Let’s acknowledge a truth we’ve seen play out again and again: A single week – no matter how inspiring – won’t fix systemic issues. It won’t compensate for a culture of overwork or a lack of psychological safety. It won’t transform how people feel if it’s not backed by action, energy, investment, and leadership.
In fact, poorly designed wellbeing initiatives can backfire. I’ve seen it first hand. Wellbeing days can actually increase stress.
Why? Because the workload doesn’t change. Deadlines stay the same. People end up spending their “day off” bracing themselves for the backlog.
Instead of feeling supported, they feel unseen. The message becomes clear: “You care enough to offer a perk, but not enough to change the pressure.”
So yes – we need to challenge performative approaches. We need to ask deeper questions. But that doesn’t mean we should give up on wellbeing weeks altogether.
Because when done right, they still matter.
What World WellBeing Week Is – and What It Isn’t
World WellBeing Week isn’t a tick-box exercise. It’s not about posting one quote or hosting one seminar. It’s not about fruit bowls, fun runs, or fleeting fixes.
It’s about shining a spotlight – not just on wellbeing as a word, but as a way of working, living, and leading.
It’s about giving people permission to pause and reflect: What’s working — and what isn’t? Where are the real pressure points? How are we showing up for our people – not just this week, but every week?
It’s also a global moment of alignment – where individuals, organisations, and communities can come together with shared intention. To have courageous conversations. To listen more deeply. To share ideas, rethink norms, and recommit to progress.
And this year’s theme is especially timely: “Beyond the Buzzwords: Building Real Cultures of Care.”
So If You’re a Leader, Here’s What We’re Asking
Don’t plan a week of activities simply because it’s expected. Plan it because you care. But more importantly – use it to listen.
Use it to engage with your people about what they really need. Don’t assume. Don’t guess. Don’t follow trends.
Ask: Is it workload? Lack of recognition? Poor role clarity? Unfair or inconsistent feedback?
Then, design interventions, practices, and processes with your people, not for them. That’s when wellbeing becomes sustainable.
That’s when it shifts from gesture to genuine, and the energy follows.
And if You’re a Practitioner – This is Your Opportunity
If you’re a wellbeing practitioner, coach, therapist, speaker, or trainer – this is your opportunity to:
- Raise your voice and share your message
- Offer your services, events, or tools to support others
- Inspire your clients, community, and connections
- Be part of a movement that reached over 50 million impressions globally in previous years
Wherever you are and whatever you do, let’s show the world what’s possible when we go beyond the buzzwords … and build cultures, practices, and services of genuine care.
This Isn’t the Finish Line – It’s the Next Step
World WellBeing Week doesn’t claim to be the solution. It is, however, a valuable starting point – or a powerful reset. It’s a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come, to celebrate those already leading with heart, and to ask: what’s next?
So yes, wellbeing weeks don’t work on their own. But they can ignite real change when they prompt the right questions – and when leaders are brave enough to act on the answers.
Two Months to Go: How Will You Show Up?
With just over two months until World WellBeing Week 2025, now is the perfect time to plan with purpose.
Whether you’re a business owner, team leader, wellbeing champion, wellbeing practitioner, or community builder – ask yourself:
- What stories do we want to hear at the end of that week?
- What do your employees or customers need most?
- What impact do we want to have?
- What legacy do we want to leave behind?
Let this be the year you go deeper. Let this be the moment you turn awareness into action.
Let this be more than a week – let it be a turning point.
Because the work of wellbeing isn’t done.
And the world needs leaders who show up – not just when it’s easy, but when it’s real.
Join the Movement:
Ready to make a meaningful impact during World WellBeing Week 2025?
Visit our website at www.wellbeingworld.je to view previous articles, and more.
Share your plans, thoughts, and events on social media using the hashtag #WorldWellBeingWeek
Let’s come together to build real cultures of care in the workplace and in our communities everywhere.
