Thursday, 13 August 2026

Psychologists linked childhood adversity to adult workplace behaviour, saying trauma can survive long after the danger passes and shape how people handle pressure, feedback, authority and relationships at work.

A child who grew up in instability may become the employee who never switches off: arrives early, stays late, volunteers for everything and fears rejection if performance drops.

People-pleasing, silence in meetings and tolerating mistreatment were framed as survival responses, not weakness, often rooted in harsh criticism, emotional neglect or unpredictable parenting.

Trauma can also show up as hypervigilance, overthinking emails, assuming colleagues are angry and constantly preparing for disaster because the nervous system still expects danger.

Empathy was the practical takeaway: notice patterns in colleagues, make the space safer, and respond gently instead of shaming someone for perfectionism, overwork or difficulty saying no.