WELLBEING STRATEGIST

Kasia R is the CEO of WellBeing Strategist whose stated aim is to inspire freedom-loving entrepreneurs to live and work better. We first caught up with Kasia at the Audio Show Deluxe event in March where we experienced a rather relaxing and invigorating “gong bath”. As part of our “Slow Down” “campaign”, Not Boring by HiFi PiG caught up with her to find out more.

NB: The modern workplace is a stressful environment; how do you believe modern work practices are contributing to negative mental health in workers?

KR: Modern workplaces are part of a hustle culture, which creates a sense of relentless pursuit, where individuals feel pressured to constantly push themselves to the limits. Modern workplaces are driven by generating profit, glorification of entrepreneurship, embracing the fast lane of life powered by ever changing and developing technology and adherence to the norms of society and environment. All those factors create tremendous pressure on people, not only to perform, but outperform, to be better than others, to have more power, status measured in material goods and number of followers. The result of functioning in such an environment is burnout and stress, neglected self-care, comparison and lowered sense of self-worth, overall lack of balance.

NB: Is stress in the workplace inevitable?

KR: Yes, just like existence of stress in life is inevitable. Stress is a natural element of life, it plays a very important role in adaptation. Our bodies are designed to respond to stressors by activating a physiological response known as the “fight-or- flight” response. This response is a mechanism that prepares us to deal with potential threats or challenges in our environment.

When we experience stress, our body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol which increase heart rate, blood pressure, and energy levels. This physiological response helps us become more alert, focused, and responsive to the situation at hand. It can enhance our performance and enable us to cope with difficult or demanding circumstances. Stress also acts as a motivational factor. It can provide a sense of urgency and push us to overcome obstacles, achieve goals, and adapt to new situations. When faced with stress, we often mobilize our resources, both physical and mental, to find solutions and grow from the experience.

NB: We have all heard a colleague at some point or other use the phrase “I work best under pressure”. Do you believe that some people do perform more effectively with a degree of pressure, or do you think that this is a short-term effect that will eventually lead to burn out.

KR: Definitely. Just like I mentioned before, we need stress to push ourselves, to think, perform, come up with solutions, these are the modern equivalents of “fight-or-fight” which basically determines our survival. Occasional events when we experience stress are helpful, as they push us to get things done, overcome fear and gather up the courage, just like in a situation of public speaking. The average person who is not doing it regularly will experience tremendous stage fright and will be stressed, for a minute or two and then when he or she realises that going out on stage doesn’t kill them, then they relax. The prob- lem starts when people continuously function under pressure, then it turns into chronic stress, which has negative impact on our bodies and minds.

NB: What are the tell tales signs of an individual becoming stressed?

KR: Stress can have physical, emotional and behavioural signs. Physical signs include faster heartbeat, shallow breathing, sweating, redness around neck and face, tunnel vision, muscle tension. Emotional signs: irritability, changes of mood, increased sensitivity, even low self-esteem. On the behavioural front the signs of stress include: social isolation, avoiding eye contact, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, procrastination, sense of overwhelm which leads to reduced productivity and inaction.

NB: Many individuals “cope” with stress with unhealthy and often self-damaging behaviours (I’m thinking drink, drugs and other short-term fixes), how do you address a person who is in this cycle of behaviour and get them to change to more healthy strategies?

KR: The fastest way is through reprogramming the mind. To free yourself from the causes of stress and frustration at the core level. Self-damaging behaviours such as binge drinking are simply an attempt to reduce the pain we experience inside. The pain is caused by an emotion such as sadness, resentment, frustration. Drinking is a socially accepted way of attempting to resolve the problem. It doesn’t work in the long run, what is worse it contributes to chances of developing addiction.

NB: What healthy strategies do you think should people have in their daily lives to help?

KR: Run towards your problems, not away from them. If you are feeling triggered when comparing yourself to others for example, stop for one minute and think about it. You may feel worthless because you are not as slim, rich or popular as others. We all have these unsupportive beliefs, such as “ I am not good enough”, which are created in early childhood and we carry them like a luggage through our lives. Instead of stopping, unpacking and releasing the unnecessary baggage, which can be done when working with a mental health specialist, most people drink to momentarily feel better, even though they know and dislike the physical consequences such as a hangover. The healthy strategies I would recommend, aside from raising the awareness and collaborating with a trusted mental health specialist are finding healthy ways of coping with daily stress such as physical ac-tivity, could be running, swimming, practicing yoga etc.

Other ones are embracing mindfulness and meditation practices. They will help you feel grounded and present in the moment and avoid overthinking and worry.

NB: Do you think workplaces should be doing more to create spaces that are less detrimental to mental health? If so, how can they do this without affect-ing productivity and the bottom line?

KR: The obvious answer is yes and it has to be done in a right way. Often, the practices that are implemented by workplaces or HR departments are inadequate for the needs of people or disjointed from reality. Personally, I am a big believer in resolving issues at the root level, instead of treating symptoms. Frequently the root of the problems which cause stress and overwhelm and lead to burnout are unrealistic expectations. Employees are not honest in how much they can take on or how skilled they are to complete required tasks and employers are assuming that things will magically get done without supervision, clearly stated expectations or tools required for the tasks.

Everything starts from having a clear idea of what needs to get done in order to achieve the desired goal, the next step is bringing the right people in, providing good onboarding and training, maintaining a good flow of communication, clearly stating requirements and providing necessary tools to get things done. What I often see is a mismatch in expectations and input from the employer.

Decision makers who employ people without the required skills or experience, who are put into jobs without proper training or support and are left to themselves and are expected to perform at their best and be productive. Another mistake of employers is not involving employees in the decision making process, which makes them feel isolated and disregarded, instead of engaged and motivated.

NB: What triggers cause you personally to become stressed?

KR: I don’t think I differ from others, as what causes my stress is being overloaded with work, juggling multiple projects, family relationships, expectations that derive from comparisons, especially in the are- as I don’t feel so secure in. Let’s say I attend a meeting of female entrepreneurs and I am the one that did not meet her financial goals for the year, that can surely trigger me.

NB: How do you personally recognise you are becoming stressed? What are your ”symptoms” and how do you address them?

KR: My body gets tense and I become snappy. If I get triggered, I notice negative self-talk creeping in.

NB: What personal strategies do you use to alleviate stress in the workplace?

KR: Over the years I developed self-care routines that work wonders in preventing stress in the workplace and in my life. The routines include yoga practice, meditation, breathwork, body and facial