The 3 Decisions: Stay, Stay, Flee!

Workplace trauma is real and it can be absolutely crippling, causing very real mental, emotional, and physical imbalances with in the human body. Mentally and emotionally it can cause or increase anxiety and confusion, it can further exacerbate depression, and it can lead to work performance issues that impact one’s overall preformance and productivity. 

However, did you know that there are also various physical symptoms associated with the stress that comes from a traumatic workplace experience, which can include things such as, cardiovascular stress resulting in arrhythmias, gastrointestinal related illnesses such as heartburn & GERD, constipation or diarrhea, and intermittent or chronic bouts of nausea.

Additionally, the stress that comes from prolonged workplace trauma can also affect other body systems such as your hair & skin that can contribute to things such as hair loss, skin irritations & rashes, and/or other symptoms of “dis-ease” such as canker sores of the mouth and even an increased risk of developing yeasts such as thrush in the mouth. 

The reality is, working in an unhealthy and toxic workplace environment can have very real consequences for your overall health and wellbeing. You, however, have the power of determining whether or not you remain enduring all of the stresses that come with that environment or if you leave it.

In fact, what I’ve discovered about my own past experiences with workplace trauma is that those of us who have or are currently experiencing such traumas have three possible decisions that we can make regarding our situations, we can stay and endure, we can stay and protect, or we can flee and reclaim. 

So which stay of trauma are you currently in? Which one of these phases do you most identify with?

Stay & Endure

People who make the decision to stay and endure the trauma do so most of the time because they feel “stuck”. I can’t tell you how many of my clients have shared their experiences with “stuckness”. They often times feel that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place within their workplaces related to the following reasons 1) their financial statuses are unfavorable , 2)they lack education or have zero advancement opportunities within their current environments, or 3) they already have longevity with their current organizations, and they do not feel they possess the skills to do anything other than what they are doing in the moment. 

People who are stuck in these types of stay and endure situations tend to be both emotionally unwell and physically unhealthy. They tend to suffer from a number of physical and emotional imbalances that ultimately end up ( whether they want it to or not) impact their ability to function properly in their work and home environments. 

Stay & Protect

People who make the decision to stay and protect themselves usually are dealing with a situation similar to the stay and endure folks, however, these people don’t necessarily feel “stuck”. For these folks staying is usually tied more with their current personal situations, such as the employee whose retirement is imminent, or they work alongside their peers but seldom with them so they are by default isolated from the direct impacts of their work environments. These people know there are issues and that they are in unhealthy environments, however, they, for the most, part have learned to distance themselves away from the sources of their unhealthy environments. They do this as a way of protecting themselves from the bruntout effects of the workplace trauma that they witness among their peers. 

These folks also tend to be less mentally engaged within their workplace environments, they “shelter in place” and usually keep to themselves. These folks suffer, but they usually suffer in silence and they avoid most situations that they realize would leave them vulnerable to personal attacks from others within that environment. These people are in a constant state of self preservation and present themselves accordingly. The goal for these folks is to get in, keep their heads down, and get out alive and hopefully with only a few scars as evidence they were even there.

These folks, like their stay & endure counterparts, suffer the same symptoms, however, it’s less conspicuous because they hide it from others. You can, however, identify it in their lack of motivation and periodic lags in their productivity. 

Flee & Reclaim

People who have made the decision to leave or flee their current workplace environments have usually suffered from so much trauma that a breaking point has been reached. Usually with these people one of two things have occurred 1) their physical symptoms have manifested into full blown illness or is on the cusp of becoming a chronic condition, 2) they’ve become aware and disillusioned with their purpose and the impact they are having in their jobs, or lastly, 3) they have been given the chance for a better opportunity and have decided to reclaim their sense of purpose in their lives outside the constraints of there current organization. These people are risk takers, and are often ( especially in this current state of economic unrest) are risking it all to be in a happier state of consciousness. These folks want to reclaim and maintain control over their physical & mental health. They have gone through the stages of staying and enduring & staying and protecting, and now they are preparing for their exit and embracing their next moves. 

So, now that you know who you are what’s next? Are you ready to flee and reclaim? Do you have to stay and endure, or are you just simply trying to survive by staying and protecting yourself?

Doesn’t matter because in every situation of decision making LeadWhole Coaching has been there for our clients. As a coach who specializes in workplace trauma recovery coaching, I have helped a number of clients reclaim and recover their lives through the coaching experience. Whether it’s through the development of tools to help them in their “stay phases” or in helping them to ready and prepare themselves for their next moves into their “flee phase”, as a workplace trauma recovery coach, I will help them achieve their personal and professional wellness goals no matter what decision they’ve made regarding their workplace trauma management. 

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