How to Build Strong Mental Health Strategies

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

Do not let your friends get to this point ↴ Rock bottom. In a profession like recruiting (external), many of us, including myself, have reached this point multiple times. The pressure is palatable, especially for high-pressure solo practitioners where our success determines if we feed our families. 👉 Let's break down the concerns ↴ 1. Burnout   → Unrealistic targets and the "always-on" nature of the job add to this stress and mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. 2. Rejection Fatigue → The "No's" add up: Constantly dealing with candidates' & clients' rejections or disappointments can create feelings of inadequacy or failure. 3. Pressure for Performance → Intense Metrics-driven environments can result in overwhelming stress to meet KPIs. Economic factors, such as layoffs or hiring freezes, add further stress. 4. Emotional Toll of Candidate Support → Supporting them through brutal rejections or coaching them to improve can be draining. 5. Isolation in Remote Work → For some, the shift to remote recruitment has reduced in-office camaraderie, increased feelings of isolation & impacted mental well-being. 👉 What to look out for in our industry colleagues, friends and family↴ 1. Decreased Productivity Missed deadlines, lower placements, or poor performance relative to prior output. 2. Physical Symptoms → Fatigue, headaches, disrupted sleep, or drastic weight/appetite changes. 3. Changes in Attitude or Behavior → Irritability, reduced communication, or withdrawal from team interactions. 4. Reduced Job Satisfaction → Expressing dissatisfaction or lack of fulfillment in the role. (not standard sarcasm)🙄 5. Impaired Decision-Making → Difficulty managing priorities or making clear, strategic choices. 👉 Strategies to Address Mental Health in Recruitment ↴ 1. Normalize Mental Health Conversations → Provide a culture where discussing stress or seeking help is welcomed and not stigmatized. 2. Reasonable Targets and Metrics  → Ensure KPIs are ambitious but achievable to reduce unnecessary pressure. 3. Flexible Work Arrangements → Encourage work-life harmony through remote work flexibility or mental health days. 4. Mental Health Resources Offer access to counseling, therapy, or stress management programs. 5. Peer Support Networks → Build spaces where recruiters can share experiences & coping strategies. 6. Training Managers to Spot Signs → Equip leaders to recognize when team members need support & how to provide it effectively. Recruitment is a team sport & we must look out for each other as humans. Keep an eye on your friends who do this solo and check in on them. It's like a REAL check-in. Together, we can make a difference! 👉 And before you write some snarky comment about job seekers or other professions, YES, these tips can apply to all. But right now, I am focusing on my industry to spread the word and make a difference. Thank you!  

🖼 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

Today I had the privilege of joining a panel with Oregon SHRM to discuss how organizations can better support worker mental health. While I’m not a mental health clinician, my work focuses on how workplaces can adapt to meet the evolving needs of their workforce, reexamine the structure of work itself, and provide meaningful support and resources. One key point that always arises is the need for training and development for leaders. Leaders play a critical role in creating environments where employees feel supported - and yet, many don’t know where to start. Here are two evidence-based, free or low-cost resources I recommend: The Safety, Health and Improvement Program (SHIP), Total Worker Health® Toolkit by the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center. Designed for supervisors and managers in any industry, this program facilitates team-based discussions to improve work-life balance. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g84FmfKa Psych Hub's Mental Health Ally Training. This resource offers courses to help individuals recognize mental health symptoms, build coping skills, and understand treatment options - equipping them to better support themselves and others. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gAv2md22 Building a culture of mental health support starts with small, actionable steps. These tools are great places to begin! #MentalHealth #TotalWorkerHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing