Foundations of Wellbeing:
Understanding Wellbeing Beyond the Surface
When we think about wellbeing, it is easy to focus on what we should be doing more of. Exercise more, meditate more, eat more healthily, journal more. Conversations around resilience, mental health, balance and burnout are happening across workplaces every day. Yet despite good intentions, many people still feel overwhelmed, reactive or unsure how to create lasting wellbeing at work.
One reason for this is that wellbeing is often approached from the outside in. We focus on behaviours, habits or quick strategies, without first understanding the foundations that shape how we think, feel and respond to life.
What if the answer is not to do more in order to feel better, but to step back and explore what sits underneath our day-to-day experience? To become more consciously aware of what influences our wellbeing from moment to moment.
Understanding Wellbeing from the Inside Out
When we begin to understand more about how we function as human beings, we start to see that our experience of life is not shaped only by external circumstances. Our thoughts, emotions and internal patterns all play a role in how we interpret challenges, respond to pressure and relate to ourselves and others. Without this awareness, even the most well-intended workplace wellbeing initiatives can struggle to create lasting change.
Rather than adding more to an already busy workload, foundational wellbeing focuses on helping people understand themselves better. From that understanding comes greater clarity, more balanced responses and a more sustainable approach to building resilience at work, both individually and within teams.
Four Foundations That Shape Wellbeing
At the heart of foundational wellbeing are four key influences that shape our everyday experience.
🟢 1 Self-awareness
Self-awareness is the starting point. It allows us to notice our thoughts, emotions and behavioural patterns without judgement. As individuals become more aware of their internal responses, they gain more space to pause and choose how they want to respond, rather than reacting automatically. From this foundation, awareness naturally expands into how we relate to others, our environment and the wider challenges we face at work.
🟢 2 Quality of Thinking
The way we think influences how we feel and how we interact with others. Recognising the impact of our thinking can help people step out of unhelpful mental loops and find greater clarity and perspective, particularly during times of pressure or uncertainty.
🟢 3 Emotional Awareness
Emotions are often seen as something to manage or suppress, yet when you can see them as signals, and listen to what they are saying, they can offer valuable information. Developing emotional awareness supports healthier conversations, improved empathy and stronger team dynamics.
🟢 4 Values and Needs
Understanding what truly matters to us provides a sense of direction and meaning. When individuals feel aligned with their values and needs, motivation and engagement tend to grow more naturally, supporting both personal wellbeing and organisational culture.
Moving Beyond Surface-Level Wellbeing
Improving wellbeing and resilience is not about fixing people or striving for constant positivity. It is about creating the conditions for awareness, reflection and growth. This awareness-led approach sits at the heart of many resilience and personal development workshops, forming a strong foundation for deeper learning and long-term change.
The Foundations of Wellbeing workshop introduces these ideas in a practical and accessible way, helping workplaces build a shared understanding of wellbeing from the inside out.
👉 To learn more or discuss bringing this workshop to your organisation, contact the At Work Wellbeing team to explore availability and booking options.
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