Last Friday, 2 October, I gave the workshop "Your body is your compass" at Wonders of Work in Utrecht. And what a gift to hear so many raving responses afterwards. One of the participants wrote:
Wow, this was above and beyond what I expected! Marjolein is so knowledgeable about stress, pleasure and the body. Her exercises and examples were so on point. Very good! Workshop participant
Part I: why the body matters
We started from a simple premise: if you're not in your body, you can't feel. And if you can't feel, you can't fully enjoy what you're doing. Feeling happy, energised and fulfilled is something you do with your body, not something you think your way into.
That's why it matters far beyond feeling good: it shapes your energy, your sense of fulfilment, the quality of your decisions and how your nervous system recovers. Being in your body isn't "dessert", a nice extra for when everything else is done. It's your edge for a better life and personal leadership. It's called somatic intelligence.
Then we made it tangible with a short guided meditation, a first taste of using your body as a compass.
Part II: how we lose the connection
Mostly by being stuck in our heads: overthinking = underfeeling. And because your body can't tell a tiger from a tough email. The alarm goes on, there's no tiger to fight or run from, so you sit and go back to work, and the stress never finishes. We looked at what sets that alarm off at work, and what makes some of us more prone to it than others.
What stress does to your body, you can read in more depth in recovering from burnout. Notice your energy slipping away? Then read when your energy stops coming back.
Part III: a new way of working
The way forward fits in three words. Next time, do this:
- Spot the energy drain. Notice that your nervous system is "on".
- Feel what's happening in your body, and don't suppress it.
- Lead yourself by recognising what is within your influence, and shape your response.
"But what choice do I have, really?" More than it feels like in the moment. You can lead through your choices, by reframing, setting boundaries, speaking up, and choosing your next step. And you can lead through your body, by shifting your state. We explored a whole menu of both, from a sigh before a meeting to a sentence that finally says what the whole room is feeling.
What participants took home
- You have more agency than you think over feeling good and staying connected: small habits, a few mental reframes and some actual physical exercises.
- Overthinking = underfeeling. Stress and overthinking disconnect us from the body.
- Our body is our vessel for both inner direction and for pleasure, joy and a deeper sense of fulfilment.
- We need compassion. Modern work life asks a lot of conscious effort to stay connected to our bodies, and it's so worth it.
Take it further
Thank you to everyone who joined, and to Wonders of Work for hosting. Didn't make it, or would you like to hear more? Here are three ways to explore this topic further:
- Join the next one. Keep an eye on the newsletter for more public events like this to join.
- Get support through coaching. A free, short exploratory call is possible, up to 30 minutes, no pitch. Send me a message.
- Read more on the main insights. The free e-book on the body as your compass, coming soon.
Tip: got a team or an event? I'd love to bring a workshop like this to your office or online. Read more about my talks and workshops.