A Whole New World: Work, Change and Why Mental Health Still Matters

Entering the halfway mark of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) has given me a moment to pause and reflect on important areas. For those working across the disability space, this is a time of conferences such as the annual M-Enabling Summit highlighting the changing backdrop of accessible technologies to Purple Space’s Global ERG Summit which convenes global disability employee resource networks and leaders discussing key issues on the changing nature of employment and other strategic drivers. Yet, in my personal experience, this is a month to recognize the intersection between the larger issues of work culture with the intimacy of an individual’s ability to navigate a rapidly changing world.

?Over the past several years, I have spent a lot of time in my professional capacity walking the tightrope with clients trying to balance their personal and professional lives, dealing with the challenges of organizational culture in flux, while facilitating strategies around balancing personal struggles and existential crises that impact the future of work as we know it. The COVID-19 pandemic offered those who straddle these two worlds new insight into how we not only think about disability but also broaden the palette to grasp the gravity of mental health and its importance to the future of work.

?In a moment where automation, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies are flooding the marketplace and redefining corporate culture, it is important to recognize how this impacts some of our base primal fears and anxieties. In the private spaces that I often inhabit as an executive coach and psychotherapist, I have seen this uneasiness of not only the newness but the looming question of how an individual or organization can adapt or keep up to thrive and maintain a competitive advantage. These open and honest conversations are happening but mostly in the shadows, and this must change!

The shifting landscape of disability provides an opening to bridge the gap in the areas of mental health and business culture. Mental health is part of the larger tent of disability. As businesses have begun to adopt a new vocabulary around accessibility, diversity, and inclusion, we must find space for the language of mental health and well-being.

?To move this conversation forward, several strategies can help foster new, safe spaces where mental health is openly discussed and prioritized within organizational and leadership frameworks. The first is to normalize mental health conversations and encourage leaders to speak openly about their own experiences with mental health challenges. This helps break down the stigma and creates an environment of trust and acceptance. Leadership buy-in is critical to creating a workplace culture where these conversations are seen as normal, not exceptional. Secondly, initiate dedicated mental health resource groups in addition to disability Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). These can provide a platform for employees to discuss their challenges, share strategies for coping, and access resources. Building a vocabulary for mental health also may consist of implementing training programs emphasizing the signs of mental health struggles, promoting wellness, and creating inclusive environments. Leaders should be trained not only to recognize signs of burnout and stress but facilitate accommodations and support. Finally, foster Peer-to-Peer Support Networks that encourage employees to support one another by developing friendly support groups that foster open dialogue around mental health challenges. These groups can be crucial in helping individuals feel less isolated and more connected.

?By employing these strategies, organizations can transform the dialogue on mental health from a hidden issue to a central element of workplace culture, improving both individual well-being and overall productivity.

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