Beyond Surface-Level Wellness: Creating Real Strength in the Workplace
- Stephanie Dasher
- Feb 21
- 6 min read
The conversation around workplace well-being and the number of businesses investing in mental health programs is growing. But with so many options available—ranging from mindfulness apps to full-scale cultural overhauls—it’s easy to wonder: Do these programs actually work? The answer is yes if they are implemented correctly.
Many of these initiatives cost tens of thousands of dollars, so understanding what will truly benefit your team is essential. How can you differentiate between programs that create meaningful change and those that are just expensive, feel-good add-ons?
Work and Life Are Not Separate—And That’s Okay
A common phrase in professional spaces is: “Leave work at work and home at home.” On the surface, this seems like good advice, suggesting that compartmentalization is the key to balance. But reality isn’t that simple. Even those who consider themselves highly logical or skilled at compartmentalizing often don’t recognize the hidden toll of this mindset—until they experience burnout, chronic stress, or even unexpected health issues.
The truth is we cannot fully separate our careers from our personal lives. Our beliefs, values, mental and physical health, and life experiences all influence how we show up at work. Likewise, our experiences at work—promotions, interactions with colleagues, successes and failures—shape how we show up at home. T.S. Eliot captures this interconnectedness in Four Quartets:
"Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future,
And time future contained in time past."
We are the sum of our experiences, and that sum doesn’t divide neatly between office hours and personal time. Acknowledging this reality isn’t a weakness—it’s an opportunity. It allows businesses to build cultures that meet employees where they are, fostering resilience instead of ignoring the impact of real life (Eliot, 1943).
Why Empathy-Driven Wellness Programs Work Better Than Profit-Driven Ones
It’s understandable that businesses want to see a return on investment when they implement wellness initiatives. But when a program is designed purely for profit—rather than people—it often misses the mark.
The key isn’t just offering mental health resources. In fact, studies show that more is not always better. Meaningful impact happens when the program is comprehensive, and the employees are encouraged to participate during work hours. A good wellness program ensures that employees engage with resources meaningfully. Successful well-being programs don’t soften people or organizations; they also don’t mask problems with quick fixes but build resilience. Resilience isn’t built by avoiding adversity but by facing challenges with the right tools and support (Batorsky et al., 2016).
The ADAPT™ Method: A Framework for Resilience
When considering a well-being program, businesses should reflect on what they want to accomplish and what constitutes well-being. Wellbeing can be physical, mental, or both, and interventions should reflect this. They may also want to assess what their employees feel they need, which offers the opportunity for co-creation and ownership in well-being programs (Powell et al., 2024).
Businesses should examine what the employees want and need; looking at the following resilience-building concepts rooted in the ADAPT™ Method developed by Dr. Maia Gill may be helpful. This method provides structured tools to help individuals develop self-awareness, regulate emotions, and create meaningful workplace connections. One key factor in this model is that it promotes sustainability by offering the option to train employees to become coaches who can continue to provide resources and interventions, fostering additional avenues toward purpose and connection. By integrating these principles, businesses can move beyond surface-level wellness initiatives and foster long-term success (Gill, 2009).
What Do People Really Need to Build Resilience?
Know Who They Are & What They Value
Self-awareness is the foundation of resilience. Employees who understand their values and priorities make decisions aligning with their long-term goals.
Navigate Internal & External Obstacles
Not all challenges come from the outside world. Sometimes, we are our own biggest obstacle. Resilience means having the tools to recognize and work through self-imposed as well as external limitations.
Understand Decision-Making Styles
People make decisions based on personal experiences, emotions, and cognitive patterns. Learning how and why we make decisions—and how others do the same—improves communication and collaboration.
Regulate Emotions & Manage Maladaptive Behaviors
Stressful situations trigger automatic responses. Employees need strategies to pause, reflect, and choose productive responses over harmful patterns in and out of the workplace. They need hard skills to implement so they can change maladaptive patterns.
