Notes on Resilience
Conversations about trauma, resilience, and compassion.
How do we genuinely support individuals who have experienced trauma and build inclusive and safe environments? Trauma significantly affects the mental and physical health of those who experience it, and personal resiliency is only part of the solution. The rest lies in addressing organizational, systemic, and social determinants of health and wellness, and making the effort to genuinely understand the impact of trauma.
Here, we ask and answer the tough questions about how wellness is framed in an organizational context, what supports are available and why, what the barriers are to supporting trauma survivors, and what best practices contribute to mental wellness. These conversations provide a framework to identify areas for change and actionable steps to reshape organizations to be truly trauma sensitive.
Notes on Resilience
120: Are Your Employees Truly Safe to Be Human? With Monika Guzek
How does play transform workforce dynamics?
Monika Guzek, founder of JoyFlow, challenges conventional workplace wisdom with a refreshing take on organizational resilience. From jumping off a 12-meter waterfall despite her fear of heights to teaching CEOs the power of play, Monica embodies the change-embracing spirit she cultivates in others.
We discuss how play helps executives approach complex problems through creativity rather than pure analysis, and the three essential ingredients of resilience: relationships, sunshine, and nutrition. These fundamentals form the backbone of sustainable workplace well-being, yet are frequently overlooked in favor of complicated wellness programs.
Your workplace doesn't have to wait for a crisis to prioritize well-being—start building that foundation today. Are you ready to transform how your organization approaches resilience and psychological safety?
Monika Guzek is a speaker, coach, consultant, and Founder of JoyFlow: Success through Joy, Diversity & Resilience. She helps leaders and organizations cultivate inclusive, high-performing cultures where resilience, authenticity, and joy fuel success. Her mission is to help leaders break free from burnout, embrace joy, and harness play as a powerful driver of success and resilience —because the best results come when we are happy and fulfilled.
Connect with Monika on LinkedIn or explore more resources on building compassionate, resilient teams on her website.
Go to https://betterhelp.com/resilience or click Notes on Resilience during sign up for 10% off your first month of therapy with my sponsor BetterHelp.
__________
Producer / Editor: Neel Panji
Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity.
Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us.
#trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor
I always believe that you need to lead by example. So if you are strong, if you're taken care of, if you're showing your employee that even short break during the day, it's okay that you are not staying overnight in the office every day or taking the phone calls wherever you want. So this is already something. What is creating this psychological safety in a team?
Manya Chylinski:Hello and welcome to Notes on Resilience. I'm your host, manya Chylinski. My guest today is Monika Guzek. She's a speaker, coach, consultant and the founder of JoyFlow success through joy, diversity and resilience. She works with leaders and organizations to cultivate inclusive, high-performing cultures where resilience, authenticity and joy are the fuel of success. We had such a wonderful conversation about how do you measure resilience and compassion in an organization and what is the role of play in helping us as we deal with resiliency with an organization, and what is the role of play in helping us as we deal with resiliency with an organization. You're going to love this conversation, Monika. I am so excited to have you on the podcast. We've got some really cool things to talk about.
Monika Guzek:Thank you, Mania, for inviting me. I'm also very excited to talk about resilience.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, before we dig in, I'd love for you to tell me what is one thing that you've done in any part of your life that you never thought you would do.
Monika Guzek:I think that something that is popping into my mind is that when I was in my 20s, I jumped through 12 meters waterfall to the water and, yes, and you know, I have high sickness, so it's not something obvious that I would do. I was in in Philippines, traveling with my with some group. I had also crazy idea at that time when I was quitting corporate job, I thought that I would become a. That time when I was quitting corporate job, I thought that I would become a tour guide. So I was doing this kind of crazy things, and I'm saying this because each time when I'm feeling that you can't do something, I'm saying like yes, you can.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, and so amazing. I can't believe you did that. One thing that's really interesting to me is you did that while you were traveling, and I feel like we're more open to some of those kinds of experiences when we're traveling than sometimes we are when we're in our regular environment.
