Interview with Dr. Tammy Wilborn: Health and Wellness in the Workplace

Dr. Tammy Wilborn is a renowned health and wellness expert. She originally served her community as a counselor, helping individuals from all walks of life. As her career evolved, she earned her Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt and now also works in ministry—still pursuing her ultimate life’s purpose: creating spaces of healing for individuals.

Throughout her career, she has explored how health and wellness affect the workplace, particularly for Black women. She now shares a lifetime of expertise in her new book, Playing A New Game: A Black Woman’s Guide to Being Well and Thriving in the Workplace.

In between her many pursuits and days full of service, Dr. Wilborn found time to sit down with us at Day 7 to talk about health and wellness in the workplace—and how our members can reduce burnout and guilt when working in service-oriented nonprofits or ministries.

How Dr. Wilborn Defines Wellness

First, it’s important to understand how Dr. Wilborn herself conceptualizes health and wellness.

She was adamant throughout the interview that health and wellness often get a bad rap. Many people see wellness as one-off self-care actions—like getting a massage, taking a day off, or going to a yoga class. However, she worries that these narrow definitions of “self-care” and “boundaries” can make wellness seem shallow.

Additionally, she notes that centering wellness in this way frames a lack of mental well-being as a personal shortcoming. You’re not setting enough boundaries; you should be doing more to relax. Instead, she urges people to consider the systems and organizational structures around them. To achieve true wellness, the environments we work in must also support our well-being.

The Myth of the Sacrificing Servant

This is where nonprofit and ministry members often get stuck. Dr. Wilborn calls it “the myth of the sacrificing servant.” The narrative we construct—as nonprofit employees and within our organizations—is that working in this field is a sacrifice for the greater good. But she is clear: the role of the nonprofit or ministry worker is not to be a martyr.

She acknowledges that self-care and boundary-setting are important, but argues that true wellness is found in creating environments and habits that support long-lasting psychological well-being.

Why the Workplace?

I also asked her: Why focus on health and wellness in the workplace? What makes that space so compelling?

Like many passion projects, her work began with personal experience. In both her workplaces and doctoral programs, Dr. Wilborn experienced firsthand the stigma that Black women face.

Spurred by curiosity, she began asking: How much of this experience was unique, and how much was universal—not just among Black women, but all marginalized groups? These questions led to her doctoral thesis on race- and gender-based stereotypes in the workplace.

From there, she pursued the next logical question: If these dynamics are happening in the workplace and affecting people’s psychological well-being, what can individuals and organizations do to protect mental health at work?

How to Build Wellness Systems

So how do you create systems that promote mental wellness in the workplace?

First, she says, if it’s not codified, it doesn’t exist. If you’re in a position of authority, you must develop policies and procedures that make well-being part of the work itself. It can’t just be a cultural value or a vague idea. Policies need to be explicit and enforceable. Only then can employees feel the safety and trust needed to thrive.

Next, it must be collaborative. You can’t create meaningful policies from the top down. Leaders must involve people on the ground floor. Organizational cultures—and the policies that support them—must be tailored to the actual needs of the people doing the work. What do your employees need to succeed? What kind of work cycle is sustainable?

Finally, she underscores the single most important factor in workplace wellness: compensation and benefits. People are best able to care for themselves when they are fairly compensated. And, as she points out, mental health is hard to manage if your physical health and basic needs are not met.

Where Does Day 7 Fit In?

Organizations like Day 7 play a vital role in this equation.

First, Day 7 fits into the “compensation and benefits” category—it offers tangible resources that support employees’ mental health. But more importantly, it signals true buy-in from leadership.

What Dr. Wilborn highlights as Day 7’s real strength, however, is the space it creates—particularly for clergy. She frequently poses the question: Where do clergy go to collapse?

In ministry, leaders are often both the administrative heads and the emotional centers of their communities. When they need support, the very communities they’ve nurtured may not be able to offer it. These leaders are often expected to stay strong, even when they're struggling.

Day 7, she explains, gives nonprofit and ministry leaders something rare: a separate, sacred space for emotional support.

If you would like to read more about wellness in the workplace, Dr. Tammy Wilborn’s book can be found on Amazon at Barnes & Nobles. You can read more about her services at her website.