Toward Psychological Safety (Part 2)

On Psychological Safety: Part 2 of 2

Today we explore deeper the concepts of psychological safety and authenticity from Part 1. There are a quite a few practical approaches for processing, releasing, and reprogramming your responses to situations to create stronger psychological safety for yourself. Each (at least “many”) of these will be further explored at an even deeper level in subsequent posts.

Understanding the ‘Spheres of Control’

Before we explore strategies, it's crucial to acknowledge the three spheres of control in our lives:

1. What we can control (our thoughts, feelings, and actions)

2. What others control (their thoughts, feelings, and actions)

3. What the universe controls (circumstances, timing, and natural events)

With this in mind, focusing your energy on what you can actually influence will lead to more effective personal growth and stronger psychological safety, period. The strategies that follow are written from the perspective of what you can control, which is your own thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Strategies to Enhance Psychological Safety

1. Setting and Maintaining Boundaries

Boundaries are the foundation of psychological safety. They:

• Define what behavior we will and won't accept from others

• Communicate our needs clearly and respectfully

• Protect our energy and emotional wellbeing

Practice: Create a "boundary inventory" listing your non-negotiables in personal and professional relationships. Advanced Practice: Review and update it quarterly.

2. Personal and Professional Life Integration

• Establish clear work hours and stick to them

• Establish (and communicate, if needed) communication channel boundaries

• Create physical transitions between work and personal time, especially if you work remotely - don’t use your ‘work space’ for leisure activity

• Practice "shutdown rituals" at the end of your workday

3. Embrace Personal Accountability

Take ownership of your actions, so that you can:

• Build trust in yourself and your decision-making abilities

• Reduce anxiety about external judgment

• Create clearer paths for growth and learning

Practice: When facing challenges, ask yourself: "What part of this situation can I take responsibility for?" and "What can I learn from this?"

4. Cultivate Curiosity

Curiosity:

• Opens you to new perspectives

• Reduces defensive reactions

• Creates space for authentic connections (which fosters growth and learning)

Practice: Replace anchoring statements with "wonder" questions to shift from judgment to curiosity. Open ended questions reign supreme! “how do you see it?”

5. Harnessing the Power of Language

Positive psychology helps you to:

• Reframe negative self-talk

• Build confidence through affirmations (+gratitude)

• Create empowering narratives about your experiences (reframe your stories)

Practice: Try journaling a "language log" where you note negative phrases you use often. Replace negative language with positively-spun alternatives - or simply choose to not say the negative thing.

6. Prioritizing Self-Care and Development

Self-care isn't selfish.

• Schedule regular "me time"

• Invest in learning and skill development

• Set aside time for reflection and planning

• Maintain regular health / wellness check-ups

7. Space and Mind Organization

Physical and mental clutter can negatively impact your mindset.

Physical Space:

• Engage in regular decluttering sessions

• Create designated spaces for different activities

• Maintain organized systems for important items

Mental Space:

• Daily mind-dumping exercises (journaling, meditation, sharing ‘how your day went’ with a friend/loved one)

• Regular review and prioritization of goals

• Dedicate effort to digital organization and information management

8. Evaluating Your Inner Circle

The people we surround ourselves with significantly impact how we show up to life.

• Regularly assess relationships and their impact on your wellbeing

• Cultivate connections with those who support your growth

• Set boundaries with or distance yourself from toxic relationships

• Seek out mentors, positive role models, and other new connections

9. Journaling for Growth

• Morning pages for mental clarity

• Gratitude journaling

• Progress tracking

• Emotion processing

Practice: Spend 10 minutes each evening reflecting on your day through journaling, focusing on learning and growth opportunities.

10. Creating Supportive Routines

Rituals and routines help create predictability

• Morning routines for starting the day strong

• Evening routines for quality rest

• Weekly planning sessions

• Monthly review and reset practices

11. Cultivating Gratitude

Gratitude reshapes our perspective by:

• Shifting focus “from deficit to abundance”

• …which builds resilience

• …which helps improve relationships

• …and enhances overall wellbeing

Practice: Start and end each day by noting three specific things you're grateful for.

12. Habit Transformation

Replace harmful habits with positive ones

1. Practice being aware of triggers for harmful habits

2. Design new, positive responses to these triggers

3. Practice the substitution responses consistently

4. Celebrate small wins and progress

13. Physical Wellbeing as Foundation

Movement and exercise help with:

• Stress reduction

• Improving mood

• Enhancing confidence

• Better sleep quality

Practice: Schedule movement breaks throughout your day, even if just for 5-10 minutes.

14. Nourishing Your Body

Clean eating:

• Stabilizes mood and energy

• Improves focus and clarity

• Supports overall health

• Builds self-trust through self-care

Integration and Implementation

Remember that implementing these strategies is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes even performing these strategies is a journey, not a destination. Start with one or two areas that resonate most strongly with you and gradually incorporate others as these become habitual.

1. Select your priority areas

2. Set specific, measurable goals

3. Identify potential obstacles

4. Create accountability systems

5. Schedule regular review and adjustment periods

As you build these practices into your life, you'll find yourself better equipped to show up authentically in all areas of your life, contributing to not only your own wellbeing but also creating psychologically safer spaces for others to do the same.