The State Your Team Is In Matters More Than You Think
We ask people to innovate.
To collaborate.
To solve complex problems.
To lead with empathy.
To make thoughtful decisions under pressure.
But we rarely stop to ask one important question:
What state are they in when they're doing it?
The Hidden Cost of Chronic Stress
Many employees don't arrive at work feeling calm, focused, and ready to perform. They arrive already carrying the weight of chronic stress.
According to Gallup, nearly one in three employees report feeling burned out very often or always. Burnout is associated with higher absenteeism, lower confidence in performance, and increased turnover.
Yet we continue trying to solve the problem with more information: another training, another presentation, another meeting.
Information has value.
But information alone doesn't change physiology.
Our physiological state influences how we think, communicate, connect, and perform.
Imagine you were being wheeled into the emergency room.
Would you want your doctor making critical decisions while mentally exhausted, emotionally depleted, distracted, and operating on autopilot?
Of course not.
Yet every day, we ask leaders, healthcare professionals, teachers, first responders, pilots, and employees across every industry to solve complex problems while carrying the weight of chronic stress.
The state we're in matters.
It's Not Motivation. It's Biology.
When we're operating in a chronically activated sympathetic nervous system—our "fight or flight" response—our brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do: keep us safe.
The challenge is that survival isn't the ideal state for creativity, strategic thinking, collaboration, innovation, or thoughtful decision-making.
Our attention diminishes.
We become more reactive.
Decisions are made irrationally from fear instead of a sharp or creative standpoint.
Why? We have less capacity to regulate emotions, connect with others, and see the bigger picture.
It's not a lack of motivation.
It's biology.
This is why nervous system regulation has become such an important conversation.
The goal isn't to eliminate stress.
The goal is to help the nervous system become more adaptable—able to move into stress when needed and back into a regulated state once the challenge has passed.
That's where resilience lives.
Why Experiences Matter
This is also why experiences matter.
Meaningful experiences don't just engage the mind.
They engage the body.
Whether it's sound, mindfulness, breathwork, gentle movement, or time in nature, these practices invite people to experience a different state—not just learn about one.
Breathing slows.
Muscles soften.
The mind becomes quieter.
The body begins to recognize what calm actually feels like.
And the body remembers that feeling.
With consistent practice over time, the nervous system becomes more familiar with regulation, making it easier to return there when life inevitably becomes stressful again.
This is one reason experiential wellness can be so powerful.
It doesn't simply provide information.
It creates an experience people can feel.
As someone who facilitates nervous system regulation experiences in organizations, I've witnessed this firsthand.
The comments I hear aren't usually about the instruments.
They're about the shift.
"I haven't taken a full breath in weeks."
"My mind finally became quiet."
"I forgot what calm felt like."
Those moments matter.
Because when people experience a different state, they remember it.
And from that place, they often think more clearly, communicate more effectively, collaborate more openly, and make better decisions.
A New Way to Think About Workplace Wellness
Organizations don't need more overwhelmed high performers.
They need more opportunities for people to access the state that allows high performance to emerge.
Because the state your team is in influenceseverything that follows.
When we invest in helping people regulate their nervous systems, we're not simply supporting wellbeing.
We're creating the conditions for healthier people, stronger teams, better leadership, and more sustainable performance.
Perhaps the next question leaders should ask isn't:
"What else do our employees need to know?"
Perhaps it's:
"What state are they in while they're trying to do their best work?"
If this article resonated with you, I invite you to continue the conversation on workplace wellbeing and creating experiences that help people thrive.
Connect with me to explore what's possible together.
References:
Gallup. How to Prevent Employee Burnout.
World Health Organization. Burn-out an occupational phenomenon. (ICD-11)