When the Anchor Needs Anchoring

There are roles in life that often go unseen — not because they are hidden, but because we’ve grown used to overlooking them.

THE UNSEEN ANCHORS

I’ve been thinking about these “unseen” roles for a while now — starting with the ER doctors, nurses, and aides who treated my elderly parents each time a visit to the hospital was warranted. There was a core group who showed up every day, dedicating their lives to healing others. They cared, they consoled, they fixed what could be fixed. And then they did it again the next day.

I saw the dark circles under their eyes, the clenched jaws, the tension in their shoulders — and I often wondered: who was caring for them?

It was in those quiet moments, while standing in hospital corridors or sitting by my dad’s bedside, that I first became aware of the people I now call the unseen anchors — the ones whose presence is steady, reassuring, and often unrecognized.

That memory resurfaced in 2023 when I led a coaching program for public school nurses. I witnessed firsthand how these professionals—mostly women—serve as both medical support and emotional hub in their school communities. They absorb the stresses of students, parents, teachers, and social workers. They calm, they heal, they coordinate, they catch what no one else does. And yet, they rarely have the time or resources to replenish their own energy. Many nurses told me they’d never attended a professional workshop focused on their own well-being before. This spring, they gave the program a 10/10 rating — not just because of the content, but because someone had finally created space for them. Many thanks to Dr. Lucy Roberts!

My work also brings me into close connection with startup founders — those steering their ventures and navigating transitions, scaling visions, and carrying the emotional weight of teams, investors, and personal sacrifice. They’re expected to inspire and lead, to make hard decisions, to stay resilient through rapid shifts. Many of them do this while silently struggling with doubt, exhaustion, or quiet burnout.

They don’t ask for help — not because they don’t need it, but because they’ve been conditioned to lead through it.

What these people — founders, nurses, ER doctors, teachers, caregivers — have in common is the ability to anchor those around them through ongoing change. Not with fanfare, not with hashtags, but with a steady, quiet commitment. For some, it’s a calling.

These anchors are not invisible. But they are often unnoticed.

FROM UNSEEN TO SEEN

This is not a new reflection, nor is it a trending topic I’ve chosen to capitalize on. It’s a thread that has shaped my life and work for years.

I think often of the many people I’ve met who fall into this role without ever naming it:

• The nurse coordinating care for aging parents while holding down a full-time job
• The working parent navigating school drop-offs, dinners, work meetings, and nighttime worries
• The founder who checks in on every team member’s emotional state while ignoring their own rising stress

They are the anchors.

And sometimes, the ones who anchor also need anchoring.

Recently, I was walking through the foggy woods near home and paused at a downed pine tree. Its bark had peeled open in a long, jagged split. Inside, I could see deep red hues — textures I’d never seen when the bark was intact.

I thought of how often we walk past strength and assume it doesn’t need tending.

Until that strength breaks.

THE TAOIST WAY

Taoist well-being honors both mind and body: the mind as the guardian of peace, the body as a vessel that needs nurturing.

If we don’t move our Qi, we stagnate.

If we don’t press Pause, we deplete ourselves.

In Taoist rhythms, a pause isn’t break from life — it is a part of life.

Rest becomes a return to alignment — with the body, the spirit, and the world around us.

One breath at a time.

So, make space for your Time-for-Me (TFM).

Repose is self-healing and nurturing.

INVEST IN YOURSELF

Through my East–West Well-Being approach, I offer those who lead, care, build, and serve: a place to pause, release, and replenish.

If this resonates, I invite you to join me in upcoming Well-Being workshops.

The next one begins on August 5, 2025.

Send me a DM for details.

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#EastWestWisdom #Well-Being #TheUnseenAnchor
#FounderWellbeing  #FounderEmpowerment #FounderJourney
#EmotionalResilience  #AnchorRoles  #TheUnseenAnchor

© July 13, 2025 – My-Tien Vo