The Relationship Between Running on Empty and the Wellbeing Economy

2019 has come to represent the fundamental shift between a growth economy focused on excess, to a wellbeing economy. The primary focus is no longer monetary gain, but more on how businesses, leaders and individuals can contribute to the wellbeing of society. Leadership and human capital development is in the spotlight, and with it is the development of the individual, and personal mastery. Mindfulness, conscious awareness, being present in the moment and introspection are considered both choices and competencies that are becoming essential within businesses, and organisations who wish to take themselves, and their teams into an inclusive future.

However, change starts from within the individual, regardless of their job title. It starts with being mindful of our own needs, be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. We should be mindful of the fact that we are not machines, but our bodies and minds still operate very much like a system. When we are depleted and physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually spent, we experience burn out. We become exhausted, unmotivated and struggle to redirect ourselves. So, what exactly does this have in common with the Wellbeing Economy? Simple. For positive change to happen, it must start with an individual. We can’t make a valuable contribution to this new economy, be it as leader, a business or an individual when we ourselves are not implementing the change we want to see around us, within us. Businesses, leaders, and individuals must be able to resonate with the Wellbeing Economy, and find the synergy necessary to transform not only their own thinking, but how their teams and partners think. When they have a better understanding of what drives them and what motivates them, it gives them better insight into and understanding of what drives and motivates others, allowing them to harness the best of themselves. They can express compassion for others, be it colleagues and teammates, or partners and clients, and in doing so, they align themselves with the objectives of a Wellbeing Economy.

It is no secret that making yourself a priority has been considered selfish, but when you don’t take care of yourself first, you lose perspective and a leader without authentic perspective is no leader at all. It is important to acknowledge that being conscious of your decisions as a leader, and how they impact not only you, but the people around you as well, will impact the relationships you have with those people and how you conduct your business. Being mindful is part of the human condition, as is the innate necessity to know when a change in mind-set is required. The Wellbeing Economy requires such a change, a shift from focusing only on your external environment to focusing on your internal environment. This includes your physical wellbeing, but also your emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing, all of which are interconnected and dependent on each other. To be a valuable contribution to a Wellbeing Economy, you should accept that spending time with yourself, be it in reflection, meditation or doing something that fills you with joy is not a selfish endeavour. It is investing in your own wellbeing to better serve those around you, and putting yourself in the space of being able to give without sacrificing something of yourself to do so. It is about making an impact beyond your own personal needs, and seeing the positive effect your own wellbeing has on others. Wellbeing is being studied and applied in a new context, one in which the wellbeing of an individual has a ripple effect on the wellbeing of others, and, to a larger extent, it is the wellbeing of leaders that has a powerful impact on their teams, partners and clients.

By looking at it from this perspective, we get a better understanding of the Wellbeing Economy, and how it calls for personal wellbeing and development in every facet for it to be effective and sustainable. The Wellbeing Economy is about being present in every experience to both grow as individuals and leaders, but also to give back to society.

The Wellbeing Economy is here. Have you embraced it?