Mental Vitality
I often speak to people who hold positions within organizations where they are not sufficiently able to reach their full potential. Regardless of the underlying causes, this consumes a great deal of energy and comes at the expense of mental vitality. According to recent research by Statistics (CBS) Netherlands, one in five employees in the Netherlands experiences burnout symptoms.
What do you do as an organization to prevent your employee from “dropping out”? What do you do yourself to feel better about yourself?
Break
Take time to discover your feeling that something isn’t right. Seek guidance from people around you whom you trust. Expressing your sense of unease can already resolve a great deal. You can share this search with your supervisor or a confidential counsellor within your organization.
Breathe
Focus on the things that suit you. Draw your strength from them and give them space by taking a deep, ample breath. Everything can collapse except the power of your breath. Focus on the functioning of your nervous system in the breath you take in and exhale. You experience how breath, movement, and voice reinforce each other, and how your body can be a gateway to greater peace and vitality.
Ownership
Dare to admit that you do not fit into your current environment. You are responsible for your own happiness. Take this “ownership” by acting on it. Take action and let yourself be guided by charting your own course. You will thereby deal with setbacks more resiliently.
Employer
For employers, the investment in vitality is a valuable one. Research shows that a vitality program leads to greater happiness in the workplace, increased productivity, and a significant decrease in absenteeism. For every euro invested, 6 euros are earned back on the value of the investment in mental vitality.