Befriending Stress: What happens when we include the body in a dynamic workplace

Recently, I delivered a workshop entitled “Befriend stress using your body and mind” for the NatWest Leadership Support Team whose work is pivotal in maintaining organisational flow.

Working in a fast-paced environment with high responsibility, continuous responsiveness and sustained cognitive demand can of course generate high stress levels, which was the focus of our session. As a Physiotherapist and Empowerment Coach, I have integrated my career experience to form The Body of Communication Framework, delivering tools and resource building kits to individuals and teams.

I strongly believe that all employees, across roles and seniority, can thrive in demanding workplaces. When our physiology is integrated as our essential resource, we have constant support from our bodies to navigate our inevitable daily challenges.

The aim of the session was not to remove stress entirely; we will encounter various situations in our day to day which activate our stress response. It is human to move through this - the essential skill to hone is agility. Included in the extensive yet simple and realistically applicable resources within The Body of Communication Framework there are many practical ways individuals and teams can support their capacity, focus, and therefore their overall wellbeing in the midst of ongoing demands.

Reframing stress: from obstacle to information

In many workplaces, stress is still viewed primarily as something to manage mentally or push through operationally, with the body often forgotten about or solely considered when symptoms arise, which then become the focus. The key to a thriving workplace is being missed.

The body is a primary source of information; intelligent beyond our ability to replicate its unique functions. Physical sensations, posture, breath, tension and fatigue are not signs of underperformance, they are indicators of how our entire system is responding to its environment.

Rather than fire-fighting with symptom management of common stress and musculoskeletal issues arising in the workplace, everyone can expand their nervous system resilience and capacity with compounding and easily replicated practices amongst other resources, which will ultimately boost employee satisfaction and organisation growth.

Of course symptomatic interventions will still be applicable in cases, and very much needed. They will be far more effective when readily available with ample support from multiple angles, and backing a system that is already supporting the human beings working within it.

Within the Body of Communication Framework approach, the body is understood as a key asset rather than a limitation. It plays an essential role in our individual and team regulation abilities, adaptability and sustained performance.

When individuals are supported to recognise and respond to physiological signs earlier, with simple and quick resources that will have a cumulative effect when practiced over time, organisations will see benefits in resilience, clarity, and reduced escalation of stress-related issues, which I predict will also reduce musculoskeletal issues. We cannot separate the body and mind - they are codependent.

Practical tools with immediate impact

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback from the workshop was how quickly participants noticed a change in their state.

Following just a few minutes of simple, evidence-informed practices, using sensory awareness, physical attunement and small movements there was a general consensus of immediate calm and sharpened focus. These practices are simple and quick and have since been integrated into regular team meetings.

This highlights a key point: supporting wellbeing with whole system regulation does not always require large-scale interventions. Small, accessible practices embedded into existing structures can make a meaningful difference.

The wider organisational context

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), work-related stress and musculoskeletal disorders remain among the leading causes of workplace absenteeism in the UK.

These challenges are closely linked. Stress is experienced physiologically, and prolonged activation without adequate recovery often manifests physically over time.

A preventative, human-centred approach - one that acknowledges both mental and physical experience - can support healthier, more sustainable ways of working.

Supporting a cultural shift

For organisations seeking to create healthier workplace cultures, this may require broadening how wellbeing and leadership support are understood.

Moving beyond performance metrics alone. Recognising the role of regulation and capacity. Acknowledging that people bring whole nervous systems - not just skill sets - to work.

The Body of Communication Framework aligns with organisational values that prioritise sustainability, responsibility and people-centred leadership by emphasising:

• The body as a source of insight, regulation and huge potential for growth

• Stress responses as adaptive signals rather than individual shortcomings

• Regulation and self-awareness as learnable, shared capabilities, encouraged culturally

When these perspectives are integrated, wellbeing becomes part of how work is done, not a reactive initiative to manage problems.

I’m grateful to the NatWest Leadership Support Team for their engagement, openness and willingness to explore a different perspective.

Often, small shifts in awareness can support meaningful changes in how individuals and teams operate.

I’d be interested to hear how other organisations are approaching stress, capacity and sustainable performance within their teams.