Let's face it, work can be a rollercoaster of high-intensity emotions. From performance expectations to navigating clashes within your team, negative emotions are bound to surface. And in our quest to create a supportive work environment where positive emotions abound, sometimes the good intentions to foster a culture of joy don't quite land.

There are 5 generations of employees in the workforce today. Yet the gap between them — especially when it comes to mental health — couldn’t be further apart. As companies struggle to address this issue, it’s important to understand why and how differences occur. With a fresh perspective, you can bridge the gap and start a conversation.

Many companies have in place mental health initiatives for their employees. But how do you know if these initiatives are working? Make sure you’re not slapping band-aids on the problem and understand that people have different comfort levels around the topic. Then check out my 3 tips for getting it back on track.

Our perceptions of mental health and mental illness are influenced by a number of factors. The media is one of these factors. Whether it’s TV, movies, the news, or social media, it’s part of our daily lives. It often skews our perspectives and doesn’t show the whole picture of an issue. While things are getting better, it’s still up to us to raise awareness and shift the narrative.

There are many ways our life experiences affect our mental health. As an HR or DEI leader, it’s important to acknowledge this because we bring our views and life experiences to work with us. It’s important to consider each person’s unique view so you can open the conversation and create a safe space for everyone.

Since the start of the pandemic, mental health has been at the forefront of workplace conversations. We’re much more aware of its effects and leaders are being more vigilant about checking in with their employees. But what if you decide to check in with someone and it turns out — your employee doesn’t want to talk about their mental health with you. What do you do then? Check out these helpful tips so you can navigate this situation.

Many people hesitate or avoid talking about their mental health at work. Why? Because of the discomfort, fear, or frustration they might feel if the conversation doesn’t go well. But defaulting to conversation avoidance isn’t the solution. Instead, it’s important to understand why these conversations go badly and have some strategies in mind you can fall back on when this happens.

In today’s world, people are divided on many issues. These differences of opinion cause a host of physical, emotional, and mental reactions, which spills over into the workplace. By focusing on how we’re different from one another, we’re missing the opportunity to connect on an important issue — mental health. But there are ways to have constructive conversations and bridge these divisions.

As we talk more about mental health at work, it’s important to understand the source of some of the challenges to having these conversations. Gender is one of the most important factors and it has a long history of influence in our society. It’s even led to gender-based emotion shaming, especially toward women. Thankfully, there are some things we can do to combat this behavior and have more constructive conversations.

In the last couple of years during COVID, many people have taken the time to prioritize their mental health. While this has many positive effects, it’s also led to a negative reaction from some — shaming others for taking care of their mental health and wellbeing. This behavior is harmful and must be stopped. Here are a few conversation tips if you encounter wellbeing shaming at the office.