The Importance of Emotional Safety

During the early days of Covid I wrote a Facebook post, on March 13th, 2020. It was from my very first newsletter called Soiree Weekly which was about fashion. The title of the post was “Stay Emotionally Healthy” and it was me trying to have a positive outlook as I was watching all the craziness and fear around me.

Humans want to feel safe. Whether it be safe from crime, disease, accidents, or extreme weather, we want it. We do fire drills, learn about bear safety, lock our doors, wash our hands, wear seatbelts, don’t speed, and take precautions during natural disasters. “Safety first” is a common saying in our society. We teach our children about “stranger, danger” and teach them to be safe on the playground. Yet we don’t talk enough about emotional safety.

Emotional safety is having the comfort of showing up as our true, authentic self. It’s about being able to express how we feel without fear of being judged or not accepted. If your employees and coworkers are feeling threatened or intimidated at work, that’s an issue.

Positive change starts at the top. Leaders need to lead with compassion and trust. People shouldn’t feel that revealing a neurodivergent or mental health diagnosis will be used against them. Acceptance is key to emotional safety. But how do we obtain it in the workplace?

Active listening and learning about others’ experiences are some ways to work towards positive change. We have to understand the “why” to really start to combat stigma in the workplace. Both employers and employees need to be aware of certain challenges but also the gifts these people have. Employers need to understand effective ways to make the environment more accessible for all minds. Stay educated, learn about different minds, and keep working towards positive change!