The past 3 years have underscored the importance of taking care of our mental health, working with professionals to maintain a robust sense of mental health, and talking about mental health in workplace contexts. Even so, the recent emphasis on taking care of our mental health and talking about it in workplace settings can’t immediately erase decades of stigma surrounding this topic.

For DEI professionals, we have an even greater challenge to facilitating conversations about mental health, considering how our own mental health can become challenged with the combined threats of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout.

To help us end this stigma, and to begin talking about the importance of taking care of our mental health at work, the Belonging at Work Team is thrilled to feature the thought leadership of Simone Walsh, Founder of Essence of Mind, a nonprofit that offers tools and resources to support individuals navigating mental illness.

During this conversation, Simone and Rhodes explore her commitment to eliminate the stigma of mental illness in our workplaces. Rhodes explores Simone’s approach to ending this stigma through wellness activities, seminars, and special events.

A few key highlights from this conversation include:

• Learning about Simone’s personal memoir, Poetic Diary of a Bleeding Heart, and why she decided to share her testimony of escaping the darkness to begin her healing journey.
• Discussing the negative impact bullying and harassment had on Simone, and how these kind of behaviors showed up in her workplace experiences.
• Identifying the personal practices Simone found most helpful to catalyze her healing journey that has helped her emerge from the darkness and share with others.
• Learning how the workplace can actually be a sanctuary that can begin connecting individuals to mental health resources that can help fortify our mental health.
• Exploring why Simone believes serving as a possibility model to support other people overcome clinical depression and anxiety can help reduce stigma.
• Recognizing how not speaking about the importance of mental health can create further stigma, and what we can do to disrupt this kind of silence.
• Sharing guidance on how DEI professionals can encourage their workplaces to end the silence around mental health and begin including this topic in the broader work.
• Making the specific case as to how business leaders can promote the mental health and well-being of their employees and why that will help them become employers of choice.

Episode 28 – Mental Health

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Simone, be sure to check out the Belonging Membership Community – community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care.

You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com