During my six years of traveling weekly for work, I lived by routine. I picked one airline, one hotel chain, and built loyalty alongside predictability. I packed my workout gear every time and was in the gym every morning. The moment I checked in, I unpacked and ironed my clothes, so my mornings were never about finding things or scrambling to be ready.
Ironing was central to that ritual. Even as a gifted packer, my clothes rarely survived a suitcase without wrinkles. On one trip, I pulled out my favorite dress, set up the ironing board, and started pressing. Then I looked down in horror. A pattern was emerging on the fabric. The ironing board pad had worn so flat from years of use that the board’s own design was being transferred, permanently, onto my dress.
This ironing calamity led to layered frustration. I had meetings the next morning and had to figure out how to show up looking put-together. I loved that dress and knew immediately it was gone. And underneath it all was something that bothered me most: the tool had failed. I had done everything right. The iron did exactly what irons are supposed to do. And still, the outcome was damage.
That same feeling had found me before, years earlier, during my freshman year at the University of Michigan. It was my dream school. I loved Ann Arbor, loved my classes, loved that my best friend was there too. And still, I was drowning in homesickness. Some days, I could hardly make it out of class before the tears came.
The tools that had always carried me through hard seasons stopped working. Running. Calling my parents. Talking with friends. Listening to music. A walk. None of it helped. And there was a particular kind of despair in reaching for something that had always worked, only to find it empty. My brain and heart felt marked, just like that dress.
People around me kept asking what was wrong. I did not know the answer. As I stumbled to describe it, what I felt most was fear. Fear that something was broken in me. Fear of losing the people I loved. And the deepest fear of all: that the things that had always steadied me no longer could, and that I would never feel like myself again.
Mental Health Awareness Month creates an opportunity to confront what we are actually dealing with and work together to reduce stigma around mental wellbeing and expand support. According to The State of Mental Health in America 2025 by Mental Health America, 60 million people or 23.4% of adults in the U.S. experienced mental illness in the last year, and 25% had mental health needs that went unmet. These are not distant numbers. They represent people we work with, live next to, and love.
Human pain also impacts business. According to UC Berkeley Exec Ed’s The Impacts of Poor Mental Health in Business, Depression alone accounts for a 35% productivity reduction. This can lead to “higher turnover rates, employees who frequently call out sick, teams struggling to meet targets, and increased evidence of stress or burnout in employees.”
Therapy and medication are powerful tools. And as employers, we are not bystanders. We have our own role to play.
Here are five actions leaders can take to shape stronger mental health outcomes for their team members and their organizations:
- Create space for co-location: People need other people. One of the many reasons we have seen an increase in mental health challenges is that we live in a world where our devices create a perception of connection while growing isolation. This isolation takes a toll. According to the World Health Organization’s Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death, “loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and premature death. It also affects mental health, with people who are lonely twice as likely to get depressed. Loneliness can also lead to anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.”
While many employees appreciate the flexibility of remote work, organizations that invest in meaningful time together can foster thriving cultures, improve outcomes, and ensure team members have the connections they need to flourish. - Create cushions: The relationships we build with colleagues serve as a protective layer. When we know our team members, we notice when their patterns shift. We catch early signals. The cushions are both the time we spend together and the practice of genuinely paying attention. They insulate us from damage and allow us to stand together, building resilience.
- Grow preventive tools: The more tools people have, the more likely one will hold when another fails. Employee resource groups, meditation classes, potlucks, group gatherings, learning opportunities, and individual development plans are not perks. They are padding on the ironing board.
When people have options to grow, connect, learn, and feel joy in their work, their toolkit expands. This means when one thing stops working, there is something else to reach for. - Talk about mental health vulnerably: In the last four years, I began speaking more openly about my mental health challenges and my commitment to ongoing therapy. It matters. When someone in a position of influence names their struggle, it gives others permission to ask for help and share their own. Not everyone has faced a mental health challenge. Not everyone is ready to speak about it. It took me nearly five decades to find my voice, and it still makes my palms sweat as I type this. The point is not to force disclosure. The point is that the more of us who are willing, the more we crack the door open, and openness invites more openness.
- Provide resources and talk about them: Consider all the options you may offer, including insurance support for mental health treatment, Employee Assistance Programs, free subscriptions to meditation or mental health support apps, customized access to Crisis Text Line, and regular learning and awareness sessions with local partners focused on mental health.
Analyze what you offer annually, understand how it is being used, and explore where the gaps are. Share that picture with your team. Success stories, even anonymized, normalize help-seeking. Regular communication about these resources is not just about logistics. It is a signal that your organization means what it says.
After a few months of struggle, my mom and grandmother helped me find a therapist. The first one was not a fit. Over the years, I tried again and often gave up. Finally, in my late forties, I found someone I trust. I found someone who challenges me and holds space for the hurdles, the joy, the confusion, and the pain that come with being human. It took decades. And I was lucky. I had people who loved me. I was never truly without a net, even when it felt that way. Not everyone has a net.
Our coping tools often carry us for years. And then one day, they don’t. Sometimes that means a ruined dress and a frustrating morning. Sometimes it is heavier than that. Much heavier. What we do as leaders, as colleagues, as people, as organizations in those moments is not a nice-to-have. It is essential. It is the difference between someone finding their way back and someone staying lost. That is worth getting right.
What would it mean for your team if you got this right?
