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Workplace culture would look very different if we treated mental health like physical health.
Think about it: if you broke your arm, no one would question you taking time off to recover. If you has a severe case of the flu, your manager would probably send you home before you even finished the sentence "I'm feeling a bit off." But you say you need a few days to reset your mind, clear the fog, or just breathe — suddenly, it's awkward. Quiet. Stigmatised.
I've seen this firsthand — brilliant, capable people hesitating to speak up when they're sturggling, afraid of how it might be perceived.
The silence around the struggle
Mental health has had plenty of airtime — awareness weeks, campaigns, headlines, hashtags. But still, something isn't landing. The message is loud, but not clear. It's time for a rebrand.
Branding isn't just about logos or colours; it's about perception. Feeling. Connection. And right now, mental health still carries too much baggage. It gets put in a box marked "sensitive" or "personal," when in reality, it's universal and business-critical.
Even in companies that claim to 'care', I've seen the shift in tone when someone admits they're struggling mentally. There's often silence — not from malice, but from discomfort. That tells me the message isn't landing where it needs to.
Good mental health = Smart strategy
Our mood drives our emotions. Our emotions drive our actions. Our actions shape businesses — every pitch, email, brainstorm, and video call. You want a high performing team? Start by making sure their minds are in a good place. It's not just a wellness trend. It's smart strategy.
Yet, how many businesses are genuinely investing in this? Not just the token yoga class or a dusty wellbeing policy buried in the onboard doc. We're talking real, integrated support. Leader walking the talk. A culture where people feel safe to speak up, slow down, or ask for help without fearing judgement.
Your people are the brand
Employee experience is your brand, full stop. How your people feel trickles out into every client interaction, every creative idea, every deadline met (or missed). A brand is only as strong as the people behind it, and people can't do their best work if they're silently burning out.
Let's strip back the stigma and call it what it is: maintenance, not weakness. Let's create spaces where mental health isn't whispered about, but openly supported. Just like we'd send someone to physio after an injury, we should back therapy, coaching, mental health days — whatever helps our people reset and thrive.
This year, speak up, loudly and honestly
This Mental Health Awareness Week, don't just post a quote or change your logo to green. This year, I'm choosing to speak up more and advocating for others, even when it's uncomfortable. Becuase rebranding mental health isn't about spin — it's about honesty, actions, and ensuring our best assets (our people) are OK.