The Raw and Real State of Wellbeing in 2025

In the thick of the pandemic, wellbeing took centre stage.

It wasn’t optional—it was urgent.

Leaders, parents, colleagues, friends, family and communities were forced to wake up to the truth: without wellbeing, we’ve got nothing.

Nearly five years on, the momentum is fading. Just when we need it most.

Right now, humanity is shouldering a heavy load—financial instability, fractured work cultures, relentless anxiety, and an undercurrent of emotional exhaustion. 

The wellbeing "ball" is being dropped. Again.

But here's the truth: we are on the precipice of meaningful change to how we work, lead, live, and love.

And the best part? We have the ability to choose it.

In this article, I share the raw and real state of wellbeing in 2025 from hundreds of conversations, employee surveys, and personal moments that reflect what people are truly carrying.

What's echoing loudest in 2025

🌡️ The Financial Pressure Cooker

People are earning less, spending more, and watching essentials like therapy, nutrition, and movement become unaffordable. Financial insecurity is gutting identity, stability, and contribution—especially for the self-employed, small businesses, contractors, and those navigating redundancy.

🔍 Purpose, Work, and the Quiet Crisis of Value

Work remains a primary source of meaning. But for many, that meaning is eroding—due to burnout, underemployment, or job loss. When purpose evaporates, so does the sense of self.

🧠 Mental Health as the Unspoken Crisis

Most HR issues are a mental health issue. It shows up in performance, conflict, absenteeism. And yet, we’re still responding reactively, not proactively.  

🤝 Redefining Relationships

Romantic, professional, platonic—people are re-evaluating what they'll tolerate. They're leaving toxic workplaces, ending relationships, and demanding connection with integrity.

🌱 The Post-COVID Hangover

Slower living and purpose-led choices are calling. But the cost of "simple living" is still high. Many are stuck between survival and soulfulness.

🔥 Hustle Culture’s Lingering Grip

Despite the talk, hustle is still glorified. Sacrifice remains the silent badge of honour. But for what? The harder we work to stay afloat, the more depleted we become. And at what cost?

The truth about employee wellbeing

Our Wellbeing Tick surveys tell the story—but it’s the voices behind the data that scream the loudest. People are tired of pretending they’re okay.

⚠️ Relationships Are the Real Risk

The number one source of workplace stress? Dysfunctional relationships. Poor leadership, role ambiguity and emotional tension are creating burnout. Leadership today requires WellQ (yes wellbeing intelligence!), not just KPIs.

💢 Anxiety Is the New Normal

Anxiety is chronic. Financial stress, sleep issues, climate and political dread—these aren’t side issues. They’re the emotional baseline. The shared weight we all carry.

🔄 Work and Life Are Fully Entwined

There is no separation. Work stress bleeds into home life. Personal struggles spill into performance. Leaders can’t assume it’s "not a work issue."

👀 People Want to Be Seen—Not 'Wellbeing-ed'

Fruit bowls and yoga aren’t cutting it. Employees are tired of being pacified. They want genuine mentally healthy cultures, not perks. Truth, not tokenism.

🪞 Wellbeing Is a Mirror, Not a Metric

Dashboards can’t fix dysfunction. Wellbeing reflects culture. And culture reflects leadership. It must be embedded, not bolted on.

What we’re NOT talking about enough

From boardrooms to smoko rooms to dinner tables, here’s what I believe still isn’t getting enough airtime:

🏢 In our workplaces

• Psychosocial risk is still treated as secondary to physical safety—even with legislative backing and WorkSafe's new guidelines

• Toxic leadership is tolerated far too often. Bullying, unrealistic expectations, and emotional harm go unaddressed

• Overwork remains normalised, with unpaid hours and blurred boundaries

• Work addiction is rewarded, not recognised as harmful

• Organisations ignore red flags in their own wellbeing data. Legal and ethical responsibilities are being overlooked.

🧍‍♀️ In our personal lives

• Financial shame is widespread and silent. People are quietly drowning in debt, failing businesses, and rising costs

• The truth about happiness is hard to face. Many people are living lives that don’t align with who they really want to be

• Health systems are failing and we’re not speaking about it loudly enough

• Root causes of wellbeing issues—like trauma, neurodiversity, and systemic injustice—are still overlooked.

• The sheep mentality keeps people stuck in lifestyles that don’t serve them

• The scale of the wellbeing crisis is still downplayed. We need bolder conversations that go beyond surface-level strategies.

An eager call to action

It’s 2025. People are done suffering in silence.

They want honesty, prevention, and systems that protect humanity—not just productivity.

This moment demands a bold reset.

We must shift from surface-level wellbeing to systemic, values-driven change.

From doing things that look like support—to actions that are truly lived, felt, and embedded.

No more ticking boxes for the sake of optics. It’s time for real impact.

For organisations and leaders, that means redesigning systems, expectations, and environments to put people and wellbeing first—that's how we work, lead, and connect.

For individuals, it means prioritising your own wellbeing without apology.

Setting boundaries. Seeking support. Choosing what nourishes you. Rebelling against societal norms.

This shift requires courage—from all of us.

The question isn’t whether we can afford to prioritise wellbeing.

It’s whether we can afford not to.

We’re standing on the edge of something powerful—a new way to work, lead, live, and love.

But only if we stop complying with systems that are breaking us.

So choose wisely: lead with care, live with clarity, and put wellbeing first, always.

Has this article struck a chord with you?

Are you ready to put your wellbeing first?

Does your workplace need some guidance to put wellbeing first?

If yes, book yourself an intro chat to get started.