Strategies to Improve Mental Health at Work

Burnout isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like “I’m fine.” While your mind is running on fumes. And still ▪️ You take one more call. ▪️ Reply to one more email. ▪️ Tell yourself to “just push through.” But your brain isn’t a machine. And your value doesn’t come from output alone. 🧠 Here’s the truth: Mental health isn’t a luxury. It’s a performance tool. The best teams protect it. The best leaders normalize it. The best cultures build it in. 👇 12 ways to protect your mental health at work Without waiting for a crisis. Without burning out. Without apologizing for being human. 1. Set clear boundaries → Define when work ends, and honor it. 2. Take real breaks → Step away. No screens. No guilt. 3. Say “no” (without overexplaining) → Protect your time like your peace depends on it. 4. Speak up when overwhelmed → Don’t wait until you're drowning. 5. Use your PTO → Rest is productive. You don’t have to earn it. 6. Declutter your digital space → A tidy inbox = a calmer brain. 7. Avoid toxic comparisons → Their hustle is not your blueprint. 8. Ask for help early → Struggling in silence helps no one. 9. Log off with intention → Close the loop. Don’t carry it home. 10. Connect with your team → Human moments beat Zoom fatigue. 11. Celebrate small wins → Progress > perfection. Every day. 12. Make time for joy → Schedule something that lifts you, daily. 🔁 Repost to normalize mental health at work. 💾 Save this for the days that feel too heavy. ➕ Follow Gabriel Millien for more tools to lead and live better.

May is Mental Health Month. So, let me ask: How are you doing? Seriously. How are you REALLY doing? I speak to so many clients who wait too long to make a change. They endure difficult and demoralizing work climates, hoping that things will get better. While they wait, their confidence is eroded, making a job search that much more daunting. Please, don't let this happen to you. No job is worth your mental health. If you: ➙Don't get any satisfaction in your work ➙Routinely deal with people who are difficult ➙Do the work of 2 people (or more!) ➙Lack the resources to do your job well ➙Get no support from your direct supervisor ➙Are bullied or taken advantage of by co-workers ➙Find it difficult to muster the energy for your workday Then, your mental health is at risk. That is not okay! Here are 6 strategies to take care of yourself: 1️⃣ Map Your Triggers ↳ Document specific situations that drain you ↳ Track when your stress peaks ↳ Notice when you are withdrawing or in conflict 💡Action: Make adjustments where you can, based on what you learn 2️⃣ Create Non-Negotiable Boundaries ↳ Set firm work hours for yourself ↳ Block "recovery time" in your calendar ↳ Turn off notifications during deep work 💡Action: Communicate these changes with key people 3️⃣ Master the "Strategic Pause" ↳ Take micro-breaks (2-5 minutes every hour) ↳ Use lunch for actual lunch, not more work ↳ Practice quick breathing exercises between meetings 💡Action: Put these items in your calendar and set alarms to take care of yourself. 4️⃣ Control Your Controllables ↳ Organize your workspace ↳ Structure your day around your energy peaks ↳ Focus on what you can influence, not what you can't 💡Action: This is a habit. Keep coming back to what’s in your control when frustration builds. 5️⃣ Build Your Support System ↳ Connect with trusted colleagues ↳ Consider tapping into your Employee Assistance Program ↳ Look into professional counseling 💡Action: Ask for help, even when it makes you feel uncomfortable. You are worth it. 6️⃣ Prepare to Make a Change ↳ Activate your network and have casual conversations to test the waters ↳ Update your resume and your LinkedIn profile ↳ Build a list of target companies and research your options 💡Important Point: These steps aren’t a decision to leave. But, they will make it easier and quicker if you decide to do so. Reminder: Your mental health is non-negotiable. Protect it fiercely. 🎯 What's your best strategy for maintaining mental health at work? Tell us below! ♻️ Repost to support colleagues who might be struggling 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career and workplace strategies

