It’s the phrase we’ve come to expect each May, when inboxes swell with well-meaning newsletters, company-wide messages, and posters printed in calming pastel tones. Sometimes, there’s a yoga class or a free pizza party.
Mental health has become one of the most talked-about topics in today’s workplace, but not always in the most helpful way. While awareness is at an all-time high, action still lags behind. And often, all we get are vague affirmations that don’t address the real issues.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s challenge the fluff and get real about what supporting mental health at work should actually look like.
Clichés we need to retire and why they are harmful
Let’s start with a few greatest hits from the corporate mental health playlist:
“Just take a break.”
But what if the workload doesn’t allow for one?
“You can always talk to us.”
Can we, really?
“We’re a family here.”
Families don’t usually tie your value to your output, do they?
These phrases can invalidate real experiences and discourage people from speaking up. They’re what psychologists call thought-terminating clichés—lines that shut down conversation instead of opening it. In doing so, they discourage deeper reflection or policy change. Employees might hear these and think, Maybe I’m the problem. Maybe I’m not resilient enough.
These clichés shift responsibility away from systems and onto individuals. And that’s dangerous. Statements like “positivity is a choice” may be well-meaning, but they dismiss the reality of someone’s emotional experience. They can prevent people from expressing genuine struggle.
The workplace isn’t a therapist’s office, but it has a major effect on your mental health
Work shouldn’t have to fix everything, but it shouldn’t make things worse either. After all, you spend five days a week waking up to go to work. About 47% of professionals cite workplace stress as their top mental health concern. Additionally, over 12 billion working days are lost globally each year due to depression and anxiety. Yet, many employees still don’t feel safe discussing mental health at work for fear of judgment or job loss. A study by Mind Share Partners found that only 37% of employees feel comfortable talking to their manager about mental health. Even fewer feel their company is equipped to respond meaningfully.
The result? People internalize, isolate, and power through until they can’t.
Many modern workplaces pride themselves in being supportive until support requires effort or costs money. A mindfulness workshop is easy to schedule. Adjusting unrealistic deadlines, reconsidering meeting overload, or addressing team dysfunction? Not so much.
Real support doesn’t always look like big initiatives. Sometimes it’s as simple as a manager saying, “I noticed you’ve seemed a little off. Do you want to talk?” Or a team lead encouraging someone to take time off—and meaning it.
Culture is built in the small moments, such as how we respond to bad days, in whether people feel safe to set boundaries, and in whether vulnerability is met with understanding or awkward silence.
So, how can we actually help?
While the toll of poor mental health on productivity is well documented, fewer employers fully grasp the upside: how much more effective and creative their teams could be if their mental health was supported.
The good news for companies is that studies have found that investing in your employees’ mental health will see payoffs in the form of retention and trust. Employees working for a company that supports their mental health are two times more likely to report no symptoms of burnout or depression. They are also three times more likely to trust the company and stay for more than two years.
With the right support, the potential gains aren’t just personal; they become organizational. And they’re measurable.
So, where do we begin? Here are four ways to get started:
1. Normalize the messy
Mental health isn’t always neat. Let’s normalize bad days, therapy sessions between meetings, and taking time off without guilt.
2. Train the managers
Equip managers to spot red flags and respond with empathy. They can be the frontline of mental health support for employees.
3. Replace perks with policies
Free yoga won’t solve a toxic culture. Focus on real changes: flexible hours, manageable workloads, and psychological safety.
4. Learn to ask, not assume
“What would help right now?” is far more powerful than “Let me know if you need anything.”
A simple, radical idea
Here’s a simple, radical idea: Let “your mental health matters” mean something. Let it show up in calendars, in conversations, in compensation models, and in workloads. Let it live beyond the posters. Mental health isn’t a trend. It’s a human need. And it deserves more than a headline once a year.
Because the real flex? A workplace where people feel safe showing up, even on the hard days.
