It’s Monday morning. You arrive at your workplace (or log onto your computer) and even before opening your email, your body already knows: do you feel calm with the team around you, or does your stomach tighten with tension? Returning to routine is not only about tasks; it’s about people. And much of our well-being depends on them.
At the start of every cycle, we hear the same phrase: “Time to get back to routine.” We usually think about schedules, projects, and goals. However, we rarely reflect on the most essential part: the people with whom we share most of our days. As human beings—deeply social by nature—we need to surround ourselves with quality relationships that bring us calm, trust, and honesty (Taylor, 2011).
Our nervous system works like a radar: it relaxes when we sense a safe environment and activates when it perceives threat. That’s why workplace relationships are not a minor detail, but a direct factor in physical and emotional health. Research by Hebles et al. (2022) shows that feeling safe in the workplace reduces stress and protects against emotional and cognitive consequences. Similarly, a study with nurses in California confirms that psychological safety reduces the risk of burnout and improves workplace climate (de Lisser, 2024).
From neuroscience, we know that a safe work environment regulates cortisol and strengthens key brain structures for emotional self-regulation and learning, while also boosting the release of oxytocin, the hormone linked to bonding and attachment (HelloDriven, 2023).
According to a global study by Workplace Options (2025), 70% of workers report that job stress is their biggest concern, and lack of psychological safety is linked to more conflicts, staff turnover, and lower productivity.
Building healthy relationships doesn’t happen by chance: it requires emotional intelligence. This means recognizing our emotions, regulating them, and being able to empathize with others. In teams, emotional intelligence helps us truly listen, resolve conflicts constructively, and create spaces of trust. Edmondson (2018) shows that teams with psychological safety—closely tied to collective emotional intelligence—are more innovative, resilient, and productive.
Not all workplace relationships are healthy. Sometimes, under a veil of normality, abusive dynamics can hide: subtle comments that undermine self-esteem, demands disguised as commitment, or covert abuse of power. Recognizing these dynamics is the first step. The second is setting boundaries and asking for help. Talking to trusted leaders, HR, or external professionals is not a weakness, but an act of self-care and courage.
Small actions to cultivate healthy relationships at work
• Listen without interrupting at least once a day.
• Explicitly thank a colleague for a gesture or help.
• If something makes you uncomfortable, express it respectfully instead of staying silent.
• Seek support if you notice abusive dynamics.
Returning to routine is an opportunity to ask ourselves: Which relationships make me feel calm and valued? Where do I feel tension or insecurity? What can I do to bring calm and trust to my team?
For inspiration, we recommend Amy Edmondson’s TEDx Talk: “Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace.” There she explains how to create teams where it’s okay to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn together:
Tasks come and go, projects change, but the relationships we cultivate at work remain in our bodies and in our memory. Taking care of them is taking care of ourselves. At INEEW, we believe that emotional education is not limited to the classroom —it is also lived in offices, meetings, and everyday conversations. Returning to routine means returning to those relationships that, day by day, shape our wellbeing.
References
de Lisser, R. (2024). Psychological safety is associated with better work environment and reduced burnout in nurse practitioners. BMC Nursing. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11288325/
Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley.
Eisenberger, N. I., Taylor, S. E., Gable, S. L., Hilmert, C. J., & Lieberman, M. D. (2007). Neural pathways link social support to attenuated neuroendocrine stress responses. NeuroImage, 35(4), 1601–1612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.01.038
Hebles, L. W.-S., et al. (2022). Psychological safety and stress reduction in workplace environments. Frontiers in Psychology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9434267/
HelloDriven. (2023, abril 3). Neuroscience of psychosocial risks and safety: Impacts & benefits. https://home.hellodriven.com/articles/neuroscience-of-psychosocial-risks-and-safety-impacts-benefits
Taylor, S. E. (2011). Social support: A review. In M. S. Friedman (Ed.), The handbook of health psychology (pp. 189–214). Oxford University Press.
Workplace Options. (2025, febrero 27). Workplace Options’ Psychological Safety Study reveals alarming trends in workplace stress and conflict worldwide. https://www.workplaceoptions.com/news/workplace-options-psychological-safety-study-reveals-alarming-trends-in-workplace-stress-and-conflict-worldwide
Caring and supportive relationships