Work-Related Stress Doesn’t Exist? A Surgeon’s Surprising Take

Work-Related Stress Doesn’t Exist? A Surgeon’s Surprising Take

Yes, you read that right. In this eye-opening conversation, Dr Giles Croft, a former NHS surgeon, shares a bold but grounded message: work-related stress doesn’t exist.

That might sound provocative, especially coming from someone who spent years in high-pressure surgical environments. But in this episode, Dr Croft helps us see workplace stress through an entirely new lens, one that offers real empowerment, not just more coping tools.

What’s Really Creating Our Experience?

We often assume stress is coming from our workload, the pressure of deadlines, a toxic culture, or an overbearing boss. But as Giles shares, none of those things have the power to create our internal experience.

That power comes from only one place: our thinking in the moment.

This is the same insight I explore in our "snow globe" episode—that the mind is like a shaken snow globe, clouded by thought. And when we let the snow settle, our natural clarity returns. The same is true with stress. We’ve been taught that stress is an external force—but the truth is, it’s internally generated.

And when you really see that, everything changes.

High-Pressure Doesn’t Have to Mean High-Stress

Let’s be clear: Giles is not saying pressure doesn’t exist. He’s worked in operating theatres where lives are literally on the line. But pressure and stress are not the same thing.

Pressure is circumstantial. Stress is personal.

You can be in a high-pressure situation without being psychologically stressed—if you understand where your experience is coming from. That’s why some people thrive in crisis while others crumble: it’s not about resilience techniques. It’s about insight.

What About Environmental Stressors?

Of course, the environment can influence the nervous system. Loud, chaotic surroundings, poor lighting, high heat, or dehydration can all trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response. That’s biology.

But most of what we call workplace stress isn’t physiological—it’s psychological. It’s the story we’re telling ourselves about the deadline, the email, the meeting. It’s the thought patterns that get unconsciously triggered and go unquestioned.

That’s where true transformation lies—not in changing the environment, but in changing the relationship we have with our thoughts.

Why Traditional Stress Management Doesn’t Work

Organisations spend thousands on online stress management training every year. Toolkits, webinars, checklists, breathing techniques—yet burnout levels continue to rise.

Here’s why: when the pressure’s on, tools and techniques fly out the window.

Unless something has become an ingrained habit, your brain isn’t going to reach for box breathing or a mindfulness app when you’re in a performance review that feels like a threat.

But when people understand what’s really creating their experience, there’s nothing to remember. Insight is embodied. There’s nothing to practise, because the shift happens at the level of awareness.

That’s the approach we take in our employee wellbeing programmes and workplace mental health training. We go deeper than tools—we create transformation.

Raising Consciousness in the Workplace

Helping people see the role of thought in real time isn’t soft. It’s the opposite. It builds psychological safety, emotional resilience, and real empowerment.

When your team starts to recognise that frustration, anxiety, and pressure don’t come from the meeting, the workload, or even the CEO—but from the meaning they’re assigning in the moment—suddenly there’s space. Space to respond, not react. Space to drop out of the noise and into clarity.

And from that clarity, better decisions are made. Conflict is reduced. Creativity increases. Retention improves.

It’s Time for a New Conversation

If your workplace is still stuck in the loop of stress management training that doesn’t stick, this episode is your signal to do things differently.

Because your people don’t need another toolkit—they need transformation.

And it starts with a single insight.

If you're ready for true transformation—and to knock traditional stress management training on the head—then let's schedule a time to talk.