Relationships

The work environment

The work environment is often structured through roles, expectations, and the idea of professionalism. Certain emotions, reactions, and ways of speaking are considered appropriate, while others are suppressed or hidden. Language, behaviour, and performance become shaped by what is seen as 'professional,' often creating distance between people.

Examples:

Senior/junior

A junior employee sends a piece of work to a senior colleague or manager for review. The senior responds with corrections, suggestions, and critiques.

Through the role

The junior becomes 'the one being assessed.' As the feedback comes in, tension arises in the body. The words are not just information - they are received as judgement. The junior person defends, explains, or quickly fixes the work in order to be seen as competent. The senior becomes 'the one who decides my worth'. Their tone, even if neutral, carries weight. The interaction is no longer just about the work - it becomes about approval, adequacy, and position.

Through connection

What is seen is one person offering perspective on a piece of work, and another person receiving it. The feedback is about the task, not about identity. The discomfort or reaction in the body is recognised as an internal response arising in experience, not as a statement about worth or ability. The senior is no longer experienced as a defining authority, but as someone contributing input within a shared process. Response becomes clearer, more direct, and less shaped by fear of judgement or need for approval. If the feedback is delivered from a place of criticism, this is simply recognised as such, rather than taken personally and seriously.

Not professional

A staff member becomes visibly upset during a work interaction or meeting.

Through the role

The emotion is seen as something that should not be present in a work environment. The person is told to be professional, to calm down, or to stop being emotional. Work and life are treated as separate, and emotion is associated with 'life,' not work. The staff member is encouraged, directly or indirectly, to ignore what is being felt and return to how they are supposed to be at work. A role is reinforced - the one who is composed, unaffected, and appropriate.

Through connection

What is seen is a human being experiencing emotion. The separation between 'work self' and 'home self' is recognised as a constructed division. Emotion is not treated as something that conflicts with any moment or scenario.

The instruction to 'be professional' is seen as an invitation to step back into a role where emotion is excluded. When this role is not followed, what remains is simply aware of what is being felt, without needing to suppress it, change it or turn it into a problem.

Client/service provider

Coming soon