Many of the women I work with have difficulty reconciling the “woo” side of who they are with their business life. I can relate having worked for many years in the banking industry. As women in business we are taught that our woo needs to be separate from our workplace, otherwise we risk losing our credibility.
This results in the need to develop a split personality. Being an empath, a healer and a musician, yet working in a traditionally formal industry like banking, I ended up leading the double life of banker-chanteuse. Being a triple Gemini, I was able to manage while other women in my workplace struggled.
How was I eventually able to reconcile my woo side and my workplace without changing careers? Like anything, it took baby steps. Bringing your woo to work doesn’t mean that you’re going to start burning sage in your office and decorating your desk with crystals.
What it does mean is you can bring your positive vibes, your higher energy, and your loving kindness to any workplace.
Here are some fun ways to bring your woo to work with you:
1.Mindfulness and compassion. I’m currently reading Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh. As a spiritual leader, he calls us to mindfulness and compassion. These are two powerful woo gifts we can make use of as women in business.
Mindfulness in the workplace can result in lowered stress, reduced blood pressure and getting a project done right the first time. This saves your organization a lot of money while you look good. You may even be able to raise your visibility in the organization by offering to do a “Lunch & Learn” on meditation or mindfulness practice. This could save the organization even more money since they don’t need to bring in an outside expert; they already have one.
Compassion, this word begins with compass. Let your inner compass, your higher self, your sense of integrity, your “True North”, inform your decisions. You will find clients, colleagues and supervisors appreciate the added value this brings to negotiations as you consistently design win-win outcomes which in turn lead to more referral business.
2.Crystals. There are multiple ways to incorporate crystals into your work day even in the most professional of industries. For example, I frequently wear crystal jewelry and receive many compliments when I do. I love when it leads to a conversation about the benefits of that particular crystal.
Several years ago, our team was going through a very stressful systems transition. I decided to take a risk and bring my woo to work in a more tangible way. I brought in several crystals designed to enhance our ability to think clearly and act quickly for the highest good of all. I also brought in a battery-operated candle and placed the crystals around the candle. This leads us to the third way for you to secretly bring your woo to work.
3.Laughter.Laughter is a high vibrational energy. Using your sense of humor is the easiest way to dispel negativity in your workplace. Once I had the crystals and candle set up on my desk, I dedicated my mini-altar, dubbing it, “The Technology Candle”, and presenting it as such to my fellow team members.
“The Technology Candle” became a totem for reducing the stress of the system conversion, but the magic wasn’t in the crystals or the candle, it was in the laughter it brought to our office. “The Technology Candle” worked beautifully, better than any other type of magic charm ever could. Over those few weeks, various members of the team would dissolve into tearful laughter whenever they saw “The Technology Candle” on my desk. Even the most buttoned up bankers couldn’t help but shake their heads and chuckle. Instant stress relief through humor!
Think about it, “The Technology Candle”? It makes you smile, doesn’t it?
You don’t need a technology candle, crystals, incense or oracle cards to bring your woo to work. The magic of mindfulness and compassion, a dash of creativity, and an engaging sense of humor will enhance productivity and go a long way to creating a more cohesive team atmosphere which will lead you to success without damaging your credibility.
