Mindfulness specialists Leaf Story and agency workplace culture consultancy Human Kind Collective are combining ancient tea wisdom with people strategies, creating spaces for connection, clarity and calm in Australian agency workplaces.
In a sunlit room in South Yarra / Naarm, a group of senior media planners sit in silence, watching steam rise from carefully prepared cups of tea. It's not your typical agency scene – no coffee, no laptops, no phones, no dominant voices, no urgent client emails. Just the quiet focus of a tea ritual led by tea specialist Kaishan from A Leaf Story.
This moment of stillness represents a growing shift in how agencies are approaching workplace culture and team wellbeing. With a staggering 70% of agency employees experiencing burnout & as agencies grapple with AI integration, hybrid working patterns, and the constant pressure of pitch cycles, some are turning to unexpected solutions.
What we're seeing is a hunger for real human connection. In the rush to embrace digital transformation, agencies risk losing the human elements that drive creativity and innovation. Psychological Safety workshops and mental health first aid training are important tools for education but can be heavy in content and emotionally charged. Tea ritual creates a natural pause - a moment to reset and reconnect and re energise.
In the Human Kind Collective and Leaf Story partnership, we’re reimagining workplace well-being—merging the wisdom of mindful tea rituals with practical strategies to tackle psychosocial safety. From burnout and team disconnection to unhealthy meeting habits and creative blocks, we address the real challenges agencies face. This approach goes beyond theory—we help teams assess risks specific to their workplace, develop actionable strategies, and measure psychosocial safety in meaningful ways. Woven throughout this process is Kaishan’s powerful sensory experience, transforming well-being from an abstract concept into something you can see, feel, and practice every day.
Wellness shouldn’t be a band-aid. Quick-fix solutions may offer temporary relief, but they rarely address the root causes of workplace stress. Instead, we cultivate deep, lasting transformation, integrating intentional rituals that don’t just pause the chaos but reshape how teams connect, create, and thrive—long after the last cup of tea is poured.
Early adopters of tea rituals describe the experience as a refreshing shift from the usual pace of work, Stopping, slowing down, and connecting with breath and the present moment—it changes the energy in the room,” shares Luke, a media professional. Others have found that stepping away from the noise of the workday creates space to rethink priorities and bring fresh energy into collaboration.
Learning more about wellbeing in the workplace and what this means for different people has been eye-opening.
As agencies look toward 2025 and beyond, the integration of ancient practices with modern work culture could point the way forward. In an industry built on human insight and creativity, perhaps the answer to future challenges lies not in more technology, but in creating space for human connection to flourish.
As the ritual concludes, the planners return to their desks. The laptops reopen, the phones light up. But something has shifted. In an industry that moves at light speed, sometimes the boldest innovation is simply learning to pause.
Virginia Scully is a workplace culture consultant specializing in independent agencies