I wrote the first draft of this essay before the boondoggle in Venezuela started, when I thought we might all be returning to work feeling at least a little more restored, maybe a slightly increased capacity to take on what 2026 has to offer (I’m using a lot of hedging language here because, you know, waves arms around wildly).
But then the 3rd happened and I don’t know about you, but the world closed in and everything felt heavy, sometimes suffocating. Not just the 3rd, but what followed—threats to other countries, the boundless greed, the sneering cruelty (and hey, my family is Argentine, so I am no stranger to the extent to which the US has historically meddled in Latin America).
As leaders, navigating this shit is hard. The boundaries of an organization are porous to market dynamics but seemingly impenetrable to everything else going on in the world. And when we are in the flow of work, juggling the demand of our roles, it can be easy to forget this.
I was talking to a client, a leader in a high-pressure, high-consequences, high-burnout industry, and they noted that morale has been pretty low in recent months. What I appreciate about this leader’s approach is that they were able to take a step back and look at the data—morale always dips in the winter months, and by the very nature of how demanding the work is, morale can often be a casualty.
Nested Systems
The data often points to systems, like how this leader noticed that cyclical changes in the natural landscape were having an effect on the team. We live within an innumerable number of systems that shape our experience and perception of our own lives.
These systems are nested and can be described an infinite number of ways, so I’ll use the one Staci Haines outlines in her somatic work—individual, family/intimate network, community, institution, social norms/historical forces, and spirit/landscape.
Sites of Shaping / Sites of Change
Each of these systems shapes and re-shapes us, and each of these systems are sites of potential change. Right now, at seemingly every systemic level, things are not well.
Sometimes we know this explicitly when the brokenness touches our lives directly. Other times it manifests as a vague sense of foreboding, heaviness, and discomfort. Our bodies pick up on a lot more than our intellect does, and our bodies are carrying this not-wellness day in and day out.
Everyone is holding a lot more than what is going on at work.
The first thing that I want to say, in light of all this, is that it is important to remember the interconnected, systemic nature of this moment in history. We can do everything we can to create environments for people to do their best work and we are all living in the midst of something I still don’t really have words for.
On many days of the week, people are going to show up and not be okay. This isn’t a reflection on your leadership or capabilities. People are exhausted and scared and angry, which makes it hard to feel good about anything we do, even if our work is important and meaningful.
Sometimes just acknowledging this can go a long way, can let a group of bodies collectively exhale into the shared understanding that yes, this is hard and people are suffering and we can honor that with our attention, our witnessing, and willingness to be witnessed.
Give Yourself a Break
The second thing that I want to say, the original thing I was writing about before all these awful new year shenanigans, is the importance of giving yourself a break.
I mean this both figuratively and literally.
Figuratively, allow yourself grace, because you are not immune either. Your body is picking up on all of this too. Stop beating yourself up for not being able to protect people, for not being able to create a perfect experience for them. These times are hard, and it’s okay to accept that. When we do, we can soften and find the gentle ground of self-compassion.
And literally, take a break from attending the overwhelming hyper-speed onslaught of daily developments. Here are some ways to do that:
- Start the morning doing something you love for 10 minutes (no screens!). Drawing, stretching, playing with your dog or kids, reading, taking a walk.
- End the day with a little bit of meditation or journaling. Again, 10 minutes is a nice amount of time for this activity.
- And finally, the 36 hour moratorium. Give yourself from Friday night to Sunday morning to disconnect fully from work, social media, and fast news cycles. Everything will be waiting for you when you get back. But these 36 hours are sacred.
Thanks for reading. May 2026 bring you clarity, ease, and healthy boundaries.
