Creating A Culture Of Openness Around Mental Health

A Manager Told Me ‘I Don’t Care About Your Personal Problems’—Here’s How I Changed the Culture Years ago, a manager told me something I’ll never forget: “I don’t care about your personal problems; they’re not my concern as long as you get the work done.” Those words hit me hard. As a Marine, I learned that leadership isn’t just about getting the job done—it’s about leading the whole person. 💥Did you know 57% of employees say they’d be more productive if their leaders genuinely cared about their well-being? The workplace isn’t just about tasks; it’s about people. Here’s how I’m changing the mentality: 👉 Empathy Over Efficiency: I prioritize understanding my team’s struggles, knowing that a supportive environment leads to higher performance and loyalty. Productivity comes naturally when people feel valued. 👉 Flexible Work Solutions: Life happens, and rigid policies only add stress. By offering flexible work arrangements, I give my team the space to balance their personal lives with their professional responsibilities. 👉 Mental Health Support: We provide mental health resources and promote open dialogue about challenges, reducing the stigma and creating a culture where it’s okay to not be okay. 👉 Celebrating Small Wins: Recognizing achievements, no matter how small, boosts morale. It’s a reminder that their efforts are appreciated beyond just hitting targets. 👉 Lead by Example: I share my own experiences, showing that even leaders have personal challenges. Authenticity builds trust and sets the tone for a transparent work culture. Being a leader means more than managing tasks; it means managing hearts and minds. Let’s build environments where humans aren’t treated like robots but as the valuable, whole individuals they are. #Leadership #EmpathyInAction #WorkCulture #EmployeeWellbeing #MarineLeadership #AIandAutomation

"What are you struggling with right now?" Last week, I recorded a video at Google in advance of #maymentalhealthmonth. I offered no tips, tricks or theory. Just real talk on my struggles. Why? I've openly shared about my struggles with mental health, and spoken more generally about mental health in the workplace for almost two years now. Regarding "mental health", what I've seen firsthand by talking to hundreds of people is that: - we are not lacking tips and tricks - we still have an awareness gap around mental health, but it's shrinking - we have plenty of theory to learn, but the bigger issue is bridging theory and practice But the biggest issue by far IMO? Stigma. Why? Because you can't get help with struggles you can't talk about. Because you can't solve a problem that you can't talk about. Because you can't be seen if everyone seems to be hiding. So in the video, I talked almost exclusively about what's going on with me: that I struggled with depression (again) for the last few weeks that I told my team about it and gave them guidance on how to best work with me while I'm struggling, and how we mitigate impact on the work that I was taking steps to get to a better place for now If you're a leader in the workplace, especially if you're in a position of authority, this is what people are asking you to do: - Stop talking about OTHER peoples' struggles. - Stop talking ABOUT mental health like it's separate from us. - Start talking about YOUR struggles and/or mental health, so that your people feel safe to do so as well. #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #loneliness #belonging #workplacementalhealth #workplacewellbeing #leadership #endthestigma

Do you ever feel like you're everyone's "work therapist"? Where people come to you and share their stresses, strains, pains and more? On one hand, it's wonderful to be helpful, compassionate, and supportive. (And boy do we need that more than ever!) On the other hand, unless you're actually a licensed mental health professional, you may be overstepping your helping role. This can both tax YOU emotionally, and underserve someone who really would benefit from professional help. As a manager, your role isn’t to diagnose or provide therapy, but to create the conditions where your team member feels supported, respected, and connected to the right resources. Here’s a breakdown of what's actually MORE helpful than being everyone's quasi-therapist. 1. Notice and acknowledge Pay attention to changes in behavior, performance, or engagement. Approach with empathy: “I’ve noticed you seem stressed lately—how are you doing?” 2. Listen, don’t diagnose Offer a safe, nonjudgmental space to talk. Focus on listening and validating feelings, not fixing or labeling the problem. 3. Connect to resources Know your organization’s policies, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or mental health benefits. Encourage them to access professional help if needed. 4. Adjust work supportively Explore flexible options (deadlines, workload, schedules) where appropriate. Reinforce that performance expectations remain, but show willingness to adapt. 5. Model healthy behaviors Set an example by taking breaks, managing stress openly, and respecting boundaries. Normalize conversations about well-being so team members feel safer sharing. In short: Your role is to notice, listen, support, connect, and model. You’re not their therapist; you’re their leader, creating a culture where mental health is taken seriously and help is accessible. #mentalhealth #wellbeingatwork #stress

