Managing team wellbeing in an unwell world

By Kristel Tracey, Strategic Engagement Lead, Transport for London

“How are we all doing? Are you ok? Are any of us OK? Because WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!”

… has been my internal dialogue when checking in with colleagues in recent years. Working in Comms and Public Affairs, it’s our job to “keep our finger on the pulse” of what’s going on in this increasingly mad, bad world. Well, what a time to be informed! Digesting current affairs in recent years has felt akin to consuming an I’m a Celeb smorgasbord. Would you like a nibble of climate crisis with your pandemic pickle? An hors d’oeuvre of human suffering perhaps? Wash it down with a flask of fascism and moral rot, dab the crumbs off your lips with the torn-up pages of international law.

Needless to say, managing the wellbeing of our teams – and ourselves – in an increasingly unstable geopolitical climate might feel like a lot right now.

I don’t have the answers, but I do want to share a few of the things I’m finding helpful in supporting my team and (trying to) safeguard my own wellbeing as a people leader.

Acknowledge people’s feelings: For anyone who feels the weight of world events heavily, the workplace can feel isolating. Leaders often worry about saying the wrong thing, but saying nothing can be just as bad. On topics that are deemed too “complicated” or polarising to enter into a discussion about, demonstrating compassion and an understanding that colleagues might feel impacted can go a long way. And of course, signposting to any wellbeing support available to staff is a must.

Vulnerability isn’t a dirty word: A willingness to show humanness as a leader can create psychological safety for others to do so. If you also feel impacted, consider saying so.

Connect: with peers, as a team, to the things that are within our power to control. Things like corporate volunteering could be particularly impactful at times like this.

Disconnect: To borrow the words of Anne Lammott: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you”. Try to role model healthy boundaries and balance; take rest and encourage your teams to do so. Make time for self-care practices that ground you. For example, I recently took a 2-month social media detox to reset my habits and now use tools like ScreenZen to limit my doom scrolling.

The above is by no means an exhaustive list. Thrive Worldwide has a treasure trove of wellbeing resources and practical tips on topics like Addressing Polarising Issues In The Workplace and Supporting Staff Through Times of Uncertainty. I also recommend a read of When work ignores global crises by Leyya Sattar of The Other Box.

Unsettling times call for exceptional leadership. Where humane leadership seems to be in short supply in the highest seats of power and so many things feel wildly out of our control, modelling the type of change you wish to see is a good place to start.

Kristel Tracey is part of The Xec. Class of ’26.