The Wellbeing Crisis: Are We Asking the Wrong Questions?

I’ve spent a lifetime working with individuals and organisations across the globe. If there is one trend that has become impossible to ignore, it is the decline in our health and wellbeing in an increasingly connected, always-on world.

We have never been more stressed. More anxious. More distracted. More dependent on validation from social media. Despite all our advances, many people feel exhausted, overwhelmed and disengaged.

We have a wellbeing crisis.

The question is: how do we address it? Do we call in the doctors, or do we call in the coaches?

Having spent much of the last 20 years working in the United States, I have noticed an interesting shift. While wellbeing remains an important topic, the term itself seems to have fallen out of favour in some quarters, particularly in highly competitive business environments where resilience, self-reliance and performance are prized above all else.

Yet the facts are hard to ignore. We ARE stressed. Stress is not just an emotional issue; it has serious physical consequences. When stress becomes chronic, the body’s stress response remains switched on, leading to elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline, higher blood pressure, disrupted sleep, weakened immunity and increased inflammation. Over time, these changes increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and other chronic health conditions.

For organisations, chronic stress translates into lower productivity, reduced engagement, more absenteeism and higher staff turnover. Left unmanaged, stress doesn’t just affect how people feel. It affects how they perform, how they relate to others and, ultimately, how healthy they remain.

According to Gallup, 76% of US employees experience burnout at least sometimes, while 28% report feeling burned out very often or always. Employees suffering frequent burnout are significantly more likely to take sick leave and require emergency medical care, highlighting the growing human and economic cost of chronic workplace stress.

So why can wellbeing still feel like a sensitive topic?

Part of the issue is perception. Wellbeing initiatives can sometimes be associated with vulnerability, mental health struggles or an inability to cope. In high-performance cultures, many people do not want to be seen as needing help. We prefer to think of ourselves as strong, capable and resilient.

This is where coaching becomes interesting.

Unlike traditional wellbeing programmes, coaching is associated with leadership development, career growth, high performance and professional success. People are often proud to have a coach because it signals investment and potential rather than remediation.

The irony is that coaching often delivers many of the same outcomes that wellbeing programmes are trying to achieve.

Studies examining workplace coaching programmes report improvements in job satisfaction, leadership effectiveness, employee development and workforce readiness. Coaching helps people become more self-aware, more resilient and better able to regulate their emotions under pressure. It encourages healthier boundaries, greater confidence and more effective responses to stress.

In many organisations, employees become trapped in a cycle of constant urgency. Emails, meetings, deadlines and competing demands create a state of perpetual reaction. Over time, this takes a toll. Energy falls. Engagement declines. Burnout rises.

Coaching helps people step out of that cycle. Rather than automatically saying yes, working longer hours or pushing through exhaustion, they learn to make more intentional choices about priorities, workload and energy management.

The result is not simply better wellbeing. It is better performance.

Perhaps that is the point. We need to stop treating wellbeing and performance as competing priorities. The healthiest organisations understand that they are inseparable. People perform best when they are physically healthy, emotionally resilient, psychologically secure and genuinely engaged in their work.

That is why the concept of wellbeing today extends far beyond gym memberships, health screenings and wellness campaigns. It encompasses physical, emotional, psychological, social, financial and career wellbeing. Organisations increasingly recognise that employee wellbeing is a key driver of productivity, retention and long-term performance.

So let’s not get too hung up on what we call it. If we’re stressed, we need support. Whether the intervention is labelled wellbeing, leadership development, resilience training or coaching is ultimately less important than the outcome. What matters is creating workplaces where people can thrive, not merely survive.

My experience in coaching leaders and teams has taught me one simple lesson: employees may resist being told they need a wellbeing programme, but they rarely resist being offered a coach.

The result is often the same: healthier, more resilient, more engaged people.

And that is something every organisation should want.

Let’s tackle stress together.

Top 10 Tips for Managing Stress

1. Focus on what you can control
   Stress often comes from worrying about things outside your influence. Identify what you can control, take action on that, and let go of the rest.
2. Prioritise ruthlessly
   Everything cannot be urgent. Decide what truly matters and concentrate your energy there. A shorter to-do list is often a more effective one.
3. Set boundaries
   Learn to say no. Protect time for recovery, family, exercise and sleep. Constant availability is a fast track to burnout.
4. Move your body
   Exercise is one of the most effective stress-management tools available. Even a 20-minute walk can reduce tension and improve mood.
5. Get enough sleep
   Stress and poor sleep create a vicious cycle. Prioritise 7-9 hours of quality sleep whenever possible.
6. Take breaks before you need them
   Don’t wait until you’re exhausted. Short breaks throughout the day improve focus, energy and resilience.
7. Identify your stress triggers
   Pay attention to situations, people or habits that consistently raise your stress levels. Awareness is the first step towards change.
8. Talk to someone
   Stress grows in isolation. A trusted colleague, friend, coach or mentor can provide perspective and support.
9. Practice self-regulation
   When you feel overwhelmed, pause. Take a few slow breaths. Step back before reacting. Creating a small gap between stimulus and response can dramatically reduce stress.
10. Reconnect with purpose
    People cope with pressure better when they understand why their work matters. Regularly remind yourself what is important and what you are working towards.

Written by Geoffrey Sharpe.