World Mental Health Day: It's Time for Employers to Prioritize Employee Well-Being

Today is World Mental Health Day. It's one of those days that makes us stop and think about things we usually push aside. Life keeps moving fast, and sometimes, we just keep up by pretending we’re okay—even when we’re not.

Imagine this: You wake up feeling heavy. Maybe something is happening in your life—maybe it’s stress, sadness, or just one of those days when you feel off. But even on those days, we're supposed to get up, dress up, and show up for work. We're expected to smile, make small talk, and act like everything is perfectly fine. And it’s not that simple. It’s exhausting.

We spend most of our waking hours at work, and that makes the expectation to always be "on" even more challenging. It's hard to sit in meetings and talk about projects when your mind is weighed down by your own problems. It takes everything to not snap, to not let it show that you’re struggling. Because no one’s going to ask why you snapped. No one’s going to care if you had a rough night or if you're overwhelmed. You’re just expected to deal with the consequences—be professional, stay in line, and keep smiling.

That’s why we need to start advocating for the importance of mental health in the workplace, especially the significance of mental health days and flexible work arrangements. It is unrealistic and exhausting for employees to always have to pretend to be okay when they’re not. Mental health days and hybrid schedules aren't just perks—they're essential. Hybrid schedules, for example, have been a blessing. They give us a choice: if you’re not in the mood for office chit-chat or just want to focus on your work without all the pleasantries, you can do that. Sometimes, working from home is like giving yourself space to breathe—it’s mental healthcare.

I'm fortunate that my job gives us mental health days—days when we can just step back, take a break, and care for ourselves. But not everyone is that lucky. A lot of people come into work every day and pretend to be okay when they’re not. And companies need to understand that this isn’t sustainable. Mental health isn’t some extra thing that only matters when it’s convenient. It’s something that affects everything we do—how we work, how we interact, how we live. Employers have to start prioritizing the mental health and well-being of their employees. It shouldn’t be a privilege to have a workplace that cares about your well-being—it should be the norm.

So today, on World Mental Health Day, let’s remember that it's okay to not be okay. And let’s keep pushing for workplaces that actually understand that too. We’re not robots. We shouldn’t have to pretend that we are fine when we’re not. Mental health matters—for all of us.