Monika Guzek:I believe that yes, because then we are more open to you, know everything what is happening around us and experience new things. However, in my case, I would say that the change is my second name, because I love to go out of my comfort zone. Even while I was doing some meditation courses and so on. My point was that I had to sit for some weeks in the same place. You know, during this course where other people had to change places to get a little bit uncomfortable, my discomfort was when I had to sit in one place. So I would say you know that it depends on the personality traits.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, and I think we've revealed what my personality trait is, which is I would have been much more comfortable sitting in place, and that change is something that can be challenging for me sometimes. Oh, thank you for sharing that, and interesting to be thinking about those different ways that we approach the world, as you and I are here talking about the concept of resilience, and especially as we're looking at it in the workforce, and especially as we're looking at it in the workforce, and I just love to start with how do you define resilience?
Monika Guzek:For me, resilience, it's a trait or state as well, of being, I would say, where we feel good enough to confront difficult moments and connect with our emotions. You know to face the challenges. When they are like coming from outside, let's say so. It's like our targets, or discussing with your boss, or you know with employees and so on, that you have a strength to face what is, I would say, challenging for you.
Manya Chylinski:Okay, and, as you and I have talked about in the past, I think about how important it is that we each are resilient and we take care of ourselves and our own emotions. It's also really important to me that the organizations that we're in and here I'm thinking of a workplace are supportive of our resilience and our ability to get through the world, and I'm curious how you think about the relationship between organizations and personal resilience.
Monika Guzek:You know in the past something what I noticed and I believe everybody can see this that private life was private life, business was business right and of course, covid changed a lot, but I would say also a lot of things which are happening around us and this uncertainty that organization also had to face, that what each human being is facing and which difficulties they are facing on a private life or in corporate life, this is influencing the outcomes which they are bringing and the performance. So nowadays we can see that corporates took a huge also steps toward making people feel more comfortable and making them be more themselves, be more, having a space for these difficult moments and emotions, and what I'm seeing is as well that more and more programs or help is provided by organizations for the employees.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, yes, and it does feel like a shift, covid, definitely, and I think we were moving in that direction even before, back from mid 20th century, when it was felt very much that there was that division you mentioned the personal versus the professional.
Monika Guzek:Yeah, if I could add, you know, even from European side. So you were some years ago, but this is something. What is happening currently made obligated each bigger companies to prepare a kind of report and pointing which actions they are doing to prevent, you know, burnout, to help people with mental health and so on. So this is something what makes this responsibility of how people are, I would say, Having more common ground that, of course, each person needs to take care of themselves, but as well, like companies, they are obligated to do this.
Manya Chylinski:Now that is so interesting to me. It is taking care of the members of our community, which a workplace is, a community is, I feel is our obligation. As humans we do vary, we're sometimes successful, we are sometimes not. But I find it interesting that in an organizational context, that businesses were not necessarily inclined to do this until they were obligated to do this through some sort of official reporting structure, and I find that disappointing. But I guess that's the way it works in the business world.
Monika Guzek:Yeah, a lot of times we are saying that sometimes the law needs to show the direction where companies need to follow, and generally I'm always saying, yeah, it should be. You know our human side, showing that this kind of action should come from our hearts, not from law. I would, I believe in it and that's why I'm working in this area. However, I know the and sometimes this obligation is really helping, because even you know, comparing certain markets for example, in Germany, you can have a sick leave because you have burnout and company is not able to fire you after that it's much more like helping you to be back when you recover.
Monika Guzek:In Poland, where I'm coming from, we don't have this law, so that's why a lot of time when I'm working with leaders who they see that something is happening, or they have symptoms of burnout or they are really in a deep burnout, they are not taking step to take care of themselves, because then they are afraid that they won't be back to the market and this is, I would say, challenging. So so in this situation, I believe that this law is really helping yes, and is that?
Manya Chylinski:what's that law is um for all European countries? Is it just is within the EU, or how does that work and what's it called it's?
Monika Guzek:you. So it's some directives which uh were created, that companies uh need to report and present what they are doing regarding mental health. But the law itself, you know, related to mental health, it's just each country and their own regulation that makes sense.
Manya Chylinski:It's one of those cases where, in this case, I look to what's going on in the EU and I think why aren't we doing it that way here?
