Just trust me- Rethinking Psychological safety is critical!!

We pertain to the era when there is an endless knock on the mobile screen showing validation in the form of “likes” and “love emojis”. And trust me, this form of confirmation is craving our peace of mind and creating an unspecified and never-ending competition for looking good, being at better places, and placing a veil on our existences that looks colourful on the web. It is very crucial for emotional health that we give deep and conscious attention to our thinking level. When the psyche is getting affected by the lasting social happening in the quiet rooms of homes/offices, it may look physically safe but we are on the red alert for our psychological safety.

There are other times when our mindset may feel upset or threatened. Think of a time when you were offended, marginalized, or contrarily repudiated in a social setting—a teacher ignored your question, a boss denounced your idea, a coworker mocked your English pronunciation, a coach yelled at you for making an unforced error, your team ditched you and went to lunch. I’m referring to times when you were deprived of psychological safety. Do you remember those wounding experiences? They’re sticky because they sting.

Robert Conquest once said, “What is easy to understand may have not been easy to think of.” And this psychological safety is one such element.

The Internet shows the meaning of Psychological safety as "the belief that one can speak up without the risk of punishment or humiliation." It is a condition in which one feels (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo—all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.

Broadly, I think a "normal life" in the "normal social status scenario'' is divided into three spaces viz. self, home, and office/workplace. Psychological safety in these spaces is a must as the major portion of our lifetimes are filled with these three spaces which lead to mindfulness.

And, I believe with no ounce of doubt that this mindfulness leads to all the optimistic wonders in life like hope, courage, happiness, success, innovation, performance, learning, improvement, enlightenment, etc.

Let me put on my thoughts on these various Psychological safety arenas from my perspective.

Psychological safety for self - To the questions like how do I define if I am psychologically secured? My answer is when I can be true to the feeling and emotions I am undergoing and when I can show and employ myself without fear of negative consequences to my self-image, status, or career.

In short, when you are ready to accept the negative while looking forward to the positives…is the biggest psychological safety.

Psychological safety at home- To the question of the definition of Psychological safety at home, I believe when as a partner, and as a parent, my better-half and my offspring have a high level of trust and we can openly discuss the ideas of difference with mutually acceptable terms and cultivate the mutually inclusive growing environment with “normal” processes respectfully and lovingly.

Psychological safety at office/workplace- The intent of Psychological safety at my workplace is when I feel safe to use my skills and abilities to make a meaningful contribution to my work. Also, when the working range is extended from “how things are always done” to exploring the ways how to grow and challenge the status quo, and letting others evolve too – is my definition of growth and being more effective at the workplace.

Please don’t browse this blog post for the sake of information only. Read it for action. Read it for the shift. Crack yourself open and look inside. This is a time to muster the courage to conduct a searching, fearless personal inventory. And if you happen to lead a family, team, or organization, conduct an institutional examination of conscience while you’re at it.

I have just one question for you- Are you psychologically safe?