Work, Wellbeing, and Sustainability: A Conversation with Kendra Johnson
Kendra Johnson
Founder, The Venned Group
Occupational wellness is often discussed in idealistic terms such as loving what you do, following your passion, or finding purpose through work. For many people, the reality is far more complex.
Work takes up a significant portion of our time and energy, so its impact does not stop at the end of the workday. It shapes how we sleep, how present we feel in our relationships, and how much capacity we have for life outside of work.
To explore what occupational wellness can look like, I spoke with Kendra Johnson, Founder of The Venned Group, about how work shapes well-being, how burnout often develops quietly, and what it really means to build a sustainable relationship with work.
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What does occupational wellness mean to you, and why does it matter?
Kendra Johnson: To me, occupational wellness is about understanding how the way we work shapes the way we live. Most of us spend a large chunk of our waking hours at work.
That means the expectations, pace, relationships, and emotional tone of our jobs don’t stay neatly between 9 and 5. They follow us home. They show up in our sleep, our patience, our energy, and our capacity to be present with the people we care about.
When we lack awareness of how our work is impacting us, we normalize chronic stress, blurred boundaries, and quiet burnout. When we build awareness, we gain choice in how we design our days, how we lead others, and how we protect both performance and wellbeing.
Occupational wellness matters because work isn’t just something we do. It’s something that actively shapes who we become (if we let it).
How does occupational wellness affect our overall well-being, both in and out of work?
KJ: Occupational wellness influences far more than how we perform during the workday. It shapes how much energy, patience, and emotional capacity we have for the rest of our lives. When work consistently demands more than it gives back, it impacts our health, our relationships, and our ability to be present outside of work.
I experienced this firsthand many moons ago when I was dealing with burnout. I loved the work and remained highly committed, but I didn’t yet understand how to work in a way that was sustainable. Over time, I became physically worn down, more irritable, and emotionally distant. The cost wasn’t just mine, all of my relationships took the hit too.
What that experience clarified for me is that occupational wellness is less about how much we care about our work and more about how work is designed within our lives. When people lack agency, clarity, or boundaries, the strain accumulates quietly. When occupational wellness is supported, whether through clearer expectations, better energy management, or healthier boundaries, the benefits extend well beyond work. People have more capacity, more presence, and greater resilience in every area of their lives. The key is in awareness!
What are some common signs that someone’s occupational wellness might be off?
KJ: In many cases, the signs actually appear gradually rather than all at once (despite what it may feel like), which is why they are so often overlooked or rationalized away.
People may notice that:
their patience is shorter than it used to be
they feel mentally fatigued even after relatively manageable days
they are less emotionally available than they would like to be
tasks that once felt straightforward feel heavier
small stressors are triggering disproportionate reactions
What’s particularly telling is that these signs rarely stay confined to the workplace. They often show up in disrupted sleep, strained relationships, or a persistent sense of depletion that carries into personal time, indicating that work is quietly shaping overall well-being in ways that deserve attention. The Sunday Scaries are also a real sign…
How can people check in with themselves to understand where they’re at with work?
KJ: In my opinion, a helpful check-in starts by looking at patterns rather than isolated moments. A demanding project or difficult week is not necessarily a long-term problem, but paying attention to how work consistently affects your energy, mood, and capacity over time can offer much clearer insight.
I often encourage people to reflect on how they typically feel at the end of most workdays, whether they are able to mentally disengage, and how much work continues to occupy their thoughts outside of working hours. When work regularly leaves someone depleted rather than meaningfully challenged, that information can serve as a valuable starting point for understanding what may need attention.
If someone feels unhappy or stuck in their job, what’s a helpful first step?
KJ: When people feel unhappy or stuck, there is often pressure to make a significant change quickly, but that urgency can sometimes obscure the real issue. A more productive first step is to slow down and gain clarity about what is actually contributing to the dissatisfaction.
Rather than viewing the job as a single, immovable problem, it can be helpful to examine specific factors such as workload, expectations, pace, leadership dynamics, or cultural norms. This level of clarity creates options and allows people to respond thoughtfully, rather than making reactive decisions that may not address the root cause of what they are experiencing.
When people do begin to consider a change, I often encourage them to pay attention to what is genuinely pulling them forward, rather than making a move solely to escape what feels uncomfortable. Decisions made from a place of avoidance can carry the same dissatisfaction into the next role, simply in a different form. Moving toward something that creates curiosity, energy, or a sense of alignment tends to lead to more sustainable outcomes and a clearer sense of direction.
How important is it for work to align with personal values?
KJ: I’m seeing values alignment become a priority for people more and more, particularly as the lines between work and life continue to blur. When work takes up such a significant portion of our time and mental energy, people are increasingly aware of how misalignment shows up not just as dissatisfaction, but as fatigue, disengagement, and a sense of internal conflict.
That said, alignment doesn’t mean loving every task or feeling inspired every day. It means that the way work is structured, the behaviours that are rewarded, and the expectations placed on people don’t consistently clash with what they value most, whether that’s integrity, autonomy, flexibility, or contribution. When those values are regularly compromised, even good jobs can become draining. When they are respected, people tend to have more resilience and clarity, even during demanding periods.
