17th December 2025
Thriving People Build Thriving Workplaces – and Vice Versa
This guest blog post was written by Laura Cooke, Co-Founder and CEO of Positive Foundry.
For years, we have all talked about work–life balance, but the boundaries between the two have all but disappeared.
Work and life are deeply connected, as one often influences the other. When people feel supported, connected, and energized in their personal lives, they bring that same energy to their work. And when work feels meaningful and manageable, it strengthens wellbeing beyond the workplace.
They’re not separate pursuits. They’re part of the same system of thriving.
A Global Snapshot of Wellbeing
Wellbeing is slipping, and Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report puts numbers to it.
Only 33% of employees worldwide say they’re thriving in life. This is the lowest in more than a decade, and the study shows managers are feeling the strain most. Going deeper, female managers saw a seven-point drop in wellbeing, and older managers followed with a five-point decline.
These are the same leaders tasked with guiding others through uncertainty, yet their own sense of balance and energy is eroding.
