Our workplace is an essential arena of life for us. It is a place for connection to a larger world, a place

for contributing and, maybe, it is becoming one of our most important sources of community. It may be the one place to express ourselves and our purpose in life. The challenge is to create a workplace that is humane, that provides community and promotes a sense of a higher purpose. Some say that we need a more spiritually-centered workplace, a place of connection and growth for the soul.

Spirituality can help us to create a community by lifting us beyond ourselves and letting us see deeper connections to one another and to the world beyond ourselves.

Disability, absenteeism, sickness and accidents can be related directly to our perceptions in the workplace, based on our values. The root cause can be related to fear, or to a lack of mutual respect and self-respect among co-workers and supervisors, or to a lack of understanding about what the organization is trying to achieve—its goals and objectives. We are emotionally nourished by a belief that the management of the organization has a sense of direction and knows what it is doing. We are starved emotionally by ambiguity or doubt about the prospects of the organization.

In any organization, a true leader must have a clear vision and mission. This will provide us with the organization’s purpose and ultimate goal.

A leader must ensure safe and hospitable workspaces within which everyone has an opportunity to discover their connections to one another and a larger creation. Connection with nature is also an important aspect of maintaining well-being, as nature, or the environment, is both life supporting and makes us aware and conscious of life and life-giving forces.

Open communication helps us to relate to one another, it fosters trust and, ultimately, teamwork. Encouraging teamwork and collaboration assists in embracing workplace spirituality.

For some of us, suffering through a mental health problem can cause a personal transformation as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. Instead of dwelling on the negative, we turn it into a positive by seeing it as an experience that will lead us to greater awareness. It becomes like a “pilgrimage.” It has been noted that emotions we feel, as the result of this journey such as hope,

love, and forgiveness can affect the neural pathways that connect to the endocrine and immune systems. The breakdown of these systems, through constant negative emotions and excess stress, leads to disease. Transformation of this energy leads away from disease.

How we cope with the stresses of life, work life and mental illness (depression, anxiety, etc.) is the key. The question to ask yourself is “what does spirituality mean to you?” Here are some coping mechanisms that promote spirituality and well-being:

Karen Parsons is Executive Assistant, Office of the CEO & President, Homewood Health Centre and Homewood Corporation.

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