Spotlighting Remarkable Women and Girls

Women, Wellness, and the Workplace

By Urmi Hossain

I recently had the pleasure of joining a webinar organized by my team and me at Women in Leadership organization, a Canadian non-profit whose mission is to empower women to be the leaders leaders they are meant to be. The event was very interesting and insightful, and a lot of practical ideas were shared which I have implemented in my life.

As someone who works in the corporate space and who has been mentoring for many years, the topic of work-life balance and wellness shows up in many of my conversations. I often hear:

“I want to take a vacation, but I feel guilty.”

“I am feeling tired after work. I don’t feel like doing anything.”

“I spend my weekends doing house chores and never have time for myself.”

In many of my encounters, some of these struggles still persist, and they often arise from guilt, good girl syndrome, and cultural and societal expectations. Even in corporate spaces, we find ourselves putting ourselves last, preferring to stay quiet, and accepting when people take advantage of our time.

In the past, I had a particular instance where one of my former bosses kept me in a meeting much longer than required. Just to give you a bit of context, my office hours were 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. That particular day, my boss decided to show me a few things as part of my training, and we started the meeting a bit before 4:00 PM. However, when 5:00 PM hit, he continued the meeting, assuming that I was okay with staying over and that I had no other commitments. It was 5:40 PM when he finally asked me, “Am I keeping you too long?

That particular incident was a wake-up call about company culture and the people you surround yourself with. It gave me an idea of the type of workplace I did not want to be part of, especially one that did not respect my time and commitments. It was perhaps my mistake for not speaking up when I should have so that I could have left the office earlier.

However, as someone who had just started, I was more fearful of being perceived as not being a hard worker. Looking back, part of my hesitation came from wanting to be seen as hardworking and agreeable—something many women are conditioned to prioritize. Six weeks later, I quit, not because of the work itself, but because of the culture that had been created. Which brings me to an important question: How can we achieve a good state of well-being while working full-time in the corporate world?

1. Prioritize movement and step out of your office.

Do you have to spend hundreds of dollars on a gym membership? Maybe you are both a full-time mother and a full-time employee, and you don’t have time to go to the gym after work. In that case, you can simply move or walk during your lunch break. Make an effort to step out of your office, get some fresh air, move your body, and actually disconnect from work. I highly discourage spending your lunch hour in the office or eating at your desk. It doesn’t create the disconnect that we need to truly take a break from work. If the weather is nice, take advantage of it and get some vitamin D.

2. Use your personal days.

Depending on company policies, many organizations offer personal days—additional days that you can take besides your vacation days for personal reasons. These days are different from vacation days, and you can typically use them for anything: mental health, family emergencies, that time of the month, or simply not feeling well. If your company offers them, take them, even if it means staying home and recharging your batteries. Sometimes that’s all we need.

3. Participate in employee wellness programs.

Many companies offer wellness programs that include activities such as gym memberships, yoga classes, mental health support through therapy or counselling, healthy nutrition initiatives, and financial education seminars. Most of these programs are offered at no cost to employees, and some even incentivize participation through rewards or financial benefits. So take advantage of them.

4. Setting boundaries without feeling guilty.

As I mentioned before, your time outside of work is your time. If your work is done, you don’t need to stay extra hours to prove yourself, and it shouldn’t be expected either. It is important to set boundaries between your personal and professional life so that you can dedicate time to your interests and hobbies. A company that doesn’t value this sends a clear message about its priorities. If employee well-being consistently takes a back seat to performance, that should be a red flag. Be vocal about your boundaries and reinforce them each time someone crosses them.

5. Writing to feel better

Mental wellness and a peaceful mind are also part of overall well-being. Even when everything feels like it is falling apart, writing down your thoughts for just five minutes can bring you back to reality and create a sense of peace and presence. It can make you more aware of your feelings and emotions and help you feel less overwhelmed. There have been many studies on writing and journaling, and one of them suggests that identifying one positive thing from your day can help create a greater sense of peace.

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Raising Women Magazine Issue 54 – October 2026

“Because you’re a girl.”
Four little words that have spent generations doing an extraordinary amount of damage. Apparently, ambition, intelligence and audacity were once considered rather unladylike.
Fortunately, the girls featured in our 54th edition missed that memo.
As we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, we spotlight twelve remarkable girls rewriting the rules, while reminding ourselves that a girl should not need extraordinary achievements to deserve ordinary opportunities.
We also explore the expectations that complicate girlhood, the childhood wounds we carry into adulthood and, in my Find Her Light reflection, why the girl I once was might have a few lessons for the woman I have become.
Perhaps our greatest responsibility is not simply raising girls to conquer the world, but ensuring they never have to shrink themselves to belong in it.
Because you’re a girl?
What a wonderful reason to dream without limits.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 53 – September 2026

Apparently, saving the planet comes with a shopping list. Solar panels, electric cars, sustainable fashion and, preferably, a bank account that understands the assignment.

In Issue 53, our cover woman, Professor Joyashree Roy, challenges us to reconsider what sustainability really costs, who pays, and why the cheapest choices today may leave tomorrow’s generations with the bill.

But this issue is also about the invisible price tags attached to everyday life. From passport privilege and the cultural expectations of a “good woman” to motherhood, personal boundaries and the delicate art of enjoying life before finishing every task, we examine the systems shaping our choices.

We also celebrate women turning overlooked problems into extraordinary opportunities.

Perhaps progress begins when we stop asking only what things cost and start asking what they are worth.

A better world should not be a luxury reserved for those who can afford it.
Happy reading!

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Raising Women Magazine Issue 52 – September 2026

This issue asks a deceptively simple question: can we save the planet without making ordinary people pay the highest price?
Our cover star, Sascha Gabizon, brings that question sharply into focus, challenging us to think about climate action not only through carbon, but through fairness, access and gender. Because going green sounds wonderful until sustainability becomes something only the wealthy can afford.
Across these pages, we follow climate change into unexpected places. Into our wardrobes, our food, our cultural traditions and even the price of our morning coffee. We also continue our important First Daughters conversation, explore what women really mean when they speak about safety, and look at 111 Miss World contestants whose purpose projects remind us that beauty today carries increasingly bigger expectations.
This edition is ultimately about responsibility, but responsibility shared fairly.
Because saving our planet cannot become another luxury.
And perhaps the greenest future is one everyone can actually afford.

Raising Women Magazine Issue 051 – August 2026

Equal. Such a small word for such a complicated idea.

In this issue, we ask a question that feels almost impolite after decades of progress: women have more rights, education, income and influence than generations before us, but are we equal? We have travelled remarkably far, yet full global gender parity remains generations away. Apparently, equality is taking the scenic route.

Issue 51 looks beyond the equal sign to what equality actually feels like in women’s lives. We follow the money, the power and, importantly, the hours women still disproportionately spend caring. We also explore women’s old financial systems, workplace design, the soft life economy and the changing meaning of opportunity
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Progress deserves celebration. But celebration should never make us complacent.

We have opened many doors.

Now we must ask what happens after women walk through them.

We are closer.

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Raising Women Magazine Issue 52 – September 2026

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