Intentional Work-Life: One Change at a Time
February 12, 2025
I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be engaged at work in 2025.
When a workplace culture is healthy, employees feel empowered to show up as their whole selves. But what if parts of that whole are steeped in fear, grief, anxiety, or loneliness?
While it’s up to employers to create a healthy workplace culture, well-being is also about personal accountability for our health and performance. It’s about optimizing our energy, even on tough days, and being mindful that how we show up influences our work, our teams, and our clients. This doesn’t happen automatically — it requires intention.
When Well-Being Is Tested
Like many of us, I’ve faced challenges over the past few years, trying to stay steady in my work while dealing with grief, loss, and fear. As my family went through difficult times, I was also balancing the risks, uncertainty, and rewards of entrepreneurship. Learning and embedding new strategies wasn’t just about health — it felt like survival.
Like most people I meet, I invest a lot into work and expect a fair exchange. I want to give and receive energy, compassion, and joy. I thrive when I am part of, or supporting, a team working toward meaningful goals.
When we are struggling, it’s near impossible to consistently thrive in this way. I am both relieved and grateful for the strategies that have helped me over the past five years. They continue to anchor me, and their impact has been transformative.
One Change at a Time
Since 2020, I’ve committed to practicing one new healthy habit each year until it becomes a lifestyle. Focusing on one change at a time has an additive effect on my well-being. These activities can all be done in 10 minutes, with the option to go longer. Here’s what that journey has looked like:
2020: The proactive “check-in” to stay connected with others at work and personally.
2021: Morning walks with my dog to start the day off right.
2022: Yoga and meditation to slow my mind, gain clarity, build strength, and breathe well.
2023: Music therapy to support grief, evoke memories, and improve focus. Cold therapy for energy and mental health benefits.
2024: Breathwork to energize, release grief, embrace joy, and deepen my spirituality.
This year, I’m refining my practices by setting specific goals. For example, I will attend 10 live breathwork sessions. I have done two so far and they were amazing!
Intentional Practices for a Healthy Workplace
These practices help me show up at work in a way that aligns with my goals and values. I rely on them for energy and focus. When things go off the rails, a short walk or guided meditation helps bring clarity to all sorts of problems.
The concept of work-life balance was once at the heart of employee wellness and engagement programs. Over the last decade, the language shifted to work-life integration—a more realistic take on how healthy workplaces can support employees through flexibility, accessible programs, and compassionate communication.
In 2025, with everything happening in our world, at work, and in our personal lives, there is an urgent need to approach wellness intentionally. The benefits of practices that support our health, energy, creativity, and joy are immense and long-lasting.
Work-Life Intention… it has a nice ring to it!