Monika Guzek:I think that it's always inspiration on both sides. We are looking what you are doing, you are looking what maybe we are doing and we can learn from each other. And this is the word which I would love to believe that we can create all together. Because last year I had a funny situation where I was traveling again and in a train I met a woman so she was Chinese, but for 20 years living in US, and she said that she came to Europe because Europeans, we are not so stressed, so she can relax with us. And I start laughing, saying like oh, because we are so stressed that we are going to Asia for our holiday, you know or to any other place.
Monika Guzek:So it was beautiful showing, and beautifully showing you know how we diverse in this area, how we perceive which nations are stressed, what we can learn from each other, and so on.
Manya Chylinski:Absolutely, and I love that flow of information, because business environment in European Union is different, it's different in Asia, it's different all over, and we all have things we can learn from each other. So I'm excited to learn about this. What do you think that leaders in organizations most misunderstand about? What their role is in creating that environment of trust and psychological safety and where people can share what's going on with them?
Monika Guzek:They are superheroes and they can do everything, and in this, what I mean, of course, with this is that a lot of leaders take responsibility, that they create a space. You know, they will learn a lot of new techniques of how to communicate and so on, but then, first of all, they forget about themselves. And this is the simplest rule from a plane when we have, you know, the safety commands that first you need to take care of yourself and then of others. So they forget about it and they I always believe that you need to lead by example. So if you are strong, if you're taken care of, if you're showing your employee that even short break during the day, it's okay that you are not staying overnight in the office every day or taking the phone calls wherever you want. So this is already something.
Monika Guzek:What is creating this psychological safety in a team? Because you're giving them example and people are not afraid then to tell about their difficulties or, you know, settle some boundaries and the other thing I'm always saying that it's also the zone of influence. So they need to know that they can create a space, this psychological safety space, but also people bringing their own traumas, situations, previous experience and sometimes even if we try to be as more mindful, compassion and so on, we are not able to provide the security for other person. So I would say that that's why I said this, that they are superheroes, because they also need to remember what are limitations.
Manya Chylinski:Right, that's an important piece and I know on this podcast we talk a lot about. Hey, leaders, these are the things that you need to be thinking about and remembering that they've got a lot of pressures and they've got to take care of themselves, so we it's something we all need to be working towards. The leaders might be leading us, but they're not the only ones who need to be focused on this. Something you and I have chatted about, and I've chatted about with several leaders recently, is how do you measure the effect of this? How do you measure these resilience and compassion and how that's impacting the workforce, because we know that CEOs and other executive leaders they want to see that proof that it's working and that it makes sense to invest in taking care of our employees this way. How do you work with organizations to measure this and show a real change?
Monika Guzek:How do you work with organizations to measure this and show a real change. One thing we need to really understand that it's very difficult to measure and this is part of us which might change because some external situation might influence us that today I feel well and tomorrow I will be super down. So this is one thing and I always try to explain this that it's not that it can always increase the numbers and showing that how strong we are, how resilient we are and so on. However, the tool which is really helping me to also show the importance of working on this and talking about this, it's MTQ plus 48 tool. This is the tool which is helping to measure how leaders in this case, perform and how much stress and emotions and effort they need to be confident to have emotional control and control.
Monika Guzek:I'm not mean to don't feel anything, but how much you know they need to to be calm, let's say, and what is happening inside, and as well, how to respond to pressure, which is it works, or how they finish tasks and so on, and as well how they deal with challenges. So there are certain questions which um help to show the beginning, let's say what the current state and, as well, if we're going through some or one-on-one process or workshops and so on. So in the some longer term, we can show like, oh, these people increasing that um in these numbers, or uh, in this uh aspect, uh, which then allows them to see like, oh, something is changing. And of course, it's important to also understand that there are some aspects which are connected to each other. So, for example, how much stress it's cost us to be efficient at work. And if they see that if you reduce the level of your stress, then you can be more efficient, so people can achieve even more. So this is the arguments which are really working.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, oh, that's so interesting because that, like I said, that is a question I get a lot how can we measure this effectively? So I'm glad to hear that you have a tool that you really like your clients, which is play and the power of play, and I just want to learn more about how you work with your clients and the Lego Serious Play program. Like how does that help businesses be more open, be more compassionate, build that psychological safety?
