The Wellbeing Compass

Paul worked in a statutory body. He had worked there a long time. Over the years he had become slowly depressed at work. Getting up and facing work every day became an awful experience. While at work he would go through the motions a lot of time. He knew this. He was running on empty. Any passion, commitment or emotional connection to work had gone. Paul knew things were not right. He had started to drink after work but always turned up the next day. He reported that his managers did not develop him and his potential and gifts. They were happy as long as he did the business which he did. Paul didn't feel valued. He was not alone. Other work colleagues felt the same and would make 'black humour' comments throughout the week about work. Paul's office space was not attractive. Cluttered desks, messy offices and untidy environments were the reality. Paul's friend's noticed  at times the quiet despair but didn't know what to say. His world and day from porch to work and back again was one long stressful run. Arriving home he would often breathe a sigh of relief. Paul eventually had a form of breakdown. He took time off work and now works elsewhere. This move has meant a recovery of happiness, energy and passion for Paul.

  

Wellbeing is like a compass. A compass has four points - North, South, East and West. They are called the four cardinal points. In this post we will look at the four cardinal points of wellbeing. We need ultimately all four to have the healthiest and best for all in our society.

  

We can see all four of them in Paul's story. The first is our own responsibility to self care. This is the duty of self wellness. Paul knew something was very wrong. He went on for years in this state yet he didn't seek a plan of recovery and self nurture. He looked to alcohol for solace. This is admittedly the first and most difficult step. The usual excuses fly up as defenses. "I'm just tired." "I just need a holiday" and "Work's tough for everybody". With this we have to start at home. We have to look inside first. Only then can we look out. There can be no real wellness without inner wellness. There's an old maxim that says "First within then without." It's so true. It's when we start to change inside that the outer world can start to move from grey to beautiful colours.

The second point of wellbeing is our circle of friends and family. Paul's friends and family were and are good people. However they either didn't see what was taking place before them or didn't know how to respond. Sometimes a person is lost in a state of unwellness. It takes a loved one to share their concern and open the possibility of a different quality of life. Finding the words may be difficult and we may stammer with the words but they are so needed. We must speak with kindness and sensitivity but also strength. This challenges us all. We can all be sources and signs of wellness to others.

  

The third point is the work place. We often make workplaces for work not for people. Staff wellness isn't factored in. We think if we allow a toaster or kettle we have ticked this box. The call is much greater. I (John) recently attended an event on leadership organised by the Centre For Innovation In Healthcare Management (CIHM) at the University of Leeds. The room was beautiful. There were lovely table clothes and flowers on the table. There was good lighting, windows, nice food and a great ambience. When we entered this space there was a real sense of welcome and wellbeing. This was a master class in valuing people and creating 'good space'. The result was we all felt more included and the event was a tremendous success. Compare this with someone years ago who told me that his team away day was in.....the busy grey office where he worked everyday. We realise budgets can be tight but if we don't value and cherish staff and colleagues, teams will inevitably suffer and even collapse. Creating environments where we can grow and be well is what our staff need and deserve. The American writer, Peter Maurin, spoke of a society where it would be easy to be good. How would we design work and office space where it would be easy for staff to be well, hope and be inspired? The outer always feeds the inner.

The last cardinal point is the outer world and its demands. The spiritual writer Richard Rohr speaks of how we can often be human doings rather than human beings. This relates to how our lives can be all about doing, doing, doing. Not really living from deep places. Not being who and what we are. He writes how 'mostly what we do is reprocess the past and worry about tomorrow.' These wise words make us ask how we can navigate society in a wellbeing spirit as well as create possibilities of doing the old things in new ways. The world and its stress affects us in a daily and hourly fashion. Finding the best tools and resources for navigation, direction and creation are vital.

The four cardinal points of the compass are interesting. While seperate they are connected. Wherever one starts one can get to the other points. The compass also gives us direction. The word 'cardinal' comes form the Latin 'cardo' meaning hinge. Hinge in the sense of 'that on which something turns or depends'  So these points are important hinges for wellbeing.

Paul suffered so much for so long because he either didn't realise or neglected the duty of self care, his friends didn't speak, his work management and environment didn't value and inspire and the world itself offered lots of stress and pressure too. We would argue that we all have a duty to dream. To ask what do I and my world need to make it a place of peace, development and inner refreshment. If we allow ourselves to be dreamers we may be very surprised where our dreams take us  and what our dreams make us.

John Walsh, Support Manager, York Street Health Practice

Gill Trevor, Director, Phoenix Health and Wellbeing