Three Simple Ways Leaders Can Support Employee Mental Health

Earlier this month I hosted a conversation with several HR leaders on the importance of ‘modeling what matters’ when it comes to their own well-being. I asked each leader one thing they do to take care of their minds, and I loved their responses.?

Maria Dee (Executive Director of Workforce Wellbeing, Kaiser Permanente) said she practices visualization with music to calm herself before big presentations.

Christine (Gallardo) Morehead (Chief People Officer, One Medical) has a daily gratitude practice where she lists things she’s thankful for each morning before getting out of bed.

Ann Pettey (Head of People, Everly Health) said the most effective thing she does to care for her mental health is simply going to bed early so she gets enough sleep.?

For me, it’s turning my 1:1s with my team into walking meetings whenever I can — getting outside for some fresh air and exercise is a huge boost for my mental health.?

In Headspace’s Fifth Annual Workforce Attitudes Toward Mental Health Report, published earlier this month, we found some encouraging insights about the progress leaders have made in normalizing wellbeing in the workplace – 87% of CEOs have talked to their staff or employees about their own mental health, a remarkable jump from 79% that did the same in 2022. And 76% of employees say they appreciate it when leaders discuss their emotional and mental health.

One cause for alarm in this year’s data, however, is that a majority of executives and CEOs feel a sense of dread at work at least once a week. And employees are feeling it, too. Driving this dread among employees are the rising expectations to take on more responsibilities (45%) and a lack of stability at work (45%).?

For the HR leaders we surveyed, the picture looks a little different. With continued change, rolling layoffs, and shifting workplace realities, HR teams are under increasing pressure to support employees while maintaining their day-to-day work responsibilities. They’re feeling the burden from a number of directions and report the biggest driver of dread at work

is burnout from emotional caregiving for employees (36%). Perhaps most alarming is that only 41% of HR leaders use mental health benefits regularly, compared to 64% of CEOs and 73% of employees.?

It’s clear that we have work to do when it comes to caring for ourselves so we can better care for our teams. Here are three of my favorite actionable tips for leaders from this year’s report:

Flex daily self-compassion.

In order to best support others compassionately, we need to first start with ourselves. Notice the tone with which you speak to yourself when something doesn’t work out. How might you re-frame this to a gentler tone, similar to how you might speak to a friend? Consider for the next week, counting on a sticky note how many times you catch yourself in a negative storyline. Practice both being aware when it happens and being non-judgmental towards yourself in those moments.

Lead by example.

Demonstrate to your team how you make mental wellness a daily practice: start all-hands with meditations, or block time on your calendar for therapy. Encourage all employees – including, and especially, HR – to take advantage of mental health benefits and to take the time they need to reset if they are feeling overwhelmed or on the brink of burnout.

Approach mental health support like taking a vitamin, versus an aspirin.

Identifying and continually incorporating practices that support our mental health — such as mindfulness, exercise or sleep — should be part of an ongoing routine, even if you don’t feel like there’s a problem today. By treating our mental health preventatively, we'll be much better equipped to cope when hard times come along. We can start small — with a short break between meetings or quick mindfulness exercises before we start work.

When it comes to physical health, people use various methods to take care of themselves, from practicing yoga or playing basketball to joining online fitness classes and walking to work. Similarly, there is no definitive approach to maintaining good mental health. Many leaders, including myself, have incorporated small practices into our schedules to provide our minds with much-needed space. Finding what works may take time, so if you’re not already there, my recommendation is to simply start experimenting – and see what sticks.?