It sounds straightforward, but in reality, unlocking the balance between doing and being is far from easy.

When we ask groups where their energy tends to sit, almost everyone responds with doing. It is how many of us are wired — activity, achievement, and the sense of being busy all deliver immediate rewards. Yet inevitably, there comes a point when doing becomes unsustainable. Or even broken.

In organisations, when results fall short, the instinct is often to double down on more doing — more projects, longer to-do lists, another initiative. Rarely do we pause to step into the being space and ask what really needs to shift for long-term, sustainable impact.

Even when teams make space for connection — perhaps by sharing a meal or engaging in a social activity — it can be difficult to translate that sense of trust and belonging into meaningful changes in performance.

So how can we turn the concept of rebalancing doing and being into something practical — a framework we can apply consistently to work and life?

At Calm In A Box, enabled by CALM, here are the four interconnected components of the doing/being framework that help bring businesses, teams, and individuals back into balance.

1. Safety

Balance begins with safety. When people feel safe — physically, emotionally, and psychologically — they are able to move beyond survival mode. Safety creates the conditions for creativity, connection, and performance to thrive.

2. Shift

The second step is shift: moving from autopilot to awareness. This means noticing established patterns, challenging unhelpful assumptions, and asking what is truly required, rather than simply defaulting to more doing. Shifting perspective opens the door to new approaches and more sustainable ways of working.

3. Deliver

Delivery remains critical — results matter. But balance changes how we deliver. It means approaching delivery with clarity, alignment, and sustainable energy. When teams are grounded in being while focused on doing, outcomes are sharper, more impactful, and more resilient.

4. Wire In

Finally, balance becomes sustainable when we wire it in. This involves embedding habits, rituals, and rhythms into the way work gets done — whether through regular pauses, meaningful check-ins, or building CALM into everyday practices. Wiring in ensures that CALM is not a one-off initiative but a long-term, living approach.

Rebalancing doing and being is not about slowing down or stepping back from performance. It is about creating the conditions for performance that lasts.

When we bring CALM into our organisations and our lives, we unlock a different rhythm: one that fuels people and results. Because to do well, we need to be well.

Calm In A Box partners with businesses, teams and leaders to help them slow down to go faster for more great days at work.

We have developed our CALM philosophy and toolkit to facilitate focused and proactive work on culture, mindset and behaviour change programmes so leaders and teams can be well, to do well, combining our knowledge and experience of practical application with academic research in partnership with University of Nottingham.

Accelerating successful transformation of all types, without the struggle, we’ve worked with global brands and growing SMEs who are passionate about supporting their people through change for better results.

We provide value in a range of ways through our bespoke CALM solutions including consultancy, workshops and 121 coaching.

Or you might be interested in our CALM packages for employees, line managers and leaders, ready to plug and play to take you and your business from surviving to thriving.

If you’d like to chat with us, we’re always up for an online coffee. Book a slot with us here – drop us an email hello@calminabox.co.uk

Curious to know if you’re thriving or surviving at work? Go to www.calminabox.co.uk to get your free CALM scorecard.