If you knew there were specific ways that are most effective for you to destress or to negotiate with a colleague, would you want to know them? Most of us would jump at the chance and then want to learn the same for our partners, colleagues, and children. I spoke with Carey Davidson who has made these exact insights accessible by translating ancient wisdom into modern insights in her book, The Five Archetypes.

Nell Derick Debevoise: What are the Five Archetypes?

Carey Davidson captures ancient wisdom we can use to live and work better.

Carey Davidson: The five elements, or archetypes as I call them, come from Chinese medicine.They are the elemental forces of human and Mother nature that help us predict our behavior in love, at work, with self-care. Together they comprise a time-tested system for mastering everything from how plants grow to how our relationships unfold with others and ourselves.

It defines all the components required for something to be a successful living being: fire, earth, metal, water and wood. In nature, a seed is wood. Fire is the sunlight. Earth is the ground you plant it in. Water is water. And metal is air oxygen. Without all of these components in balance, a tree won't grow. It won't grow fruit, and it won't provide shade.

Chinese medicine makes a distinct connection among all things in nature.The cycles of the moon and the shifting of the seasons impact human behavior as well as vegetation and farming. So for plants and for humans, things go wrong when we dont have these five elements in balance. For people, wood corresponds to physical movement, planning and execution, initiating and goal setting. Fire corresponds to play, joy, optimism, and hope. Earth corresponds to digestion, communication, harmony, relationships, and empathy. Metal corresponds to the breath, consistency, organization, finishing things, perfection, and gratitude. And water is about staying hydrated, getting good sleep, being quiet, introspective, and reflecting.

Derick Debevoise: Does it really apply to EVERYone?

Davidson: It does, from all that I have seen. Its based on nature, so it makes sense that it would be universal. We all have all five elements within us and one primary that guides us through our lifetime. A wood person is not going to suddenly turn into primary water, and the sun isn't all of a sudden going to become a tree. Each of us has a distinct way of engaging with each other and unique things that are uncomfortable or nurturing for us.

There are some cultural leanings. For example, American culture values wood and metal energy more highly. We revere the achievements of wood: he's the valedictorian, or she's the star of the basketball team. And the perfection of metal: you played a concerto perfectly at age 10. Asian cultures tend to appreciate quiet, as you can see in their practice of Tai Chi, for example this watery, gentle movement. Whereas in New York at least, I find that water is generally our lowest element.

Derick Debevoise: How do I learn my "type" and what commitment does it take from me to find it useful?

Davidson: That's the best part. I have a brief inventory that people can take for free. When you're finished your element profile is e-mailed to you with links to relevant information. Many people have told me they immediately put that into practice. Of course, the book is now available and offers a deeper dive. And for those wanting more, I do online sessions where I give personal feedback. My clients tell me they learn so much in the first session it has an immediate effect on their lives.

Derick Debevoise: How did you arrive at this work?

Davidson realized during her time working in HR that poor communication was the root of so much ... [+] stress and lost productivity.

Davidson: I worked in HR, which seemed mostly to consist of helping people deal with poor communication and other relationship problems that hampered their ability to get work done. Those workplace dynamics cause a lot of stress which then bleeds into peoples family relationships and personal health. When I started the Tournesol Kids nonprofit work with Stephen [Cowan] to help parents use their childrens archetypes to parent better, I got curious. I started wondering if these elements inform the nature of any human, couldnt we use the insights in a work environment?

What weve found is yes, absolutely! If you understand your workforce in this way, you can know what everybody needs, how to motivate them and make them feel safe. Its a powerful way to depersonalize conflicts of personality or working styles, and value and engage all of our diverse profiles.

Derick Debevoise: Why is this work important now?

Davidson: This old way of being is starting to crumble. We have been pushing ourselves so hard and for what? We're trying to be things that we are not naturally. We don't get enough sleep. So we feel like crap. And that cascades to our mental health, our relationships, our work. Were desperate to feel better, so we search for quick fixes and cures and there are all these competing opinions out there. But we're not paying attention to our own bodies and minds to know what's right for us as individuals.We are seriously that disconnected.We get our cues on what we should be from reality TV and social media.