Monika Guzek:is be more open, be more compassionate, build that psychological safety. I really regret that we can't see each other in person and really, you know, touch this colorful bricks and play, because this is something which really empowers. And I say that play is a gateway to creativity, to emotion as well, like processing, and it helps us to solve our problems, to see them from different perspective, and this is, for me, key to to resilience, that we can see things from different perspectives. So, um, I would say you don't need to have a special set from lego, serious play. You can take anything in your hands and just using our hands, um, you know, playing with touching some things and using colors, this is bringing us to our unconscious mind. So I'm also a Jungian coach, so I love Jungian psychology and so on. So that's why I'm always bringing this part while we are playing and having fun, because as adults, we're a lot too serious. Let's say we forget that. Also, what we are working, what we are doing at work, should bring us some fun.
Monika Guzek:And while I'm using Lego, a lot of leaders or CEOs they're saying like, oh Monika, I hope nobody gonna see us. They think that we are not serious people. And I'm saying like then you will see results. And they are really surprised that, even while they are building from the same set, everybody's coming with different approach, with different solution and seeing that one brick might have some meaning for somebody and for somebody else, no, it's like wow.
Monika Guzek:So I would say that this display, it's bringing kind of like, you know, in the sense that we, we can be more relaxed, having a little bit more fun. Uh, what we are doing and talking about, I would say, serious topic, which is a mental health and our resilience, and, as well, showing that we can achieve more, you know, sometimes by doing less. So we don't need to be always in our cognitive part, because a lot of time what I'm facing so people saying like, oh, give me numbers, give me data, and so on. So I'm saying I can give you no problem, but let's try a little bit something and with small exercise with Lego, even with CEOs, then I can convince them oh, this is really nice, I want it in my organization.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, do you get a lot of resistance to the concept of play? Or it seems to me that, as you mentioned, some people do think okay, this is work, this is serious, we have to focus, and that play is somehow completely the opposite. I would imagine that there's some barriers to overcome.
Monika Guzek:Yes and no, because everybody, you know, they remember what they were doing when they were kids if somebody was playing Lego and if somebody not, they're curious seeing what others are doing. So of course I need to prepare this, like with the psychological safety. So we need to prepare the ground, let's say, to play and then bring all this playfulness to the workplace. So, of course, before I show some data and we have some small warm ups, so I would say that resistance really it's not appearing. If it's, you know, step by step and I believe that this is also with resilience in organization you need to bring this topic step by step, because then it's easier, it's more eatable. Let's call it.
Manya Chylinski:Yes and that is something I think about a lot that we don't need to plan a three-year project to make this change. We certainly can, but in fact, if we just make some small incremental changes every day, every week, that we're going to get to that place where we are, where we've built that resilience, we've built that trust that maybe wasn't there before.
Monika Guzek:Yes, and I believe that we are also living in a time where we need to learn how to give up with certain things. You know like to have less things around us, and then they can bring us more profits relating to us as well. Business, because people always ask like oh, give me in this case new tool, how can I do more and more and more? And then this is what creates more stress, and then we are weaker itself.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, We've seen studies, we know the message that it is important to take time away from work. It's time to take vacation time where you're actually not working, that those down times when you're not thinking about work really benefit the work. If that's all you're focusing on, right, that really benefits you, which then benefits the work. Benefit the work. If that's all you're focusing on right, that really benefits you, which then benefits the work. And it can be so hard for some of us to allow ourselves to take those kind of breaks, whether it's an actual vacation or letting myself play with the Lego serious playset.
Monika Guzek:Oh, it's the most difficult, I would say, because then you know, all your thoughts are running and you're stressed, you, you are sometimes even like people shaking your leg. It's, you know, shaking because you need to do something. You are, you feel that you are obligated to do some things and for me, what it's the major, I would say practice, which I recommend at the beginning and during, or coaching session or workshops and so on. It's five minutes, meditation of doing nothing. This is such a powerful tool that you know allows us to connect with us, you know, just a little bit, uh, relaxed, and then our mind is even working more consciously, more mindfully, so we are more focused on what we are doing. So, yeah, when you're talking about holidays or like playing it, sometimes it's too much at the beginning, but this five minutes I recommend to everybody who can listen us, for people, but it's only five minutes so we can make it happen.
