Last year, we spent much of our time supporting organisations navigating change. One of the central messages we shared with our clients was the importance of finding ease and intentionally creating pause moments  within their organisational rhythm.

Pauses allow teams to reflect on their journey, make sense of what’s unfolding, and adjust what needs attention. It’s also important to check-in on each other, particularly in our times of high anxiety and stress. Staff wellbeing is a critical ingredient for building healthy organisations in these turbulent times, yet not many organisation are able to pay enough attention to this. There’s always a justification as to why this is not a priority. For some organisations, their political ideology clashes with this idea, whilst others often mention more pressing demands that need their attention. 

Staff wellbeing is a critical ingredient for building healthy organisations, yet not many organisation are able to pay enough attention to this.

Going back to my story, I was excited to be part of a team that was doing the work we were doing – we were transforming organisations so they can run effectively and in more systemic ways. We felt fortunate to be busy right into December — a month that usually quiets down for consultants. Yet in the midst of helping others, I forgot to take the same medicine we were prescribing to others.

By November, my body began sending signals: persistent coughing, throat irritation, endless rounds of antibiotics that did little to help. Despite repeated doctor visits, the symptoms lingered. This year, determined to take matters seriously, I ran more tests. Much to my surprise, chronic anxiety emerged as one of the underlying causes of my suffering, with every  practitioner I saw telling me I was stressing. One even asked if I had suffered burnout — a question that stung but also struck a nerve. The reality was that at the time, I had little stress, except being curious about what was going on with me

Why share something so personal here? Because too many of us work ourselves out while ignoring what’s happening in our bodies. We chase outputs and outcomes at whatever cost. This is a common occurrence in many NGOs too as many workers here are driven by their love for the causes they are pursuing and the

Here is a thing - I felt a sharp sting when one doctor told me I must have noticed the early signs but ignored them. In a way, he was both right and wrong. Mid last year, I did see some symptoms, but I brushed them off as ordinary flu. Looking back, some had appeared long before I took serious action—yet I normalized them. Don’t many of us do that?

Reflection and pause are not indulgences; they are survival strategies.

The harder truth I found hard to admit was that I was overstretched. Our company was going through tough times, and I thought I was managing. What I didn’t realise was the toll this was all taking on my body. This year, my body crashed: my voice disappeared, anxiety spiked, and I spent more on doctors and medication than ever before.

Could I have prevented this? Perhaps. But the deeper lesson is clear: healthy organisations begin with healthy people. Reflection and pause are not indulgences; they are survival strategies. Just as we encourage teams to stop, breathe, and recalibrate, we must do the same for ourselves.

So here’s my call to action as we move through our daily routines this Mental Health Month:

• Notice the signals your body is sending, these might save you from many problems.
• Treat pause as part of your rhythm, not an interruption.
• Remember that care for others starts with care for yourself.
• Whilst at it, notice those around you, they might be in need of serious care too, and waiting for one person to nicely nudge them to slow down.

Because in the end, sustainability is not just about systems, it’s about the humans who keep them alive.