Nearly a decade ago, Jacqui Brassey, Ph.D., experienced a “confidence crisis” that forced her to change how she takes care of herself, and inspired her to teach others how to do the same. She was no stranger to low-grade anxiety, but the combination of a new working environment, poor self-care and a lack of discussion regarding her anxiety exacerbated it to the point that it affected her work, a problem which eventually drove her to study the topic.
Following her research, Brassey realized that she was not alone in this issue. It’s a problem that starts with the connection between your brain and body—focusing on just one, according to Brassey, won’t make a difference, because we aren’t taking care of the other. Without managing our stress and taking care of our bodies, we’re only setting ourselves up for failure.
Brassey and Brilliant Thoughts host Tristan Ahumada discuss Brassey’s morning routines, evening wind-downs and how employers can help encourage and achieve deliberate calm in the workplace.
Brassey is a core researcher and practitioner in the field of Sustainable Human Development and Performance. She helps executives and organizations thrive by promoting improved mental health, wellbeing, agility, adaptability and resilience. She is a co-leader at the McKinsey Health Institute and affiliated senior expert (associate partner) people and organizational performance at McKinsey & Company. Additionally, she is a researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Adjunct Professor at IE University Madrid. She also serves as a supervisory board member of Save the Children NL. Read her new book, Deliberate Calm: How to Learn and Lead in a Volatile World, and find her on LinkedIn at Jacqui Brassey.
Mentioned:
- Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan
- Oura Ring
- Viom
Brilliant Thoughts with Tristan Ahumada is no longer releasing new episodes on the SUCCESS Podcast Network, but you can still listen to the full conversation below.