Identify Strengths & Reframe Survival Behaviors
Many coping mechanisms that were once survival skills can be transformed into
strengths. For example, hyper-vigilance can become strong situational awareness; people-pleasing can become high emotional intelligence. When we understand what our capabilities are, we can better change maladaptive behaviors and overcome obstacles. Overcoming obstacles is a tremendous boost to our sense of well-being.
Build Strong Relationships & Community
Learning how to form healthy connections and identify the right people to connect with is crucial. Not everyone will be a friend, but nearly everyone has a purpose in a functional community.
Understanding how to build our community means we have support when things are challenging and people to rely upon. Resilience isn’t about going it alone—it’s about knowing how to lean on others when necessary and offering support in return.
Developing strong workplace relationships fosters trust, collaboration, and psychological safety, which are essential for growth and innovation.
Learning how to build community and support networks—both in the workplace and beyond—helps us navigate difficult times more effectively, making us more adaptable and emotionally resilient when life throws curveballs.
Access Resources & Opportunities Through Their Role
Employees who understand how to leverage their skills and network are better equipped to adapt, grow, and contribute meaningfully to an organization. Understanding their strengths and how they align with values creates opportunities to utilize behaviors like striving and building egalitarian relationships toward individual and group success.
Cultivate Curiosity as a Core Skill
Curiosity is a powerful resilience tool. It prevents stagnation, improves communication, and fosters innovation. When people lead with questions instead of assumptions, they create space for creativity, collaboration, and growth.
Curiosity also means we’re not afraid to ask what’s really going on with someone. If performance or behavior is slipping, we should pause and consider: What else might be affecting this person? Instead of jumping to conclusions, curiosity allows us to approach challenges with compassion and problem-solving rather than blame.
This mindset builds trust and rapport. When employees believe they can be open about their multifaceted experiences—and trust that their team will help connect them to the right resources—they are far more likely to show up fully, engage, and reciprocate that support for others. A culture of curiosity leads to better leadership, stronger teams, and a more adaptive organization, where employees feel valued for their whole selves, not just their productivity.
Learn Mindfulness—Not Just as a Class, But as a Way of Being
Mindfulness isn’t just a one-hour session or a trendy corporate perk. It’s about awareness and creating space between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Mindfulness allows employees to attune to their own needs and the needs of others, strengthening emotional intelligence and workplace relationships.
This doesn’t happen overnight—it requires intentional practice and the right environment to thrive. Organizations must create real, intentional space for mindfulness in daily work culture, not just through isolated wellness initiatives (Gill, 2009).
Aligning Intent with Action = Purpose
A strong workplace culture doesn’t need to "weed out" employees who don’t fit. Instead, it empowers individuals to self-select whether an organization aligns with their values. When
employees feel a sense of purpose—when their work aligns with their personal beliefs and strengths—they are more engaged, productive, and fulfilled. When it doesn’t, but they have developed an internal plumb line, they move on.
In a healthy organization, if a person decides an organization isn’t the right fit, that doesn’t mean they or the business is a failure. It simply means they’re meant to contribute elsewhere. And that’s a win for both the employee and the business.
The Bottom Line: Go Beyond the Surface
Companies that invest in workplace mental health programs must go deeper than surface-level solutions. It’s not enough to offer wellness apps or occasional mindfulness sessions. The real impact comes from fostering self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and community-building skills within employees.
When organizations lead with empathy rather than just ROI, they don’t just create stronger employees—they create a stronger, more resilient company.
References
Batorsky, B., Van Stolk, C., & Liu, H. (2016). Is More Always Better in Designing Workplace Wellness Programs?: A Comparison of Wellness Program Components Versus Outcomes. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 58(10), 987–993. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48501304
Eliot, T. S. (1943). Four quartets. Harcourt, Brace and Company.
Gill, M., (2019). Adapting: Applied Evolutionary Therapy, Resource provider and participant program manual.
Powell, N., Dalton, H., Lawrence-Bourne, J., & Perkins, D. (2024). Co-creating community wellbeing initiatives: What is the evidence, and how do they work? International Journal of Mental Health Systems.
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