Manya Chylinski:And one other thing I wanted to get back to when you were talking about specifically working with the Lego Serious Place, that everybody gets their set and they have the same materials, but then to see how different everybody's creations are and I love that because it feels like a visual reminder that we really all do see the world differently through the lens of our own experience and our own personalities and our own level of resilience, and I imagine that that's really interesting to see and have other people in the room see how different the creations are.
Monika Guzek:Yes, and people are always saying like, wow, I've never thought that it can be something different. And some people might see this so differently because, of course, then I invite them to share what they built and what it has a meaning for them. And people are like, wow, I've never had this perception. And Lego you can use not only like resilience topics, you can use also in a strategic planning, or also I'm using in diversity topics because, like I said, this is natural diversity, showing that we are just different as humans. We have different way of communicating, expressing ourselves, looking and so on and so on.
Monika Guzek:So, for this, people more consciously touch certain topics, so they are more conscious about these differences, which is not presented them in the, you know, scientific way or why we should love how different we are. It's much more that we see like, oh, my colleague who's always sitting next to me in the office, he's, or she is so different, right, and anyway, I like this person. So then a lot of time they are saying like I remember one workshop, um, we were talking about stress and, uh, one participant said I don't have problem with stress at all, I can relax at work. It was, and others were so surprised of what you was doing in this workshop. So he said like so please come to the office when I am, and then I will show you how to do this coffee break, how to work efficiently. So you know, they also were learning from each other. They didn't need me in the end, and it was beautiful to see this that somebody opened up and just shared.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, and that was a way to build that relationship. I love that too. Well, play is, in fact, something that enables us to connect with each other on a different level, so I can see that that would open up new relationships like that resilience.
Monika Guzek:Uh, while we take care of three ingredients of this of resilience. So one is relationships. This is what you mentioned. So if we have fulfillment, we feel fulfillment in this area. So these relationships are deep, or we feel accepted, we feel that we can count on other people in the workforce or also in a private life, so we feel more resilient itself.
Monika Guzek:And another aspect do you know what is it? It's sun, so it's sun. So of course, we are more happy and creative and as well cheerful when we have sun. So that's why there's even five minutes break sometimes. If we can just close our eyes and, you know, have some sun like on our face, it's amazing and it's bringing a lot of endorphins as well. And the third one is how we feed ourselves. So it's a food. So that's why I'm always saying that when we take care of of this aspect, it's not only about what we have in our mind, it it's also different, like relationships and so on. That's why I believe that it's so popular in organizations to have you know this fruits or veggies and so on, because this is what brings us some vitamins and healthy aspect. Yes, absolutely.
Manya Chylinski:Oh, Monika, I could talk to you for hours, you know, and I would love to, but we're getting at the end of our time, so can you tell our listeners a little bit about what you do and how they can reach you and learn more about your work?
Monika Guzek:Sure. So I'm a coach, also trainer, and I'm helping organizations to increase their mental toughness and make them more resilient, Looking also from this diversity perspective, from cultural and also generational diversity, and you can reach me through LinkedIn, my website or, as well, email, which I believe will be under our conversational podcast.
Manya Chylinski:Yes, I will put all those links in the show notes to make it easy for folks to get in touch with you. Yes, I will put all those links in the show notes to make it easy for folks to get in touch with you, Monika, thank you so much. I've so loved our conversation Me too and thank you so much for inviting me. Thank you for listening.
Manya Chylinski:I'm Manya Chylinski. I help organizations build compassionate, resilient teams that thrive by creating environments where well-being is at the core. Often, people reach out to me during times of crisis or significant change, but the truth is that building a healthier, more supportive workplace can prevent issues before they arise and empower your teams to thrive, no matter what challenges come their way. If you're ready to make a meaningful change, I'd love to connect. If you haven't already done so, please subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us, and if you'd like to continue the conversation, connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website, www. manyachylinski. com. Thank you for being part of this journey with me.
