Every May, we put up the ribbons. We send the emails. We remind people that, “it’s okay to not be okay.”
And then June 1st arrives, and we go right back to back-to-back meetings, open floor plans, and Slack/Teams messages pings at 9 p.m.
As a physician and two-time Chief Wellness Officer, I have sat inside boardrooms, hospitals, and corporations, navigating the Busy Brain Epidemic for two decades.
What I know is this:
Awareness without action is just decoration.
This year, Mental Health Awareness Month coincides with of one of the most disruptive moments in organizational history. Layoffs. Restructuring. AI is reshaping entire job functions.
If there was ever a time to get serious about protecting the brains of your people, it is right now.
Let me give you three tips you can actually use with your team.
Redefine what mental health looks like at work.
We still picture mental health struggles as someone crying in a bathroom stall.
That is not what it looks like in your conference room.
- ADHD at work: is your highest performer who cannot stop missing deadlines. It is not a focus problem. It is a regulation problem. The brain is struggling to regulate attention, emotion, and energy all at once.
- Anxiety at work: is the person who over-explains every email, avoids hard conversations, and perfects everything to the point of paralysis.
And here is the part that keeps me up at night:
- ADHD and anxiety travel together all the time. One dysregulates the nervous system. The other tries desperately to control it. Both of them need support, not a performance improvement plan.
Reframe how managers show up.
If you manage people, your job is not to diagnose. It is to notice and to advocate.
- Neurodiversity at work: Deloitte’s 2023 research found that 53% of Gen Z self-identify as neurodiverse. Medical studies indicate that approximately 20% of the population has a neurodivergent condition that has been diagnosed.
- Is your office a threat to the nervous system? Whether your employees have a formal diagnosis or not, the data tells us this is your workforce, and the traditional office was not designed for these brains. Open floor plans, constant digital interruptions, and back-to-back meetings are not productivity tools. They are nervous system threats.
- Accommodation is not special treatment. Flexible deadlines, written instructions, and quiet workspaces remove barriers, not standards. That is smart leadership.
As I always say: you cannot protect your people if you cannot see them.
Change the language. Change the culture.
The words a manager chooses either open a door or close it.
Here are five swaps worth printing out and putting on your desk:
“You’re so distracted” becomes “What environment helps you focus best?”“Why can’t you just remember that?” becomes “Let me send that to you in writing.”“You’re being too sensitive” becomes “Help me understand what you’re experiencing.”“Everyone else manages fine” becomes “What does support look like for you?”“This is a performance issue” becomes “Let’s find out what’s getting in the way.”
Language is leadership. That is not a soft concept. It is a neuroscience one.
Mental Health Awareness Month may be ending, but the work is just beginning. The organizations that will win the next decade are not the ones that posted the most green ribbon graphics. They are the ones who built cultures where a person does not have to mask who they are just to keep their job.
If your organization is ready to move beyond awareness into action, my cultureSHIFT leadership training program is built on a foundation of brain health science. It gives your leaders the tools to build high-performing teams where the brain is protected, not pushed past its limits. Let's talk about bringing cultureSHIFT™ to your organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ADHD look like in the workplace?
ADHD at work often shows up as a high performer who repeatedly misses deadlines. According to Dr. Romie Mushtaq, a board-certified neurologist, this is not a focus problem but a regulation problem, where the brain struggles to manage attention, emotion, and energy at the same time.
How common is neurodiversity in the workforce?
Deloitte’s 2023 research found that 53% of Gen Z self-identify as neurodiverse, and medical studies indicate roughly 20% of the population has a diagnosed neurodivergent condition. This means neurodivergent employees are already a significant part of nearly every workforce.
Is accommodating neurodivergent employees the same as lowering standards?
No. Flexible deadlines, written instructions, and quiet workspaces remove barriers, not standards. These adjustments let employees do their best work and are a sign of smart leadership rather than special treatment.
How can managers support employees’ mental health without diagnosing them?
A manager’s role is to notice and advocate, not diagnose. One of the most effective tools is language. Replacing judgment-based phrases like “you’re so distracted” with curiosity-based questions like “what environment helps you focus best?” changes the culture and signals psychological safety.
Why are open offices and back-to-back meetings a problem for the brain?
Open floor plans, constant digital interruptions, and back-to-back meetings act as nervous system threats rather than productivity tools. The traditional office was not designed for the way many brains regulate attention and energy, which can quietly erode performance and wellbeing.