Interestingly, when I ask many of our clients to list their top five values, it’s often harder than they expect.
Before alignment is possible, there has to be clarity.
Understanding what you actually value is a prerequisite for evaluating whether your work supports or undermines it. Consider that your homework.
Can someone have good occupational wellness without loving their job?
KJ: Yes, absolutely! Occupational wellness is not dependent on loving your job or feeling deeply passionate about the work you do. In many cases, it’s far more closely tied to whether the role is sustainable, clearly defined, and fits reasonably well within the broader context of your life.
In our work, we often look at occupational wellness through the lens of security across three areas: physical, mental or emotional, and financial. A role may not provide constant mental stimulation or deep personal fulfillment, but it can still offer financial stability or predictability that supports other important parts of someone’s life. That stability might enable time, energy, or resources for pursuits outside of work that do provide creativity, challenge, or meaning.
When people feel secure in these foundational areas, occupational wellness becomes much more attainable, even if the job itself isn’t a passion project. Releasing the pressure to love work allows individuals to engage more consistently and make intentional choices about where fulfillment comes from, rather than expecting a single role to meet every need.
At its core, occupational wellness is about sustainability and capacity. When work provides enough stability to support a full life, wellness can exist without constant enthusiasm for the role itself.
*Also to note, your values will drive where you find enjoyment inside or outside of work. Another subtle nudge to figure out what those values are and where they currently show up in your life.
What role do boundaries and energy play in occupational wellness?
KJ: Boundaries and energy play a central role in occupational wellness because they determine how sustainable work is over time and how much capacity people have to do their best work. While time is fixed, energy is shaped by how often people are required to be available, how clearly expectations are set, and how much responsibility they carry without meaningful recovery.
I see this often with leaders who say yes to everything, whether it’s to protect their team’s time, ensure work is done well, or simply be helpful and reliable. Over time, that constant yes can lead to taking on far more than is reasonable, quietly draining energy and attention. Even when intentions are good, the result is often fatigue, reduced focus, and a growing sense of being stretched too thin.
Reasonable, healthy boundaries are essential not only to preserve energy, but also to protect the quality of work itself. When energy is consistently depleted, people lose the capacity to contribute in a way that feels thoughtful and aligned with their standards. Boundaries allow leaders and individuals alike to show up with greater clarity, maintain pride in their contributions, and sustain both performance and well-being over the long term.
How should someone think about occupational wellness when it’s being negatively affected by workplace culture or another person?
KJ: When occupational wellness is being affected by workplace culture or another person, it’s important to first acknowledge that not all strain is self-created. Culture, leadership behaviours, and interpersonal dynamics have a meaningful impact on how work is experienced, and recognizing that influence can be an important step in reducing unnecessary self-blame.
A helpful way to think about this is by separating what you can influence from what is outside of your control. In some cases, there may be room to adjust communication, set clearer boundaries, or seek alignment through more direct conversations. In others, the issue may be systemic, and no amount of individual effort will fully resolve the strain.
Occupational wellness in these situations often requires an honest assessment of whether the environment supports sustainable work. That assessment isn’t about assigning fault, but about understanding whether the conditions allow you to show up well over time. When they don’t, protecting occupational wellness may involve advocating for change, seeking support, or thoughtfully considering whether the environment is one in which you can realistically thrive.
What’s one realistic step someone could take this week to support their occupational wellness?
KJ: One realistic and effective step is to take a short, intentional pause to assess both sides of the equation. Start by identifying one recurring source of strain at work, something that consistently drains energy or creates unnecessary friction. Then, with equal attention, take stock of one or two aspects of your work that you genuinely appreciate or that actively support your well-being, whether that’s autonomy, a supportive colleague, meaningful projects, or financial stability.
This kind of balanced reflection helps people move beyond a narrow focus on what’s wrong and creates a more accurate picture of their overall experience. From there, consider a small adjustment that reduces the strain or protects what’s working, such as clarifying expectations, setting a boundary, or intentionally spending more time on work that feels aligned.
The goal isn’t to fix everything at once, but to build awareness and agency. Over time, these small, thoughtful shifts can meaningfully improve how work fits into your life.
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Occupational wellness is not about finding the perfect job or making dramatic changes overnight. As this conversation highlights, it is about awareness, sustainability, and understanding how work fits into the broader context of your life.
When work consistently drains more than it gives, that information matters. Not as a failure or a sign you are doing something wrong, but as data. Gaining clarity around patterns, values, and what is within your control can open up more choice, whether that leads to small adjustments or more meaningful shifts over time.
Therapy can be one place where this clarity gets built. It offers space to step back, look at how work is shaping your energy and relationships, and sort out what is yours to carry versus what is not. If questions about work, boundaries, or burnout have been sitting quietly in the background, this conversation offers a grounded place to begin.
Connect with Kendra!
Kendra Johnson, Founder, The Venned Group
📧 kendra@vennedgroup.com
🌐 www.vennedgroup.com
🔗 LinkedIn: kendrajeanjohnson
📸 Instagram: @softskillskendra
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