Wellbeing: The Presence of Vitality

Moving beyond what we're trying to prevent and toward what we want people to experience.

We talk a lot about workplace wellbeing in terms of what we're trying to reduce: burnout, stress, exhaustion, disengagement and turnover.

And of course, these things matter.

But what if, instead of focusing primarily on what we want people to experience less of, we also asked:

What do we want people to experience more of?

What We Add Matters

Over the past 25 years of teaching different ways to live better and live well, I've learned something that has shaped much of my approach to wellbeing:

I focus far more on what we're adding than what we're taking away.

Focusing on what we have to eliminate can create resistance, deprivation or the feeling that there's yet another thing we're doing wrong.

Instead, we can create space for something better to enter.

We add nourishing foods, movement, time outside, rest, meaningful connection, practices that regulate the nervous system, moments of stillness, beauty, creativity and experiences that bring us joy.

As we add more of what genuinely supports us, the things that don't serve us often begin to naturally take up less space.

We don't always have to force them out. We create the conditions for something better to take their place.

What If We Applied This to the Workplace?

Much of the workplace wellbeing conversation understandably centers around preventing negative outcomes.

How do we prevent burnout? Reduce stress? Improve retention? Address disengagement?

All important questions.

But I think there's another one worth asking:

What are we actively creating?

Creating a culture of wellbeing isn't simply about adding a meditation class or another wellness benefit to someone's already-full calendar. It's also about looking at the conditions in which people are being asked to work.

Can people rest when they're sick instead of feeling pressure to show up anyway?

Can someone step away, reset and return with greater clarity?

Are we measuring contribution primarily by hours spent working, or are we creating conditions that allow people to work smarter and more effectively?

Are there opportunities for movement, nature, meaningful connection, creativity, reflection and genuine recovery?

This is where we begin to move from simply trying to prevent burnout to creating the conditions for vitality.

Vitality Changes How We Work

When people feel better, they have more available to give.

A person who feels rested, regulated, connected and energized has greater capacity for clarity, focus, creativity, communication, decision-making and meaningful connection.

They can work smarter. Think more clearly. Solve problems more creatively. Connect more authentically. Be more present for the people around them.

This is why I don't see wellbeing and performance as separate conversations.

Supporting the human being supports the work they're capable of doing.

Rather than forcing people toward productivity through more hours, more pressure or more expectations, what if we created environments that helped them feel well enough to do their best work?

The goal isn't to make people work more.

It's to create conditions where people have more of themselves available when they are working.

What Are We Creating More Of?

Perhaps the next evolution of workplace wellbeing isn't another attempt to eliminate everything that's going wrong.

Maybe it's becoming much more intentional about what we're creating space for.

More energy. More connection. More restoration. More creativity. More meaning. More opportunities to pause and regulate. More experiences that remind people what it feels like to feel genuinely well.

Because when we intentionally add the things that help human beings thrive, some of the things we've been trying so hard to prevent may begin to shift naturally as a result.

So alongside asking:

What are we trying to prevent?

Maybe we begin asking:

What are we helping people experience more of?

And what might become possible, for our people and our organizations, if vitality became part of how we define wellbeing?