World Mental Health Day — Insights from the Finding Mastery Mindset Coaches

At Finding Mastery, we often say that while mental health awareness days and months are important, the real goal is to weave mental health practices into our daily lives. Mental health isn’t a task to check off—it’s a way of living, a continuous journey.?

This World Mental Health Day, we asked five of our incredible Mindset Coaches—from Olympic medalists to licensed psychologists and top performance strategists—to share their perspectives on mental health and what it means to them.

Their reflections provide insights and actionable takeaways that we hope inspire you to reflect on your own mental wellbeing and integrate these lessons into your daily life.

Nicole Kelter , Psychologist and 2x Olympic Medalist, Volleyball: On Mental Resilience

As an Olympian, I once felt invincible, so when anxiety began creeping in—fear of failure and dread before stepping onto the court—I felt weak and exposed. It was an isolating experience, which just exacerbated the thoughts and feelings I was having. At the time, I didn’t realize these feelings were anxiety and that there were mental training practices I could use to work through them.

These days, I believe mental health must be viewed as integral to physical health. Decades ago, going for a run was seen as dangerous, and brushing your teeth wasn’t mainstream before the 1940s. Similarly, mental health has been stigmatized as a sign of weakness, but it’s simply not true. Thriving and flourishing isn't the absence of "negative" thoughts and feelings, it's the ability to have them and move through them skillfully! That process enriches life.??

If we could start thinking of building mental health and resilience as a routine, just like brushing our teeth or exercising, which are specific skills and habits—it might be more tangible. For me, my most important mental practice is waking up and starting the day mindfully, with one deep breath, connecting to gratitude, and setting an intention for the day.

Dr. Brent Hogarth , Psychologist: On Workplace Mental Health

"The most important factor in creating a good society is to improve the conditions of the workplace. It is where people spend most of their lives, and if they cannot actualize their potential there, they will struggle to do so anywhere." – Abraham Maslow

On World Mental Health Day, Maslow’s vision takes on an even deeper meaning.

The workplace is not just where we spend our time—it’s where many of us hope to grow, thrive, and reach our fullest potential. But if the environment doesn’t fulfill our deeper needs such as for connection, purpose, and adventure, it can become a source of stress, burnout, and unfulfilled potential.

After speaking with over 1,000 corporate executives, one thing is clear: their greatest fear is not reaching their full potential—and when this is not achieved, it impacts their mental wellbeing. Mental health and human potential are intimately linked. When we create workplaces that prioritize fulfilling our deep needs, it not only promotes psychological wellbeing—it’s good business too !

On this World Mental Health Day, let’s focus on creating workplace conditions where people can truly flourish. A couple ways we can do this is by cultivating positive psychology practices like mindfulness and prioritizing active recovery to help employees and leaders stay in a "flow state." This is accomplished by eliminating distractions, setting boundaries, shortening meetings, and playing to employee's strengths.

Because people spend most of their lives at work, organizations have a greater role to play in solving not just the work crisis, but the mental health crisis, than any other institution.??

Caroline Burckle, Oly. , Olympic Medalist, Swimming: On Reaching Out

For me, mental health is a life force that fuels all of life’s activities, our overall wellbeing. It’s a finely-tuned machine that requires both awareness and acceptance.

Awareness is recognizing our internal state—the stories, thoughts, and beliefs we tell ourselves—along with the signals from our physical body. When we’re in tune with both mind and body, we can reach the wellbeing we desire and truly fire on all cylinders.

Acceptance follows awareness. When we feel discomfort, do we resist it or accept it? Pain and mental strain often come from resistance, but if we accept what we feel, we can move through it with greater ease.

Most importantly, we need support. We’re not meant to do this alone. Asking for help, reaching out for kindness and care, can create ripples in our resilience.

Nurturing our mental health is like watering a garden—it’s essential for a balanced, fulfilling life. In my life, this means taking time to slow down, understanding my inner experience and how I experience my current circumstances, and asking for help and guidance as needed. When I take the time to PAUSE and do this, I am following through with my commitment to fuel myself to be my very best.

Sarat Chandran , Performance Strategist: On Living Consciously

Mental health is the foundation of a well-lived life; to neglect it is to turn away from one’s true potential. Just as a tree cannot thrive without solid roots, a person cannot flourish without a nourished mind.

To truly live a fulfilling life, we must embrace all aspects of our being. For much of my life, I neglected this essential truth, dedicating countless hours to perfecting my craft and physical fitness while remaining unaware of the deeper impacts of my choices. It was through cultivating self-awareness and establishing a strong foundation of mindfulness that I began to experience true joy.

Becoming aware and choosing to live consciously is a choice we can make at any moment. On this World Mental Health Day, I encourage all of you to harness the power of your choices. Let us commit to nurturing ourselves holistically—body, mind, and spirit. Together, let’s prioritize our wellbeing and embrace a more balanced, joyful existence.??

The way I do this for myself is by following a simple model: Awareness – Choice – Action. I build my awareness through a regular meditation practice, I pause, reflect, and make conscious choices, and then I proceed to take meaningful actions which I completely take ownership of.

Sarah Straton, MSc (MAPPCP), OLY , Olympian, Beach Volleyball: On The Journey of Mental Health

Mental health to me is the steadiness of knowing that I matter and that I don’t have to do anything to earn my value. It is about self-compassion… reminding myself that I’m human and that mistakes and learning are part of the experience and don’t diminish my worth.

We are in the midst of a mental health crisis, partially fueled by toxic achievement culture. The messages we receive are that we are important only because of what we achieve. For me, my sporting and academic successes gave only temporary respite to the feeling of not being good enough. My self-worth fluctuated based on how productive I was or how many mistakes I made or how many matches I won. It was like walking on shifting sands.

The journey of self-discovery and mindset training has been long and I still have moments of struggle every day, but fewer and fewer. Now I just notice the thoughts of self-doubt or self-criticism or insecurity and gently support myself back to the truth—that I matter.

Tend To Your Mental Health Each Day

Mental health is an ongoing practice, not an isolated experience or a temporary project. As our Finding Mastery Mindset Coaches have shared: awareness, acceptance, and support are essential components of mental wellbeing. Whether it’s in ourselves, our workplaces, or our communities, prioritizing mental wellbeing helps us thrive in every aspect of life.

If you’d like a simple morning practice that can help support your mental health at the start of each day, check out the Finding Mastery Morning Mindset Routine .

If you want mental skills takeaways, practices, and insights delivered to your inbox each week, sign up for The Finding Mastery newsletter at findingmastery.com/newsletter .?

Let’s continue this journey together—not just on World Mental Health Day but every day.