I was speaking recently with a breast cancer survivor who had introduced a naturopath into her life. A naturopath, for context, takes a holistic approach to health, blending nutrition, plant-based remedies, and lifestyle guidance to support the body’s natural healing systems.
You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with workplace wellbeing, leadership, or the future of work. Bear with me.
Every few months, she sends her nail clippings to a genetic analyst for review, who then recommends natural supplements tailored to her body’s current needs. She is in her sixties and says she has never felt better. She even aligns her diet with moon cycles, explaining that parasites are most active during the full moon and that is when she strengthens her defences.
I know the square root of zero about these methods and as such, would not begin to promote or dismiss them. But what struck me was her hesitation to share her story. “It is all a bit woo woo,” she laughed. Yet she was glowing, energised, balanced, and deeply in tune with herself.
Humans have used natural remedies for thousands of years: willow bark as an early form of aspirin, honey as an antibacterial salve, turmeric and ginger for inflammation. These treatments worked long before modern medicine existed. We happily test blood for anaemia and prescribe iron yet scoff when someone uses nail cells to guide their nutrition. We trust synthetic pills but dismiss rosemary.
This is not about ancient versus modern medicine. It is about how far we have drifted from our natural state, and the cost that drift now carries for individuals, organisations, and economies.
As a species, we are unwell, and it is largely self-inflicted. We have built systems that serve commerce over humanity and normalised lifestyles that deplete rather than restore us. We chase a currency we invented, believing it ensures survival, only to spend it on things that often harm us: processed food, fast fashion, environments that overstimulate and undernourish. We are, in many ways, victims of our own success.
This separation did not happen overnight. For centuries we have increasingly worked against the natural rhythms our species evolved to follow. Work became mechanical, cities polluted, and progress was measured by output, not wellbeing. We traded sunlight, movement, and nutrition for fluorescent lights, screens, and golden arches.
Now we are paying the price. Chronic stress, burnout, anxiety, and loneliness are endemic. The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy one trillion US dollars each year in lost productivity. Yet we still try to fix people instead of redesigning the systems that harm them.
The modern workplace has become an experiment in human endurance. No amount of yoga in the boardroom can undo a 60-hour week, nine hours of sitting, or the psychological toll of constant volatility. We have reached the limits of human capacity inside an outdated system.
The future of work cannot be about squeezing the last drops of effort from exhausted people. That is a recipe for collapse. It must be about redesigning work itself, reconnecting with what humans truly need to perform and thrive: rest, rhythm, autonomy, purpose, connection, and respect for natural limits.
Science now gives us the roadmap. Neuroscience, organisational psychology, and psychosocial risk research reveal what drives real performance and wellbeing. Diagnostic tools translate this evidence into practice, identifying where workplaces are fighting against nature rather than flowing with it. Think of it as an MRI scan for organisational health, exposing hidden risks and cultural toxins that quietly drain energy and performance that can never be recovered.
Three ways to begin the shift
- Diagnose before you prescribe: Before launching another wellbeing initiative, understand the psychosocial risks, friction points, and cultural blockers first.
- Re-sync with natural rhythms: Build work patterns that mirror the body’s natural cycles and support high function.
- Design for energy, not output: Replace the obsession with hours and visibility with systems that protect cognitive and emotional energy.
If you are a current or aspiring leader, you face a choice. Keep gorging on the poisonous apples of status, control, and overwork, or design a business that reconnects people to what makes us human. Optimisation does not mean squeezing harder; it means aligning with nature.
The next era will belong to the so-called “woo woo” leaders, those who trust science and instinct, data and humanity. They will chart the course for the next century of business by recognising that wellbeing is not a luxury; it is the foundation of enduring performance.
I am proud to be doing work that enables that shift and sets in motion the early steps of what I believe history will one day call the Human Sustainability Revolution.
In forty years, I hope to look back on what we once called the “woo woo” leaders and smile. We used to mock their instincts, their alignment with nature, their belief that empathy and energy could outperform fear and force. But we were wrong. They were not the “woo woo” generation at all; they were the “wow wow” generation, the ones who wowed us by achieving what seemed impossible in 2025. They set humanity back on course.
About WellWise
If you want to begin the journey to becoming a “wow wow” leader, WellWise is here to help. Using advanced diagnostic tools, WellWise helps leaders identify the organisational factors that harm or help human performance, providing the evidence and insights needed to redesign for balance, energy, and impact. Learn more or start the conversation at bewellwise.com.
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