How are you (really) doing? 😳
↩️UNFOLLOW University — October 27, 2023
Happy Friday!
If we sat down to chat I would probably start by asking you one thing: How are you really doing right now?
It’s a simple question with a revealing answer. I’ve asked the same question to rooms full of all types of people, from executives at the world’s most valuable companies to volunteers at local non-profits.
Guess what the overwhelming response is?
Results from a recent training session with Fortune 500 leaders.
They are stressed out and burned out. More than 50% of them are facing some form of prolonged, routine anxiety that has become a chronic threat to their mental health.
They aren’t alone. The latest statistics paint a sobering picture with a clear conclusion. Normal ain’t working.
1 in 4 people suffer from some mental health condition today.
1 in 3 women will experience major depression. 1 in 5 men.
The pandemic caused a 25% increase in depression & anxiety.
The U.S. is one of the richest, most educated countries in the world yet we work the most hours and have the least support for working families and women.
In a world designed for competition, comparison and conformity, how can we realign our work, family and personal lives to protect what matters most?
First, stop trying to be better. The world isn’t waiting for you to be a better leader, founder, believer, spouse or parent. [Read: Why Working Harder Doesn’t Work]
Instead, be a truer version of who you are and how you were created.
When your actions, identity and thoughts are aligned, it serves to fear-proof your mental health. I call it Mental Integrity. You can lack mental illness and still not have Mental Integrity. People with Mental Integrity don’t work to prove or defend their value, they work to create it.
But first, you need a new understanding of what mental health is.
🤯 Radical Truth
Mental health is not about fixing people. It’s about facing problems.
Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Mental health is the ability to live, learn and work well. It’s the ability to respond to stressful conditions, not avoid them.
Our culture remains steeped in stigma regarding mental health. It’s widely understood as a world of illness, disorder and treatments - all issues we prefer to ignore. Instead of viewing Mental Integrity as an asset to maintain it’s perceived as an accident to avoid.
But what if we viewed Mental Integrity as an investment?
Founders who value the health of their business invest in growth.
Couples who value the health of their relationship invest in trust.
Parents who value the health of their children invest in safety.
Athletes who value the health of their bodies invest in fitness.
Leaders who value their Mental Integrity invest in ___________?
Vacations? Productivity apps? Medication? Craft cognac? 😬
What if we stopped ranking ourselves by how much help we don’t need? What if we measured, monitored and protected our mental wellness like we do other priorities we care about? What would it look like to anticipate stress, prepare for it and then respond?
Mental health is human health. Integrity is a tension to manage. People are never problems to solve.
There’s a courageous version of your career that won’t cost you your health, your family or yourself. But no one is going to build it for you.
Start today.
This 5-year-old life coach keeps my Mental Integrity stretched. 😬
⚡️Courageous Question
How are you (really) doing right now?
🗣 Wonderful Words
“In the end, as a leader, you are always going to get a combination of two things: what you create and what you allow..”
— Dr. Henry Cloud
🙏🏽 Prayer Package
God, you designed my work to be good from the beginning. Your intent for my life extends far beyond the borders of my job description. Bring me back to where I am dependent on you, not on my own striving, struggling and fighting. When control, performance and achievement become my bullseye, interrupt my assumptions with your timeless truth. I am already enough. Amen.
🎵 Trust in God - Elevation Worship ❤️🔥
🛠 Practical Tool
There’s a truer way to work, lead and succeed without burning out.
I created an interactive training session for leaders like you to improve your mental wellness at work by practicing with proven tools that help you:
Reflect on what you’ve done in the past.
Inspect where you are today.
Decide how you’ll act differently.
Empower who you’ll become for yourself and others
By building a roadmap for your career journey, you are better equipped to protect your mental health based on your unique definition of success, not someone else’s.
Here’s a handy list of some of the books and research I reference:
If you’d like to learn more about the session or have me speak to your team, contact me here.
If you’re new to UNFOLLOW University you can learn more about me here or check out my previous posts.
See you next UNFOLLOW Friday!
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Every Friday I’ll send you 5 courageous ideas to help you redesign your work life by making better career decisions:
🤯 Radical Truth - A story from me
⚡️ Courageous Question - A challenge for you
🗣 Wonderful Words - A quote worth remembering
🙏🏽 Prayer Package - A moment of meditation
🛠 Practical Tool - An actionable resource
