Mental Health in the Workplace June/July 2025 Edition Navigating Burnout Through Mental Health Recovery: Practical Strategies for Sustained Well-Being at Work Summary Burnout is a common and deeply challenging experience for many, especially those navigating mental health recovery. It can feel like a barrier to progress and stability in both personal and professional life.  This post examines how acknowledging burnout as a component of the recovery journey and implementing recovery-focused strategies can help safeguard mental health, rebuild resilience, and foster meaningful work engagement. When Burnout Felt Like a Setback in Recovery During my mental health recovery, I encountered burnout that felt overwhelming; it wasn’t just stress, but a deep exhaustion that threatened my hard-earned progress. What helped was reframing burnout not as a failure, but as a signal to pause, reset, and lean into the recovery tools I had been cultivating.  Small adjustments such as: pacing my w...

Summary We hear “ be yourself ” so often, but what happens when being yourself feels unsafe? Emotional masking: The habit of hiding true feelings to avoid judgment is a quiet epidemic.  It affects our mental health and recovery by building walls where there should be bridges.  This post reflects on how performance-based living shows up in real life and why choosing to be real is a radical act of healing. Opening Reflection — Observing the Disconnect Have you ever realized that someone you admired wasn’t being fully authentic? That moment when disappointment goes deeper, feeling more like a breach of trust than just a fleeting letdown? It can bring a complex mix of frustration and sadness, along with a strong sense of urgency. Why does it feel so heavy? It’s a pattern I see again and again, especially on social media, where polished versions of life often replace messy truths. It’s easy to assume that insecurity goes away as we get older, that after a certain point, we ...

Breaking the Silence: Why Mental Health Conversations Matter Have you ever wanted to talk about your mental health but decided not to? If so, what held you back? For many, mental health topics are difficult to understand or relate to, which can create discomfort. Mental health and mental illness are no exception to this. According to Dr. Patrick Corrigan , individuals with mental health conditions often remain silent about their experiences due to the stigma and discrimination they face. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I began to feel more comfortable discussing my struggles with mental illness—specifically, navigating life with depression and anxiety. For a long time, I kept my experiences to myself. However, as I started to open up, I realized that talking about mental health is essential for healing and breaking the stigma surrounding it. Join Me for a Mental Health Conversation Next Month With the holidays approaching, now is a crucial time to continue the conversation ab...