How to Talk about Mental Health with Your Team
By: Paul Keefe
Tags: Leadership, Communication, Mental Health, Wellness, Wellbeing

Great leaders want what’s best for their team. They want to ensure that each individual is put into a position to succeed, one in which they are able to leverage their strengths and unique abilities. When all roles have been identified, filled, and placed in the correct spot in the system, the engine is ready to turn on. It’s time to go places.

But often the very fuel that keeps the motor running — our health — slowly starts to feel the pressure of the external forces around us. We might even see the changes of our team at a surface level. Sedentary lifestyles. Poor nutrition choices. Burn out. Fatigue. What we can’t see though is hidden away, and it is the most influential aspect of our health as it is what manifests our behaviours in the world.

That’s our mental health.

And being a great leader, we want to help. As the awareness around mental health continues to rise, we feel we need to better communicate this with our team. We just don’t know how, because it is still such a subjective and nuanced discussion. We don’t want to upset anyone, step on any toes, or make a comment that causes unintentional pain.

Once we run through these thoughts in our minds, we can quickly become discouraged. How will we ever be able to help our team?

Beyond words

Well, I believe this is about moving beyond our words. It’s not really just how to talk about mental health, but it’s actively showing up with presence, compassion, and empathy.

I think a great first step is making your presence felt in areas where mental health is being discussed. In that way, the team can feel your presence and see that you are actively engaged in learning more. It’s much more humble and approachable when the team can see a leader participating in these activities. Then you have conversations to build off of, and it’s less about you trying to start these difficult conversations out of thin air.

Because mental health is so subjective and can vary in terms of intensity, duration, and frequency from person to person, it makes opening up discussions around it quite challenging.

We worry that one well-intended thought once verbalized might be a trigger to someone else. So we hold back, but deep down wondering if we should have said it. Or we begin a conversation coming from a place of “well, it has to get done,” just to say that we spoke about mental health. Box checked.

We might even just fall into the trap of not saying anything at all, and simply nodding in agreement when we hear others talk about needing to break down the stigma, or support the mental well-being of our team.

In any case, we must come forward with the intention to bring our most empathetic self to the table. That means becoming grounded and ready to open up a difficult discussion. It could also mean getting ready to listen wholeheartedly to someone’s story, and then just being present with that.

Remember, leadership isn’t about having all of the answers. Especially when is comes to understanding the complexities of the human condition. But it’s with this fact, that it’s in our differences that we are so similar. By hearing each other fully and working towards a common goal, our perspective and how we respond to stress will only get better.

Below is a list of actions that you can immediately integrate into your routine to help better converse about mental health with your team. I’m sure I am only scratching the surface when it comes to a topic that runs much deeper that a lot of us might care to imagine. But I also believe that this serves as a good starting point for us as leaders.

Your call to action

Pick one of the following action items and aim to implement it into your communications this week. For the bigger tasks, aim to get make something happen in the next month.

First look at your own behaviours and ask yourself if you might be unintentionally contributing mental stress to those around you.

Participate in workplace mental health events and programs. Remember: Be engaged if you want to see engagement. This isn’t about crossing another item off your workplace wellness to-do list.

Start a campaign around raising awareness for cause that is near and dear to your heart. Purpose brings people together.

Share meditation apps, podcasts, resources that resonate with you. Add value to those around you by sharing meaningful resources.

Take part in exercises that address your mental health in a positive way and speak about these experiences. For example: Writing a gratitude journal, or write a letter to someone who has had an impact on your life. Share the letter with that person.

Start your own personal mental performance routine such as deep breathing, meditating, positive self-talk and mantras, or other mindfulness practices that recharge you.

If you’re feeling anxious about something, try therapy yourself. Open yourself up to the experience that we often refer to others in times of need.

Promote the benefits of exercise and nutrition on mental health. Even if just speaking to the benefits of improved mood, and energy. Our behaviours in varying aspects of our lives are interrelated.

The action steps can be plenty, but I hope this gets you on your way. Please share any of your tips or practical steps that we can all follow!

Further reading and resources