Feelings Are Not a Liability: Emotional Wellness in the Workplace

Let's talk about emotional wellness.

No, really—let's talk about it. The truth is that emotions are a huge part of the work environment. There's a bit of a stigma around talking about your feelings and expressing your emotions at work.?At best, you risk being labeled as "too emotional," and at worst, you risk completely derailing whatever topic you were trying to discuss. How we feel about our work, our colleagues, and ourselves can impact how we approach tasks and interact with others in the workplace, and when we don't make space for each other to talk about our feelings, it makes it harder for us to work together, be productive, and generally feel like we belong.

As a society, we have generally been raised to suppress our feelings. When we were kids, we were told to “hold it in” or that we shouldn’t talk about or share our feelings with others. For some of us, we were beaten for crying, so it made sense not to show pain. We learned that we should “be a man” and that being vulnerable was weak. As women, we learned that showing any sign of weakness would make us unlovable and undesirable. We learned that showing how much something hurt us would give people the power to hurt us more.

As a result of this conditioning, many of us learned to bury our feelings deeply. We spend years hiding how we really felt and never fully expressing ourselves. We became masters at keeping up appearances and doing what is expected of us.

But the truth is that your emotions are like an inner guidance system letting you know what you need at the moment. Sometimes you need support or validation. Sometimes you need love or compassion. Sometimes you may just need time alone to process exactly what it is that you’re feeling.

In the workplace, however, there is often a lot of pressure to suppress our emotions when we're dealing with them. Even worse, some companies have a culture that actively discourages employees from showing their emotions. The belief that emotions and feelings are a liability in the workplace is one that holds many people back from flourishing in their careers. In fact, the opposite is true: the people who thrive in the workplace are those who understand their emotions and how to reconcile them with their work-life responsibilities.

When a company strives for inclusion and diversity, it's important not to just focus on the diversity part. That only takes the conversation so far. We need to also focus on helping employees feel like their emotions matter. This can be as simple as having an open-door policy or it could mean having a designated point person whom employees feel comfortable talking to when they have problems. Either way, creating a culture where Being vulnerable about your emotional and mental struggles at work is a dark side to inclusion.?It's not enough for companies to simply promote diversity and inclusion. Talking about diversity and inclusion is important, but it can also be unevenly applied—and often to employees' detriment.

We all want to work somewhere that makes us feel like we belong. While many employers publicly promote inclusion and belonging, privately shaming employees who are open about struggling with their emotional and mental health is common. In these cases, employees can feel like they have nowhere to turn.

Company cultures like this are all too common, and they prevent people from receiving the help that they need.?

What makes this so damaging isn't just the fact that it happens—it's the fact that it happens in an office environment, where people spend most of their waking hours.

The longer you spend in a place where you feel unsafe, unsupported, or uncomfortable—whether it's a physical space (like your home), an emotional space (a relationship), or even a digital space (like social media)—the more likely you are to internalize the feelings you get from that place and believe that they're true: depression becomes loneliness; anxiety becomes a lack of self-worth; stress becomes guilt.|

The stigma around mental health has been slowly eroding as more and more people share their stories. But while we’re seeing a shift, there’s still plenty of work to be done. That’s why it’s crucial for workplaces to create spaces for vulnerability and emotional wellness.?

Employers have the opportunity to improve the lives of millions of employees by investing in mental health support. And the benefits don't stop with individuals—companies that promote emotional wellness see higher retention rates, better productivity, and lower turnover costs. Emotional wellness creates a culture based on trust and mutual support, which leads to more creative solutions to problems and better outcomes for everyone involved.

So how can employers ensure that they are promoting emotional wellness and supporting spaces for vulnerability?

First, understand that emotional wellness is a lot more than a buzzword—it's a fundamental element of workplace culture. Also, understand that emotional wellness is not a fixed state. It is a journey: fluctuating, ebbing, and flowing.

The most important part of building a well-functioning team is prioritizing emotional safety. It's not about being nice to everyone or making sure everyone gets along—it's about creating an environment where people feel safe taking risks, pushing back on ideas, and expressing their emotions.

When you prioritize emotional safety, it helps in two key ways:

1. People are able to be productive when they feel safe because they can focus on the work at hand instead of focusing on protecting themselves from others.

2. It fosters an environment where people can grow and develop, because they feel comfortable experimenting and trying new things without fear of repercussions or losing face among their peers.

Emotionally well leaders know they're not the only ones who need to be accountable for their actions and emotions. They appreciate the unique humanity of their team members and know that success depends on creating a healthy culture where people feel confident speaking up and taking risks, even when they fail. This can only happen when everyone is emotionally safe in their workplace.?

?