Lately I hear so much about psychological safety at work… and I’m so happy that this language is part of our everyday dialogue. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone speak about somatic safety in the workplace.
Because the mind can know we are safe… and the body can disagree completely.
A few years ago, I was in a heated exchange with a colleague over Zoom. It was going in circles. This person was telling me how they would help me, but their tone and their demands didn’t match. It felt like I was under attack.
I was at home, completely safe. I remember glancing at my face on screen and thinking how calm and professional I looked.
My body was in full alarm, and I was experiencing contractions in my uterus which were as intense as when I gave birth to my children. My heart rate went from a resting 48 to 152.
I called 111, and they referred me to A&E. But after a prolonged period of waiting to be seen, I knew… this did not require immediate medical intervention. My body was telling me something far bigger than that call. So I discharged myself.
Interactions at work can stir what our bodies have held from long before. That is why we can “know” we are safe and still feel the threat, the stress, the urge to hide.
When we speak about psychological safety, we are often supporting what the mind thinks it needs to feel safe. But do we really feel safe enough to show up as we are… and to ask for what we want and need?
I’ll share what happened next in my next post.
