Breaking the Walls of Fear: Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace

Fear, Stress, and Burnout: The Unseen Challenges of Our Youth

A recent survey conducted in February 2024 uncovered a critical truth: young adults in South Africa face immense mental health stress, even when gainfully employed. Luzuko Tena’s powerful opinion piece on News24 described how industries with high-pressure environments—such as media and marketing—are seeing a ‘burnout epidemic’ among young professionals.

But this problem runs deeper than just workload. At the heart of these challenges lies fear:

• Fear of failure.
• Fear of being judged.
• Fear of admitting struggles in a professional environment.

Fear creates invisible walls, holding young professionals back from seeking the help they need or believing in their value.

It’s time to break these walls.

Here’s how we can help our youth thrive:

• Destigmatize Mental Health Conversations: Let’s normalize speaking about stress, burnout, and mental health challenges in both workplaces and communities.
• Create Safe Spaces: Employers must offer employee-assistance programs and foster environments where young people feel supported, not judged.
• Build Community: Outside of work, young professionals need spaces to connect, find joy, and develop supportive relationships.

Breaking the walls of fear isn’t just about tackling mental health—it’s about empowering the next generation to believe in themselves, embrace vulnerability, and find their strength.

Call to Action: Together, we can create a future where fear no longer holds our youth back. Join us in this mission by advocating for mental health awareness in your workplace, supporting youth-focused initiatives, and being a champion for open dialogue.

Let’s break the walls of fear—and build a foundation for growth, resilience, and well-being.

From Marelyn Schultz

Just a Boss Girl