Tamara Buckland

What does being a Bloomer mean to you?

I think I've always been a "Bloomer" at heart and to me that means that I've prioritised finding ways to help people to thrive or grow into themselves even more, to live their best lives or to help them through tough times. This includes me too! I've been on my own journey toward thriving and I've learned a lot along the way about myself which in turn I think helps me to help others too. I believe that organisations have the opportunity to discover more ways in which to 'bloom' themselves and I think being a Bloomer is all about helping them to see and realise their version of that vision.

Where is home for you?

Home for me means so many different things. My first home is in Puketapu (Hawkes Bay), where I grew up and had a fantastically messy childhood, playing in the mud and being an outdoorsy kid. My next home is in Wellington, where I currently live with my partner and cats, and where I've spent the majority of my life. And recently, I've been exploring my family history on my mum's side and finding a new sense of home in eastern europe as I explore my roots over there.

Who are you at home?

I'm an incredibly silly person when I'm in my comfort zone. I like to make lots of jokes, sing made up songs, and generally do a lot of playing. To balance that high energy out, I also love to do lots of meditation, rest, playing computer games and reading.

Who are you when you are on fire?

I feel quite electric when I'm having my very best day. I feel tuned in, connected to people and the earth, I feel like I'm a good listener and I feel like I'm able to trust my gut instinct a lot. When I'm on fire, I'm efficient while also being intentional, I'm high energy while also being laid back and I'm just able to feel very centered.

What does an off day look like for you?

Usually an off day will involve lots of second guessing of myself which then means I'm not really listening well or able to trust myself well so I think it can frustrate others as well as being very frustrating myself. I tend to avoid making decisions on an off day and often feel a bit stuck in what next, so a fair bit of procrastinating. I'm learning to be ok with days like this and just reprioritise work as needed to let myself just be a bit shit that day.

What are your best self care tips?

My tip to anyone asking about self care is to spend some time thinking about what things in your life give you joy, peace, stillness or whatever emotion you'd like to feel and to write them down so you have them ready for when you need them. They'll look different for each person which is why I think it's great to build a toolkit and a plan (check out The Wellbeing Deck!). My personal best self care is spending time in nature. It could just be sitting on the grass for a while or it could be full on meditating, but just getting out to feel the fresh air, listen to the birds and to feel the earth under my feet is super powerful for me.

Tamara’s background

I’ve worked across government, startups and established businesses across Aotearoa in people-focused roles. I’m hugely passionate about setting up workplaces that are inclusive, supportive of people's development journey, and fosters a culture that allows people from all backgrounds and ways of working to feel like they belong and to thrive. I strongly advocate for normalising conversations about mental health, aim to create environments that allow for brave conversations and hold space for people to be vulnerable and show up to work as and how they are.

I’m also the designer of The Wellbeing Deck, a simple card game designed to help individuals and groups have brave conversations about their well-being at work and home.

Check out my LinkedIn for more info.