The case for giving yourself permission to breathe, according to neuroscience

Most organizations genuinely want to support their people. We invest in wellness apps, coaching programs, and leadership development, all with good intentions. Yet burnout rates keep climbing. Aflac’s WorkForces Report from November 2024 referenced that burnout affected nearly 3 in 5 American workers with employees experiencing high levels of stress rising to 38% in 2024, up from 33% in 2023. The issue isn’t effort or resources. It may simply be that we’re solving for the wrong problem. I recently sat down with Natallia Miranchuk, founder of SOULA, an AI-powered emotional support platform that combines neuroscience, health expertise, and artificial intelligence to address workplace wellbeing. While her research has focused primarily on women, the insights she shared have implications for how we support all high performers—regardless of gender. SOULA recently completed a pilot program with InDrive, a global unicorn with over 2,000 employees. The results were remarkable: 67%