🖼 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

Burnout is not just a trending headline, it's your workplace alarm is screaming, Fix your culture before your talent walks!" Burnout isn’t just an individual issue. Burnout is an organizational challenge that demands systemic solutions. In my workplace culture lectures, I discuss these key areas that companies must focus on in order to create a healthier, high-performing workplace: 🔹 Leadership: Set the Tone from the Top ↳ Train managers in empathetic leadership and burnout recognition ↳Conduct regular wellness check-ins to support employees ↳ Create psychological safety so employees feel heard and valued ↳ Establish clear communication channels for transparency and trust ↳ Model healthy work behaviors—leaders must walk the talk 🔹 Culture: Build a Supportive & Appreciative Environment ↳Foster recognition and gratitude—a simple “thank you” goes a long way ↳ Normalize mental health conversations and well-being initiatives ↳Encourage real breaks—no more “working lunches” or overwork culture ↳ Celebrate work-life boundaries and encourage disconnecting after hours ↳ Remove stigma around mental health and seeking support 🔹 Mental Health & Systemic Support ↳ Provide on-demand mental health resources and confidential support ↳ Review compensation & benefits to ensure fairness and reduce stress ↳ Implement recovery time between intense projects ↳ Offer clear career development paths to reduce uncertainty 🔹 Workload & Work Design Solutions ↳ Reduce meeting overload—adopt "focus blocks" for deep work ↳ Set realistic project timelines and avoid chronic overwork ↳Conduct regular work audits and redistribute tasks as needed ↳ Hire additional resources when workload exceeds capacity ↳ Implement flexible scheduling and remote/hybrid options ↳ Introduce "no meeting" days and after-hours communication boundaries 🔹 Fostering Hope at Work ↳ Building Trust in Relationships ↳Share a clear vision and purpose to keep employees engaged and inspired ↳ Set achievable goals to help employees see progress and success ↳ Highlight stories of resilience and growth within the organization ↳Encourage mentorship and peer support to show pathways for advancement ↳ Celebrate small wins—progress fuels optimism 💡 Organizations prioritizing well-being, trust, and hope drive retention, engagement, and performance. What innovative solutions is your company using to tackle burnout? 👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments! #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #BurnoutPrevention #MentalHealth #GratitudeAtWork #FutureOfWork #Trust #HopeAtWork

Mental Health Crisis brewing in Organizations - Are traditional wellness programs enough? A survey called “People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View” concluded that almost two-thirds (65%) of workers said stress adversely affects their work and almost half (47%) echo similar concerns regarding their mental well-being globally. This is where the question, of whether traditional wellness programs are enough, becomes all the more dominant. In view of the same, I’d like to share some action steps that you can initiate in your organization to tackle workplace stress, an area where the UK-based HR Tech organization, Ciphr leads by example ⬇ 1. Utilization of Advanced HR Tools: Implementing HR software can reduce administrative workload by 30%, enabling HR to dedicate more time to employee wellbeing initiatives. 2. Promoting Work-Life Balance: By promoting reasonable work hours, introducing flexible work arrangements, and encouraging the use of paid time off (PTO), HR can enable employees to disconnect and recharge, ultimately reducing burnout and stress 3. Prioritizing Physical Wellbeing: Participation in onsite fitness facilities and wellness workshops can contribute substantially to improved employee health. 4. Mental Health Support: Employees can be encouraged to utilize the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as these provide employees with access to mental health professionals and resources to help manage personal and work-related stressors effectively. 5. Financial Literacy: Initiatives that offer employees financial advice services, especially free mortgage advice, ease financial concerns and offer mental peace. 6. Effective Communication Channels: Adoption of transparent communication practices can help in increasing employee satisfaction by pushing team meetings, suggestion boxes and anonymous surveys to encourage open dialogue. 7. Building a Positive Culture: Employee engagement scores are believed to rise after the successful implementation of regular team-building events and recognition programs like team lunches, themed dress-up days, and volunteering opportunities, encouraging bonding and alleviating work-related stress By putting these suggestions into play, HR can work towards enhancing employee satisfaction, eliminating burnout/stress, and eventually contributing to overall organizational success and productivity. #wellnessprograms #mentalhealthcrisis #employeesatisfaction