder all the time and not trusting you to execute your tasks causes increased stress and anxiety for people – yet in the U.S., a study in 2020 revealed 64% of employees felt micromanaged. As leaders, developing a trusting relationship with your employees is essential. Employees and their managers will never establish a culture of trust if micromanaging is taking place.
Something needs to change.
We already know that a mentally and emotionally healthy workforce is essential for a company’s success and long-term sustainability. Focusing on wellbeing fosters a positive work environment, improving productivity and reducing absenteeism. And when employees feel valued, they’re more likely to remain with the company longer. We know that high employee retention rates contribute to lower recruitment and training costs and a more experienced and cohesive team. It’s a no-brainer: we need a “people-first” culture.
So, how do we make the workplace a safe place for people to get the support they need?
Having a people-first workplace culture focused on flexibility, wellbeing and support is one that does not prioritize working their employees to exhaustion and burnout.
Many companies say they’re committed to supporting mental health in the workplace, yet that’s not what they’re modeling. Instead, they’re modeling working 60 hours a week and seemingly expecting that if management adds ten items to your to-do list, you must prioritize every single one, immediately. Many employees won’t say no because they fear getting fired. There needs to be alignment between what companies say they will do and what they are actually doing.
How can leaders and their organizations make meaningful change, and what does that look like?
1. Ensure wellbeing is an integrated part of company culture
Wellbeing and mental health are ongoing areas that must remain priorities. How do companies show employees they care? Mental health support should be part of an ongoing, ever-evolving commitment in the workplace that develops and adapts to the evolving needs of the employees.
What policies do you have in place as a leadership team? How does the culture encourage wellbeing right now? What needs changing, what needs supporting and what needs to stop? Don’t think of wellbeing inclusion as a “quick fix.” Assess your current policies and discuss how they may need to be improved.
Creating a Mental Health at Work Charter is one way to solidify your organization’s commitment. Tailor it to align with the business model, and it will serve as a roadmap to achieve better mental health outcomes for employees. Try starting with what you plan to do each year – and don’t forget to include time to reevaluate and gather feedback from employees on what they believe the company can do to support them.
One option might be to communicate that mental health sick days are valid in your company. Taking a mental health day when things seem too much could mean an employee avoids burnout. Some companies in the U.S. offer once-a-month “self-care days” to their staff, which doesn’t come out of their vacation allowance, but gives employees an extra “free” day off to take time out for themselves.
Another option may be assessing your flexible working policy. Since the pandemic began, companies now proudly display their “hybrid” policies on job advertisements — but requiring people to come into the office four days a week on specific days, with one day from home, isn’t true flexibility. What is your policy, and does it really support people’s needs?
2. Seek to understand the needs of your employees
Employees with diagnosed mental health or neurodivergent conditions often fear discrimination or bias or are concerned about stigma. To create a safe and inclusive environment, organizations should provide training and education on mental health and neurodiversity for managers and leaders, and ensure policies and practices are in place to prevent discrimination and bias. Managing a diverse workforce well involves learning about these differences and how they impact interpersonal relationships, communication, productivity and wellbeing.
Support can come in many forms, but what is it that your workforce needs? This is best decided by speaking directly to your employees or doing a staff survey, to explore which parts of the culture are seen as conducive to mental wellbeing and what needs improving.
Companies could also use mental health ambassadors to create focus groups around what they believe the company can or could do to improve its commitment. Once you have a working group, you could set up monthly workshops on different themes: belonging, inclusivity, mental health days and burnout. It’ll bring people together and gather honest feedback.
3. Lead by example
Modeling healthy behaviors is a crucial step in prioritizing mental wellbeing at work. Many employees may be told they don’t need to work late or answer emails on the weekend – but if they see their manager doing so, they take that as a hint that it’s the best way to be at work. It’s no good saying you support mental wellbeing and a healthy work-life balance if you don’t model it. But by doing so, your staff will feel it’s acceptable to prioritize self-care and set boundaries.
