Your Body = Your Workplace Culture
THE BODY IS PRESENT 100% OF THE TIME.
When I teach yoga, I tell my students, pay attention to the sensations in the body. Sensations are good, pain is not. Move in a way that makes sense for you. You should know your body better than anyone else but sometimes we miss the signs.
This idea that the body is present 100% of the time, is not applicable to just yoga practitioners. This morning, I woke up to a sore throat. I caught a cold. As I think back to last night, I noticed that I was a bit congested. I thought it was related to the wine I was enjoying. My body was sending me signals. I noticed but chalked it up to tannins in the wine, a known allergen to many. Think about this for a moment, when you stub your toe, ouch! When you are hungry, your stomach growls. In these examples, your body is present. These sensations are commonly noticed but what about the more subtle ones? Dry, brittle hair, hair loss, tension headaches, night teeth grinding. Why is this happening to your body? I promise you, there is an underlying issue. This is likely the sympathetic system or “fight or flight” in us that is activated when we are under pressure or undue stress.
Pressure
Pressure is different for everyone. What causes me stress may be quite different for another. Certainly we adapt and through experience we learn different coping mechanisms, yoga and meditation is one that works for me. Sometimes it is more than that. Sometimes there is a systemic issue that needs addressing. It is my responsibility to take care of me but if the workplace culture is such that absenteeism and health issues are on the rise, this needs looking at. As a leader you may want to consider asking these questions:
How productive are your employees?
How engaged are your employees?
How do your employees behave at work? Have you noticed a difference?
Is there an increase in employee turn-over?
In short, are you seeing supporting data that the workplace culture may need addressing?
Presence of the Body
Let’s bring this idea that the body is present 100% of the time to the workplace. Let’s suggest the body in this case, is the work environment and that sensation is good as it relates to your workplace culture. Sensation would look like healthy conversations, diverse opinions and an environment where it is a safe place to share. Sounds like a great place to work doesn’t it? On the opposite end of the scale, we have pain in the body or the workplace. This is a workplace full of betrayal, lack of trust, fear-based tactics, an oppressive workplace with a disengaged workforce. These behaviours or pain points will manifest itself in different ways, presenteeism (at work but not productive), inability to counter opinions, feeling unheard, unacknowledged and unappreciated. The latter will be disruptive to your workplace. You will see an increase in medical costs. You will see an increase in absenteeism. You will see a loss in talent. If any of these symptoms are on the rise, it is time to pay attention. The body is present 100% of the time.
Book some time with Mindful HR Services to discuss how we can support the development of a healthier workplace culture and re-instill faith (because we know you do) with key stakeholders that you care about your team, your clients and your business.