Talking about mental health at work is still quite uncommon. In recent years, some of us were running a business, a daycare, and a school from our homes, yet we still came to work with our brave face on trying to “white knuckle” our way through it all. That’s the façade we need to destroy; that’s the wall I want to tear down.

 

By sharing my family’s deeply personal journey through depression, I hope to reach someone who needs to hear our message of hope, to change the way people think about mental health, and to spark a conversation with family, friends and colleagues to talk openly about mental health. After my talk, an HR/Benefits representative talks about the offerings and resources the company has available to help their employees with their mental health.

When you make space for people to talk freely about mental health, they will be more willing to ask for help and utilize the resources and benefits that companies are heavily investing in. It’s one thing to tell your employees you care, it’s quite another to show them you truly do.