Don’t worry so much about improving your team’s mental health that you forget about your own. Let them know if you’re leaving early to get some much-needed downtime. Remind them that you go for a walk in the middle of the day to gain some clarity (plus exercise and fresh air), or let them know when you’re entirely switching off your emails and laptop in the evenings and for your vacation.
4. Create a culture of connection
An excellent way to commit to an ongoing conversation about mental health in the workplace is to build and nurture a culture of connection through check-ins. You may already have one-to-ones with your employees — but how are these usually structured? Perhaps an update on their weekly tasks, deadlines and ideas for the future?
Consider making mental health a part of these meetings. A study between Mind Share Partners, SAP, and Qualtrics in 2020 found that 41% of employees wanted their manager to ask them about their mental health and wellbeing. Of course, your job isn’t to be their counselor, but you can listen, learn, and identify if additional support is needed.
A simple “How are you really doing?” or “What concerns do you have about work or outside work?” Let them know they can come to you if they have any worries or stressors, and you can work together to address their concerns.
As always, an investment in mental health — like any investment into a company’s culture — takes time. But it also requires the whole company’s deep commitment and belief that it’s needed. By investing in the wellbeing of their workforce, businesses benefit in many ways, ensuring long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.
24¾ Adventures to help the 50 Million Americans Experiencing Mental Health Issues
LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Netflix and Discovery+ host Leon Logothetis will release his new book, Go Be Brave: 24¾ Adventures for a Fearless, Wise, and Truly Magnificent Life. The book encourages readers to fight for their voice and find ways to free themselves from unhealthy labels we tend to place on ourselves and society, including mental health stigmas, bullying, and trauma. His own journey of self-discovery inspires Logothetis’ book as he learned to be brave in order to overcome mental health obstacles in his own life.
His book comes at a crucial time, with over 50 million Americans experiencing a mental health illness. “The key is to be brave,” says Logothetis. “I want readers to know that it is OK not to be OK. It’s OK not always to be strong. Through my years traveling around the world with no money to my name, relying solely on the kindness of strangers, I found that true bravery is when you know you need to ask for help. When we speak our truth.”
Go Be Brave takes readers on 24¾ adventures, with bravery exercises to start becoming more confident and courageous, arming them with the bravery skills to make life what they intended it to be. Leon, who also struggled with years of bullying, trauma, along with mental health issues, serves as the tour guide throughout.
Why everyone should get mad: The five lessons of anger, towards understanding that anger is simply fear turned inside out.
Learn to say “yes” to adventure, and embrace saying “no” to things that don’t serve you.
How finding a bravery buddy is the interpersonal connection we need to experience deep change.
Start writing in a “truth diary” – where you get a safe place to finally speak your truth.
Logothetis has made a successful career out of inspiring others around the world through his popular NETFLIX show, The Kindness Diaries (now airing on Discovery+). He believes that bravery isn’t something you either have or don’t have — it’s something you can learn over time with practice and dedication. “It takes courage every day to step into the unknown and speak our truths,” says Logothetis. “But if we do it together, we can all become brave emotional warriors.”
Go Be Brave offers readers an opportunity for transformation by guiding them through steps towards embracing vulnerability and taking risks in order to live with joy rather than fear. By teaching readers how to be brave enough to confront their issues head-on, the book provides a path forward for those struggling with fear and doubt.
Logothetis hopes this book will serve as a beacon of hope for those who feel trapped — giving them back control over their lives by helping them see that they can conquer anything they set their minds on. With Go Be Brave, readers can begin the process of healing while finding strength within themselves along the way.
For more information on Leon Logothetis and his new book Go Be Brave, visit www.leonlogothetis.com.
About Leon Logothetis
Before Leon Logothetis became a global adventurer, TV host, motivational speaker, and best-selling author, he was living an uninspired and disconnected life as a broker in London. On the outside, it looked like he had it all. But inside, he was chronically depressed. He decided to do something radical about it – give it all up for a life on the road. He embarked on an adventure around the globe, fueled by the receiving and giving of kindness. For over a decade, he has traveled to over 100 countries and to every continent. He’s documented his experiences through his best-selling books and TV shows. Leon has devoted his life to inspiring the world with his message of kindness and hope.
