Trauma is not the bad things that happened to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you.— Gabor Maté

When Work Hurts: More Than It Helps

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention in the mental health space:

✨ The psychological impact of workplaces that aren’t trauma-informed.

Many people associate trauma with a major event — a car accident, abuse, or crisis. But trauma can also be chronic, subtle, and systemic.

And one of the places it quietly accumulates? The workplace.

Whether it's:

A manager who leads with fear, not safety

Unrealistic deadlines that ignore human limits

Constant microaggressions or exclusion

Being punished for having emotions

An unspoken culture of "don’t talk about it, just get it done"

...these environments can slowly chip away at your nervous system, self-worth, and overall wellbeing.

The truth is, most workplaces are not trauma-informed. They reward over-functioning. They glorify burnout. They punish vulnerability. And yet, these are the very spaces where many of us spend the majority of our time.

When workplaces don’t acknowledge the human experience, people start to:

Disconnect from themselves to survive the day

Carry unprocessed stress home (and into their bodies)

Question their worth, value, and emotional safety

If you’ve ever:

Felt unsafe to speak up

Cried in your car during lunch break

Been told you’re "too sensitive"

Or felt like your nervous system is always "on"

...you’re not overreacting. You’re having a normal response to a space that may not be designed for your mental health.

Here are a few ways to start reclaiming safety for yourself:

1. Acknowledge what your body already knows.

If you feel tension, shutdown, or dread before work, that’s data. Your nervous system is speaking. Don’t gaslight yourself.

2. Use micro-boundaries.

You might not be able to quit your job or change the system overnight, but you can take breaks, say no, close your laptop, and honour your limits in small ways.

3. Decompress after work.

Create a post-work ritual that signals to your body: "You’re safe now." This might be a walk, a shower, or simply deep breathing before stepping into the next part of your day.

4. Seek connection outside the workplace.

Isolation makes trauma louder. Find your people. A therapist, a friend, a group who gets it.

5. If you lead others — lead with safety.

Being trauma-informed isn’t about being a therapist. It’s about seeing the human behind the role, and responding with empathy, flexibility, and awareness.

You deserve to feel safe — not just at home or in therapy, but at work too.

If this resonates and you’re navigating work-related stress, burnout, or boundary collapse, I’m here. You don’t have to do this alone.