Whereas when you look at nature, she knows what to do, when to do it. Trees drop their dead leaves in the fall and create this wonderful rich ground to nourish their own roots. If we lived aligned with our natural gifts, wed recognize and value our own unique strengths and needs, so we can swim with the tide instead of against it and be our natural best selves. If we all behaved in this natural way, being empathetic to our own needs and those of the people around us, we could have such a better world!

At the highest level, my work with the five archetypes is really about empathy and compassion. It's what our world could use most right now.

Derick Debevoise: How can people use the archetypes in their own lives?

Davidson: Ultimately, its about self-awareness: deeply knowing who you are, what you contribute, what pushes your buttons, who nurtures you and who drives you nuts. And then theres a corresponding system of self-regulation that helps you know exactly how you cope with the people who drive you nuts. There is very clear guidance to manage stress and stay healthy according to your primary element.

And leaders can use insights about their peoples archetypes to guide onboarding processes, staff teams, manage people, and deal with conflict. Ive used the archetypes to teach CEOs how to allocate the companys time, energy, and money on learning, development, and employee incentives. Nobody wins with a system that is one size fits all: there are distinct ways that each primary type is motivated. If you're wanting to reward your team, some of them will want to be able to work at home, while others will actually fall apart and be miserable if you make them work at home.

Derick Debevoise: Can you share an example youve seen of these insights impacting people at work?

Davidson: One of my favorite examples is a young man who applied to staff our front desk and do some research and social media. His qualifications and writing samples were perfect. And then I saw that he was off-the-charts wood, and low in the other elements. I knew he would have hated this job, sitting at the desk all day.

So, I called him, and said, I love your application. You are such a good fit for this company. But you're going to be bored out of your mind with this job. I'm going to create a job for you. He was wood, so he needed movement, a challenge, he needed something he could win at.I had an event space to rent, so I told him he would get 20% of everything he booked. He could do it however he wanted, just to come up with a plan and run it by me. He could not thank me enough, and sure enough, he booked the space solid, earning us both far more than I had hoped!

Derick Debevoise: Can this framework change the world?

Davidson: Absolutely. Were living this epidemic of disconnection. Were disconnected from ourselves, the most basic me: who we are and what we need. There are so many opinions and self-care resources, but weve lost the instinct to do what is right for our unique composition. For example, as a primary fire, a silent retreat would KILL me! I would go nuts without fun and interaction for more than an hour.

We are also disconnected from our relationships: what our partners, kids, colleagues and other wes in our lives need from us. And were disconnected from our higher purpose: our unique role to contribute best to a better world.I cant tell you how many clients in their 40s come to me because they feel lost.They want to thrive in work and relationships, and are confused why after having done the right thing for four decades, they are not satisfied with where theyre at.

The ancient and natural wisdom of these archetypes is just what we need to blend with modern techniques like neuroplasticity and epigenetics to shift our mindsets, skills, and habits to be healthier and perform better.

Derick Debevoise: How do you hope people will use the Five Archetypes?

Davidson: I see it primarily as a reference tool. Imagine a workplace where we honor each other and everyones gifts. We staff teams perfectly and give people the training to round out their skillsin the format that best fits their unique style. Once companies have helped their people understand their archetypes, and feel comfortable sharing it in the workplace, these profiles can improve communication, facilitate collaboration, and reduce turnover. Ultimately, knowing your teams archetypes helps leaders make better and faster decisions that are also more compassionate.

Knowledge of the archetypes can also attract and maintain clients. It is important to speak differently to different types of people who need different things. For example, a water client needs fewer face-to-face meetings, whereas an earth wants a weekly in-person lunch!And my next book is about using the archetypes to inform your love relationships, where we could also certainly benefit from more empathy and understanding.

Ultimately, I am excited to support people in understanding and rediscovering their own true nature so they can more confidently counteract the bias our culture has about what we should be or do. This guidance toward self-discovery is how we can remember who we are at our best, and reach our potential to contribute to a better world.

Knowing our primary of the five archetypes and keeping it in balance is good for our health and ... [+] performance.

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This Ancient Wisdom Can Heal Todays Threat Of Disconnection - Forbes