Stress? wellbeing? Let’s talk about ‘Joy at Work’!
“The basic root of happiness lies in our minds; outer circumstances are nothing more than adverse or favourable”
Matthieu Ricard, (2000).
I’m beginning to wonder whether managing stress, standards, risk assessment and the promotion of passive version of wellbeing run the danger of taking the life and energy out of our lives and workplaces. So rather than talking about managing stress or even promoting staff wellbeing, maybe we should start talking about joy at work? That might shake things up a bit, because if we open ourselves up to joy, then we inevitably open ourselves to more negative emotions too! For as the Buddhist poet and teacher Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, wrote: “One who strives for Enlightenment must expect to encounter terrible obstacles: anger, desire, mental confusion, pride and jealously”, (don’t worry, I’m not going for Enlightenment at work just yet, but don’t let me stop you trying!).
