I had the pleasure of interviewing Jen Murray, founder and CEO of High Vibe Healing Collective, for an episode of our livestream video series, Better Humans at Work (BH@W).
Jen’s work through High Vibe Healing Collective invites leaders and changemakers to “get curious, stay present, and breathe intentionality into their heart-aligned equitable leadership.”
Jen (they/them) is a certified breathwork facilitator, energy work practitioner, and white accountability advocate, whose transformative work extends beyond the individual level. They believe in the power of intentional community building and collective healing to create systemic change, centering the lived experiences of communities from the global majority and historically excluded groups.
We had a great conversation about workplace wellness, what it means, and how to make sure everyone’s well-being is thriving at work.
What is workplace wellness?
Jen defines workplace wellness as a multidimensional construct existing at both the individual and structural or systemic level. At the individual level are the aspects of workplace wellness we typically think of, such as programmatic offerings, benefits, and wellness activities that happen outside of work.
At the structural or systemic level, however, wellness is the workplace’s cultural emphasis on well-being. Often, organizations have a culture of “well-doing” rather than well-being.
“Well-doing” is based on the idea of doing what people say you should do. But well-being, on the other hand, is about balancing energies in response to what you need as an individual. In other words,
There is no one way to do wellness and that inner process of discovery is what creates a sense of well-being.
Unfortunately, we are societally conditioned to seek well-doing over well-being because that reinforces a sense of hierarchy and dominance, reflecting the values of white supremacy and other systems that create inequities and imbalance. We need more emphasis on what will make each individual human healthy, rather than what we SHOULD be doing by societal standards.
How are wellness and DEI related?
The systems that push against our well-being at work are the same systems that push back against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These systems, such as individualism, separate us and keep us at a distance from each other.
Our work as DEI practitioners is only as effective as our well-being work. If individuals are not seen as inherently whole, valuable, and worthy, we are not creating workplaces where everyone can be well.
What are three ways we can spread wellness at work?
1 - Fostering accountability.
It’s important to approach any wellness or DEI initiative with intentionality. With this intentionality should come a desire for impact connected to some way of measuring that impact. Being transparent in this measurement and holding leaders and others accountable for outcomes is essential to prioritizing wellness at work.
2 - Taking moments daily to show people they are cared for.
An essential aspect of moving wellness forward at your organization is to take out the hierarchical component of work that adds unnecessary pressure whenever possible. For Jen, this shows up as an emphasis on breathing and holding space for people to have a moment to breathe. These small moments can go a long way to showing an individual they are cared for by their organization.
3 - Showing up with intentionality.
Lastly, Jen recommends setting aside time for people to truly arrive at every meeting or gathering. This involves acknowledging the situations that affect people’s ability to truly arrive as well as allowing for flexibility for people to not attend, if possible when they feel they cannot truly arrive at that time. This is another small action that can reflect that an organization or a leader truly values their individual employees.
If you’re interested in learning more about Jen’s work, you can visit the High Vibe Healing Collective website or connect with them on LinkedIn.
Looking to create inclusive wellness programs in your organization? Contact Mattingly Solutions today to learn how we can partner to build inclusion and equity into your DEI efforts. Together.