We talk a lot about wellbeing, whether as a goal, as a workplace focus, or as a personal priority but sometimes, the real story lives in our habits. We’re not talking about the big resolutions or the dramatic overhauls, instead looking at the quiet, automatic ways we move through the day and the things we do without thinking. Things like the way we answer emails after dinner, the way we skip lunch without really noticing, and the way we say “I’m fine” even when we’re not.
Spring feels like the right time to talk about all this because it’s the season of transitions – not just in nature, but in ourselves. Mornings feel different, light stretches longer into the evening, and slowly the patterns we’ve been running all winter, even all year, start to feel a little more visible. This moment between seasons often nudges us to reflect: which habits are helping, and which are just holding on?
That’s what this week’s Spring Wellbeing focus is circling: the invisible rhythms that shape how we feel, how we connect, and how we work (both in and outside the office). the habits that we don’t notice…until we do.
The culture in the everyday
At the centre of this, it’s important to note that: most of our habits aren’t “bad.” They’re often coping mechanisms, convenience defaults, or just cultural leftovers that we’ve never stopped to question. Staying available at all hours? That might be less about productivity and more about anxiety or expectation. Eating lunch at your desk every day? Maybe it started as a one-off and just quietly stuck. Skipping rest, ignoring signs of stress, running on momentum – these patterns can become so normal we forget there’s another way.
We’re not saying everything needs to change, but what we are saying is that wellbeing lives in the small stuff – and that most of our deeper patterns don’t shift because of inspiration or information, they usually shift when we pause long enough to actually see them.
What’s also tricky is that many of these habits get reinforced not just by ourselves, but by the environments we’re in; workplaces that reward urgency and output over reflection or rest, or social settings where being “flat out” is treated like a badge of honour. Even our own internal voice that tells us we’ll take a break after this next thing, and then never quite does.
Habits don’t change with a policy
Culture isn’t built in a policy update, and habits don’t shift just because someone sends an all-staff email. Instead, what really helps is noticing the disconnect between what we say we value and what we do.
If we say we care about wellbeing for example, but everyone’s still working through lunch and replying after hours, that matters. If we say we respect time off, but messages still go out on weekends, that’s something to note too. These are the places that we see in many workplaces we’ve worked with, where culture lives and habits quietly hold power.
So instead of focusing on fixing everything at once, it’s often more useful to just start by asking questions like: what’s become normal? What’s serving us, and what’s quietly fraying at the edges?
So, what does change look like?
It’s not a self-improvement sprint, not a perfect new routine, but just some slow, intentional noticing.
Maybe it starts with asking yourself: What’s the habit I keep coming back to, even though I don’t love how it makes me feel? What’s something I’ve normalised that might not actually be good for me? What does a more sustainable rhythm look like – not just for me, but for the people I work or live with?
That’s why this conversation matters beyond the personal, because in workplaces, families, teams, and communities, habits are contagious. If someone models switching off, others are more likely to follow. If someone always replies instantly, even after hours, that sets a tone too. Our habits, and how we show up in them, tend to ripple outward.
Within your workplaces, it could look like considering the following:
- Are there unspoken expectations around responsiveness?
Even if no one explicitly says it, people tend to mirror what they see. If messages come in late and no one pushes back, silence becomes permission.
- What tone do leaders set – and do they know it?
Often, boundary-blurring starts at the top, so helping leaders understand their impact is important for alignment throughout the entire organisation
- Do your policies reflect reality?
It’s one thing to have guidelines on contact hours, but if everyone works around them anyway, they’re not really doing their job. Habits will always beat policy unless they’re actively supported.
- Is it clear that it’s okay to pause?
Scheduled emails, modelling delayed responses, and simple nudges like “no need to reply now” go a long way in creating a shared understanding.
- Are your habits helping people, or just keeping things moving?
Speed and flexibility are great…until they’re not. It’s important to take stock of which habits are energising your team, and which are quietly draining them.
Why it matters at this time of year
Right now, heading into the last quarter of the year, we’re in that familiar stretch where things are… humming. It’s not quite frantic yet, but full, and when things are full, people tend to default to habit because it’s just easier.
But the good news is that: habits are not fixed! Habits can shift, but they usually just need a little light and a little space, and that’s the invitation of this season, to use spring and this natural moment of reset, as a gentle nudge to look up, take stock, and ask: is this still working for me?
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