#84 Monica Sander Burns on remediating burnout culture through biophilic workspace design
In our personal and collective efforts to resist and transform burnout culture, many of us engage in embodiment and mindfulness practice, only to re-enter the cycle of burnout in our working lives. How can we shape and design our workspaces so they invite more space for regenerative growth - one grounded in nature’s principles of reciprocity, diversity, rest and care? What can a workspace intimately connected to the needs of the body look like within head-centric ways of working?
In this month’s episode, we bring to the show Monica Sander Burns, the founding partner of Society of Trees, an organisation helping to bring the rejuvenation of nature therapies to the workplace. As a certified Forest Therapy Guide, and avid naturalist, Monica designs and facilitates Nature Immersion sessions that replenish and restore a depleted workforce. Monica has guided hundreds of participants through these Nature Therapy sessions and is perpetually in awe of the ways that ecosystem and human wellbeing arise together.
In our conversation, Monica maps out what a biophilic workspace can look like, embedding nature immersion in our working lives that interweaves human and ecosystem wellbeing as remediation to workplace burnout culture.
What will be covered:
Monica’s story of breaking out of corporate burnout by transitioning to tourism and navigating the challenges with the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry, particularly the opportunities for pause and rest in nature despite experiencing job loss and career uncertainties
Society of Trees birthed from Monica and her husband’s realisation of the embodied experiences of nature connection and mindfulness being vital things absent from their time working in the corporate world
Biophilia hypothesis and bringing forward the inherent connection and curiosity humans have for nature in the workspace through nature immersion
Nature connection as bringing us back to the centre (the body) as a grounding for healing work
Tapping into the remembrance of innate connection to the world outside of ourselves that we strongly had as children (we knew how to connect as children through embodied place of senses)
Sense-making and development of sense of touch within the nurturing waters of the womb and natural affinity of water through the intimacy of prenatal development
Nature immersion as moving through world which is sensory-based (activates parasympathetic nervous system)
Careful with language of “losing” connection - more about reconnecting and reviving
Issues with separating mindfulness practice from working life - returning to burnout culture is unsustainable, need to centre calm connection in workspace
Courses tailored to specific professional setting e.g. resource guides with invitations and prompts for connecting to nature through senses and be present in moment (letting go of overthinking, analytical thinking)
Emulation of biodiversity in the ecosystem of the workplace: embracing and celebrating difference, diversity and polyculturalism
Diversity does not speak to our moral values but our capacity to survive and flourish
Practice of council through nature immersion - nature’s flat circular model, non-hierarchal which promotes safety, authenticity and open communication
Biophilic workspace design —> not something on offer yet but in future workplace for Society of Trees, does feature in resources and guidebooks provided e.g. soundscapes, seeing distances, encouragement of going outdoors, recognising and incorporating rest in productivity cycle
Community and connection through present awareness and seeing each other as we are
Interconnection and open communication - increasing cohesion and familiarity between colleagues
Tapping into remembrance in the body through practice - revive a compassionate awareness of our place as humans in the ecosystem through mindfulness and silence to build resilient workspaces
Resources:
Society of Trees website
Connect with Monica on Instagram (@societyoftrees)
Abigail Rose Clark - Returning to Body (book)
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Mind Full of Everything is a podcast calling for the radical healing of the self and community to outgrow the broken dominant culture of radical individualism and disconnection from our place as interdependent beings, so that we can collectively re-envision a safer, healthier and equitable world. Each episode takes a healing-centric approach to explore the embodied ways in which we can collectively restore and transform our journeys as stewards of community and earth through conversations with writers, researchers, coaches and educators, as well as reflection episodes with the host Agrita Dandriyal on her journey navigating the world as a deeply conscious, culturally-rooted and relational being. Learn more here.
