Workplace wellbeing and why it matters to the earth.

As a For-Purpose Organisation, you already have the answers you need to have an impact. You just need help sustaining yourself while doing it.

In psychology, we encourage people to think a lot about their family of origin, because we know that the relationship of a child with their main caregivers provides a blueprint for every relationship they will subsequently have in their life. Being able to put a narrative to your family of origin story (i.e. being able understand your attachment and why your parents did what they did) is all that is required to start to shift present day patterns. In other words, understand your primary relationship, and you inadvertently heal your current relationships. Prioritising self-healing, self-compassion and self-understanding may not be easy, but it is easily one of the most effective ways to positively impact everything and everyone else around us in an effortless way.  

Through my work and study in the fields of psychology, mindfulness and behavioural neuroscience, I’ve come to understand the immense role our mental state and emotions play in our personal lives, our workplaces and our overall decision making. The truth is, every business decision we make in 2024 and beyond really matters. Especially if we are in a position of privilege and power. These days, business decisions have the potential to impact not only us, but people across the other side of the globe we will never meet, and environments we may never be able to reclaim once they are destroyed.  

Everyone is often spouting the mantra, ‘focus on helping others, and you’ll live a fulfilling life’. I truly believe it’s the other way around. Focusing on developing your own inner expansion changes how you interact and care for the external world instantaneously. 

When we learn how to truly look after ourselves we start living in an expansive state.

Not only does this help us to be happy and positively impact others, it also helps us to make good decisions.

Expansive people make long-reaching, considered decisions that benefit the many. Contractive people make self-serving, short-reaching decisions that benefit their ‘in-group’ only.

Indigenous Australian elders, some of the most connected, attuned and present of us all, speak of weighing a decision based on it’s impact on seven future generations. What a phenomenally expansive approach.  

We all have the potential to leave this world better than how we found it, and we all deserve to live happy, healthy, fulfilled lives while doing it. 

Emily Toner is a clinical psychologist and wellbeing expert who helps purpose-driven organisations get expansive. Book a workshop with Emily here.