Now Is the Time to Start Embracing Mental Health in the Workplace

In 2020, mental health finally received much due attention. Billions of people were forced to isolate themselves away from any friends or extended family and asked to work from home to stop the spread of Covid-19. From this came one of the largest mental health crises to ever happen, bringing these once taboo conversations to the forefront of the world’s attention- specifically pertaining to the workplace. 

We all know that work can be stressful and even cause some anxiety for some professionals—however, for many workers who struggle with mental health, it can quickly spiral into a larger issue that affects their role and performance. 

Mental health affects everyone, including myself. As you may have guessed, being a founder and CEO since the age of 23 hasn’t always been a stress-free experience. Though I love the work I do, there is rarely success without any sacrifice, and sacrifice often results in burnout, stress, and anxiety. Through my personal journey, I’ve learned a lot about where mental health stands in the workplace, and how to take care of myself when there were little to no instructions on how. 

Workplaces have been due for an overhaul for a long time, and in this time of change, now is the best opportunity to do so. Whether you’re a business leader trying to create a safe space for mental health support, or an employee searching for ways to cope, I’ve taken my own experiences to help guide you through these difficult times. 

Covid revealed the need for mental health support in the workplace.

The sudden shift toward remote work was a wake-up call for the workforce and companies alike. Seemingly out of nowhere, business leaders were faced with the fact that their workers are in fact actual humans: they *gasp* have spouses, children, and issues to deal with outside of work. This realization opened Pandora’s Box, revealing all the situations and issues that workers were dealing with under the surface. 

Nine in 10 employees report that workplace stress affects their mental health. Add on top of this stress the stressors of everyday situations and issues, and companies suddenly have a much larger problem than they had previously thought (or ignored). Yet still, even during remote work, leaders pushed strict, 9-5 days with rigid breaks and little wiggle room for time off, even when their employees were witnessing their work and life collide in a way it had never before.

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