Practice Vulnerability

It’s been two years since WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We’ve been slowly working our way back towards a consistent battle rhythm, but with new variants and now the events happening in Europe it’s proving to be a challenging few years. It’s not surprising that many of us are experiencing burnout, feeling tired, or struggling with motivation. Some of us are emotionally exhausted, anxious, or feeling less effective on the job. It’s important to recognize that almost everyone is struggling and to be kind to others and yourself. Compassion and forgiveness, which we practiced last month, is one way to do that.

Another way is to expand on that practice and get vulnerable. Vulnerability is the ability to express and expose, in words and behavior, who we really are and what we genuinely think and feel.  It takes courage to be vulnerable, especially in the workplace, but it’s also key to a more successful work environment.

Practice vulnerability while communicating with your co-workers and leaders:

• Honesty: Be honest about your expectations of yourself so that others may have the same expectations. Some examples could be making clear and achievable deadlines for projects or providing honest but constructive feedback when colleagues ask. 
• Boundaries: Set boundaries that work for you and your work. It can be scary to set boundaries in the workplace as you don’t want to appear as less than, but without boundaries you are contributing to higher stress loads for yourself and accelerating your burnout. An example could be being clear when you need to take a break so that you can come back better refreshed to finish a task.
• Empathy: Be empathetic with others as well as yourself. Be kind with yourself and your team and remind yourself that everyone is doing the best they can on that given day. It’s human nature to also have an off day, where completing tasks is just a bit more difficult than other days. It’s important to recognize that you’re human and sometimes that happens.
• Pride: Believe in yourself. Remind yourself all of what you’ve overcome so far. Look back at all of your accomplishments that you’ve made over the past. Where did you start as an employee and where are you now? Even if you are still where you started, think of all the knowledge you’ve learned while you’ve been on the job and how those skills can be applicable to your growth.

With honesty, boundaries, empathy, and pride as guides, you’ll develop the roots of authentic and meaningful connection and allow yourself to be who you really are. We challenge you this month to be vulnerable with your friends, family, and your co-workers. Be honest, set boundaries, be kind to yourself and others, and take pride in what you’ve done so far.

Written for CEEK LLC. CEEK’s mission is to help organizations redefine and pursue Organizational Wellness. CEEK defines organizational wellness as a healthy, engaged workforce serving a growing, successful organization.

Link to blog on their site can be found here.