Making Wellbeing Work

What is the value of connecting with your colleagues? In the end, you go to work to get things done and to earn a living, not to make friends. While this may be true, we know nowadays that even if we don’t go looking for long-lasting friendships at work, being able to connect with others on a human level influences performance, engagement and workplace wellbeing. In this episode we talk about what it means to connect with peers, managers, colleagues and subordinates at work, and we shine a light on how all connections start with the individual, allowing for emotional regulation with the other, and eventually affecting how (well) we work. Listen in to understand where you may start re-/connecting. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources: Carr, E. W. (2021, December 21). The value of belonging at work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/12/the-value-of-belonging-at-work IE Insights. (2023, February 16). The Wisdom of our Nervous System | IE Insights. https://www.ie.edu/insights/articles/the-wisdom-of-our-nervous-system/#

Stress is everywhere… and all of us have our opinions on how best  to deal with it. But what exactly is stress?!? In this episode's conversation we dig into how stress is not the same for everyone and how it is our biology that triggers the stress response in the brain and body. We will discuss how you can lead yourself in moments of stress and beyond, thus  increasing your self-awareness of stress, which will allow you to enter a path of building more resilience - for yourself and others. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources / Further Reading: Kim, J., Diamond, D. The stressed hippocampus, synaptic plasticity and lost memories. Nat Rev Neurosci 3, 453–462 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn849 Palmer, S., Cooper, C., & Thomas, K. (2004). A model of work stress to underpin the Health and Safety Executive advice for tackling work-related stress. . . ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335022296_A_model_of_work_stress_to_underpin_the_Health_and_Safety_Executive_advice_for_tackling_work-related_stress_and_stress_risk_assessments Sapolsky, R. M. (1998). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, 2nd Edition: An Updated Guide To Stress, Stress Related Diseases, and Coping. W. H. Freeman.

We do not often consider our nervous system as wise - in fact, we spend little time thinking about our nervous system at all! In this episode we dive into how our autonomic nervous system often operates outside our conscious reasoning, which has a major  impact on how we view the world and how we react to it.  We dive into the polyvagal theory and talk about what ‘nervous system safety’ means at work, leaving our listeners with insight on how the state of the nervous system influences relationships, performance, and overall work and life.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources: https://www.ie.edu/insights/articles/the-wisdom-of-our-nervous-system/

Following on from our previous discussion on relationships at work, we use this episode to discuss a foundational element to healthy human interactions - Emotional Maturity. With emotional maturity we can successfully navigate disagreement, have open discussions, and manage healthy conflict without creating winners or losers or challenging the integrity of the other.  Our personalities and communication styles may be very different, and at times we may be dealing with less emotionally mature individuals,  the awareness of which is a  stepping stone to self- and team development. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources: Gibson, L. C. (2023). Disentangling from Emotionally Immature People: Avoid Emotional Traps, Stand Up for Your Self, and Transform Your Relationships As an Adult Child of Emotionally Immature Parents.

As human beings we need human connections, and yet, challenges between people are inherent in our relationships. In the workplace we find ourselves in relationships we have not chosen, with people whose company we might enjoy - or not.  We may find it hard to manage differing opinions, and can struggle working in the team we are in.  In this episode we discuss how understanding some of the drivers in human behaviour can make it easier to manage relationships at work and find perspective in disagreements. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/

Managing people is no easy job. We acknowledge that. Sometimes we end up working for managers that have harmful personalities falling into the so-called "dark tetrad", that include narcissism, machiavellianism, psychopathology and sadism. In our conversation we focus on narcissism, acknowledging the rise of narcissistic tendencies in the workplace. We share thoughts on how they can affect you, as well as what measures you can take to best protect yourself. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources: Spain, S. M., Harms, P. D., & Wood, D. (2016). Stress, Well-Being, and the Dark Side of Leadership. Research in Occupational Stress and Well-Being, 33–59. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-355520160000014002 Paulhus, D. L., & Williams, K. M. (2002). The dark triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Journal of Research in Personality, 36(6), 556-563. doi: 10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00505-6 Babiak, P., & Hare, R. D. (2006). Snakes in suits: When psychopaths go to work. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Many of us consider the brain the most important of our vital organs, but rarely do we spend time thinking about how we influence its functioning (for better or worse) with our daily habits.  In this episode we take a closer look at the brain at work - from a biological and evolutionary angle. We discuss how wellbeing is made in the brain and how brain-wellbeing and cognitive power are inextricably related. We leave you with some thoughts on how you might attend to your brain’s wellbeing more consciously, thus enhancing cognitive abilities for yourself and your team.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources:Mort, S. (2021). A Manual for Being Human [Book]. Simon & Schuster Ltd.

In this episode we discuss the ROI of mental wellbeing initiatives in the workplace.  We dig into whether it is possible to reliably defend the case for mental health tools with lasting effect, wanting to leave listeners with the conviction that investing in mental wellbeing initiatives not only benefits employees, but can also lead to improved organisational outcomes and improved individual and business performance. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/focus-areas/brain-health/employee-mental-health-and-well-being https://action.deloitte.com/insight/2274/interested-in-a-5x-roi-consider-mental-wellness-initiatives

What do you think of as ‘wellbeing’?  How ‘well’ we feel rests on physical, emotional and mental factors.  In this episode we highlight how overall wellbeing is hugely variable and operates on a spectrum, where the interdependence of body & mind cannot be ignored. We discuss how knowledge about human and personal wellbeing put us in a position of choice when it comes to responding to outside circumstance. We want to leave you feeling empowered to take charge of your wellbeing! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources: World Health Organization. (2019). Mental health in the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/mental_health/in_the_workplace/en/ Forbes Health (2022, May 25). 4 Signs It May Be Time To Seek Professional Mental Health Help. https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/professional-mental-help/ Richard J. Davidson (2012) The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live - and How You Can Change Them.

This episode is aimed at helping organisations ‘get started’ with building sustainable workplace wellbeing cultures, embedded in the well-known structures of managing health & safety at work, without overburdening budgets. We look at a five-step-approach that organisations can follow to systematically address workplace wellbeing.  No shortcuts, no wellbeing washing, but a way to build company culture on a foundation that holds all initiatives around psychosocial health & safety, leading to psychological safety, diversity, equity & inclusion, based on the model of ‘Prevent, Protect, Promote & Support’ advocated by the WHO and ILO.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-harkonen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-jane-wood/ Websites: https://innerwork.world/ https://engage2evolve.com/ Resources: World Health Organization (2022). Guidelines on Mental Health at Work https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052 WHO/ILO joint policy brief of mental health at  work briefhttps://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_856821/lang--en/index.htm Psychosocial risks and stress at work https://osha.europa.eu/en/themes/psychosocial-risks-and-stress Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem? (2022) https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/addressing-employee-burnout-are-you-solving-the-right-problem