Culture isn’t what you say — it’s what people feel. And you can feel it most on Sunday night. 👇 Unspoken tension. Emotional exhaustion. A creeping sense of dread. That’s not just burnout — it’s a broken culture. Here’s how to start fixing it from the inside out: 1️⃣ Listen without fixing ↳ Ask “What do you need right now?” instead of offering a solution. 2️⃣ Make psychological safety visible ↳ Admit your own mistakes openly to create permission for honesty. 3️⃣ Turn values into verbs ↳ Don’t just say “we care” — show it in decisions, meetings, and rewards. 4️⃣ Recognize, early and often ↳ Give meaningful praise for effort, not just results. 5️⃣ Kill toxic tolerance ↳ Don’t promote brilliance that burns others — protect the team first. 6️⃣ Coach more than you manage ↳ Replace checklists with curiosity in your 1:1s. 7️⃣ Redesign your Sunday night ↳ Send a “what’s one thing you’re excited for?” message to your team. 8️⃣ Let humans be human ↳ Normalize rest, mental health days, and setting boundaries. 9️⃣ Re-recruit your team weekly ↳ Remind them why their work matters — and why they matter to you. 🔟 Measure what matters ↳ Track engagement and wellbeing like you track performance. Your culture already exists. The only question is — are you proud of it? ❓How do your people feel before Monday even begins? ♻️ Share this if you're building a better workplace. 👋 I write posts like this every day at 9:30am EST. Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) so you don't miss the next

🖼 Fuseli’s “The Nightmare” (1781) is one of my favorite paintings. I like it not because it’s comforting, but because it captures something we still don’t talk about enough: what it feels like to carry unseen stress. In this iconic Romantic-era work, a woman lies draped in sleep while a grotesque imp squats on her chest. Behind her lurks a shadowy horse, eyes wide in horror. It’s a visual metaphor for night terrors, but it resonates deeply with how anxiety can feel in waking life, especially in high-pressure work environments. 👉 The truth? Mental health still isn’t treated like physical health in many organizations. We champion fitness challenges and healthy snacks in the break room but ignore signs of burnout, chronic stress, or depression. Let’s change that. Here are a few best practices I’ve seen (and implemented) that make a real difference: ✅ Normalize check-ins that go beyond performance. Managers can ask, “How’s your workload feeling this week?” Not just “Are you on track?” ✅ Make mental health resources visible and easy to access. If your EAP is buried in an intranet or requires a scavenger hunt, it won’t help anyone. ✅ Treat PTO like recovery time, not a privilege. Don’t just approve time off. Encourage it. Model it. Respect it. ✅ Design work rhythms that allow for decompression. From no-meeting Fridays to quiet hours, small tweaks reduce the cognitive load. ✅ Train leaders in emotional intelligence. Psychological safety starts at the top. Art like The Nightmare reminds us that invisible burdens are just as real and sometimes just as paralyzing as any physical obstacle. Let’s build cultures where our people don’t need to wait until nightfall to be haunted by stress . 💬 How is your organization championing mental health? What’s working—and what still feels like a dream? #MentalHealthAtWork #PsychologicalSafety #Leadership #EmployeeWellbeing #Fuseli #OrganizationalCulture #LearningBites #WorkplaceAnxiety #MentalHealthAwareness

The vibe in America is not good right now. And most workplaces are pretending like it’s business as usual. People are struggling. Inflation is brutal. Healthcare access is unstable. Political uncertainty is high. Many employees are barely holding things together. And most workplaces are doing nothing to acknowledge these realities. The old “leave it at the door” mindset is not realistic. Employees can’t just compartmentalize when the world outside of work is actively harming them. If your company is operating like nothing is wrong, it’s failing its people. What you can do instead: 〰️ Give people more flexibility. If someone needs to step away for a mental health day, a protest, or personal safety - trust them to do so and get their work done. 〰️ Acknowledge reality. Silence sends a message. When things are heavy in the world, saying nothing is a choice. Even if it is just a short 'we know things are hard right now' at an all-hands or encouraging managers to check-in with their teams, it goes a long way. 〰️ Make space for people to step back. Expecting employees to maintain 100% engagement and productivity when their rights, safety, and security feel at risk is not leadership. 〰️ Offer real support. Can you provide mental health stipends? Emergency funds? PTO with no questions asked? Give people tangible options for care. 〰️ Drop the toxic productivity culture. People are not okay. The worst thing a company can do is push harder when employees already have nothing left to give. So what are you doing to acknowledge what people are going through right now? How can you take better care of your people?