Conversations about mental health are too few and far between at work. No surprise there. They can be awkward and often feel like an overshare. Just talking about talking about mental health can make some people anxious. But you have to start somewhere. The numbers of people affected by poor mental health are growing too fast, and they are too serious to ignore. The truth is that World Mental Health Day, which I completely applaud, should be every darn day. 

 

To make a dent in the most difficult issues—chronic depression, suicide, anxiety, and addiction—employers need to create as many opportunities as possible to learn more about the serious issues facing our workforce and their families. But how can you get people's attention when there's so much information and so little time? By sharing amazing stories that will bring to light the issues facing one in four Americans right now….and who very well may be sitting at the desk next to you:

 

Spend Time Listening to "The Hilarious World of Depression"

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Experts say that hearing first-person perspectives of mental illness is crucial to understanding how to help when someone faces a mental health challenge. Where to start? Listen to Lady Gaga’s mom talk about the very personal reasons she and her daughter are involved in offering the training and other mental health basics. If you like this special edition of the podcast, The Hilarious World of Depression, it’s worth checking out other episodes. They’re everything an employee might want to tell a manager (but if we’re being honest, even edgier than anyone might reveal in the workplace.) To be clear, the point of this podcast is not to think of mental health as a joke or belittle people who are challenged by mental illness—it’s to enlarge and deepen the conversation. This podcast and others like it (see below) are a window into a world your employees may understandably never disclose. You took the time to learn about people like them and their struggles, and that’s crucial to getting any conversation started. Then head over to Mental Health First Aid for more helpful training and resources. 

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Be A Part of the Audience For "This is My Brave"

Jennifer Marshall, co-founder and executive director of This Is My Brave. was diagnosed with Type 1 BiPolar disorder in 2006. When she began telling her story, she did it anonymously in a blog. Not anymore. Talk about shining a light on mental illness and recovery. Marshall is as brave and honest an advocate as you will find. She said, “Sometimes people telling you that you shouldn’t talk about your story actually adds to the shame” and says that she is honored to be able to bring audiences together at live shows to show their strength and their stories. To learn more about really stepping out on the staage, if that’s for you, visit ThisIsMyBrave.org.You'll find information on shows, resources, and more real stories. The short vignettes are definitely share-able in a small workgroup discussion setting. Or if you prefer to keep them to yourself, bookmark the page, you will undoubtedly want to return for more insights.  

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