July wellbeing newsletter
July’s newsletter explores the relationship between self-care, wellbeing and effectiveness at work.
I’ve based this article on a brilliant new book called “Transcend” by positive psychologist researcher Scott Barry Kaufman.
Research indicates that people who display “Light triad” behaviours at work tend to have a healthy relationship with self-care and strongly value their wellbeing.
Light triad behaviours include the following:
Fairness - growth in colleagues, thinking of others
- I don’t feel comfortable overtly manipulating people to do something I want
- I prefer honesty over charm
- When I talk to people, I am rarely thinking about what I want from them
- I want to be authentic even if it sometimes damages my reputation
Faith in humanity - belief in fundamental human goodness
- I tend to see the best in people
- I think people are mostly good
- I tend to forgive people when they hurt me
- I tend to trust that other people will treat me fairly
Humanism - valuing the dignity and worth of each individual
- I tend to treat others as valuable
- I tend to admire others
- I tend to applaud the success of other people
- I enjoy listening to people from all walks of life
Light triad people and their relationship with self-care
Research shows that people who often exhibit light triad behaviours tend to experience less stress than those who are more upbeat, creative, resilient, productive and emotionally intelligent.
And, perhaps surprisingly, despite being available to others, considerate and helpful, they also tend to have strong boundaries and are no pushovers or door mats. Instead, they invest in their wellbeing and prioritise their career development and life goals.
Consider the healthy self-care scale questions below. “Light triad” behaviour people tend to place great importance on investing in their health and wellbeing. And then, consider what small steps you could take to invest in your wellbeing.
The backdrop to this is stress and anxiety at work coupled with the cost-of-living crisis. In a recent Employmeto survey of 22,000 people, over half said they had felt burnt out at work in the last three months!
And most of us will feel the pressures of inflation and the cycles of covid waves. Work pressure, tight budgets and low energy levels can be significant barriers to investing in your wellbeing. So, this is a call to action to take small, low-cost wellbeing measures:
- Take regular nature/dog walk /light breaks throughout the day
- Schedule meetings with yourself if you are in an office or work from home
- Exercise or go for walks with friends
- Reflect on your recent achievements at work and keep your CV up to date
- Discuss boundary setting with colleagues and practise push back
