A Great Step Forward
No one minded that I brought my own food to my first meeting of the mental health group at work.
And the best part was, I wasn’t even nervous. I figured people wouldn’t judge, since we were all gathered in that room to talk about how to bring mental health awareness to our workplace.
I didn’t know there was a group like this at work until after my speech, when someone came up to me and offered that I could join. I immediately thought it was incredible that an office - an environment I always thought was unfriendly towards any mental health considerations - would have a group to spread information and connect like-minded people.
The mental health group is part of a larger diversity initiative at work where people from a marginalized part of society can plan events, and educate others. Anyone can start a group at any time, and people are welcome to join whenever they want. It’s casual, but the groups have a purpose and the people who join tend to be dedicated to spreading the word.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the meeting, but I was pleased to see people from a variety of departments who wouldn’t ordinarily work together. We had some people in a conference room, some people on Zoom, and everyone was excited to work on plans for events.
The brainstorming process was organized and, unlike in many other meetings, everyone’s ideas were listened to and respected. In the end, we planned two programs over the winter - one related to music, another to board and card games - and divided up the tasks.
This may sound like an ordinary meeting in many ways, but I was surprised that we were provided with a budget for food and any other supplies we’d need. I was impressed that we could rent some of the more impressive spaces in the building for our programs, which are technically less important to the company bottom line.
Part of me was frustrated that with both of these programs, the main message was taking time to destress. I feel like that’s a message I see a lot, and I was initially disappointed that our first programs weren’t going to have any more depth of education.
After talking this out with a few friends, however, I realized that many of them didn’t think much about mental health until the pandemic. It was only then that terms like “anxiety” or “germophobia” started making the rounds, and it became more socially acceptable to talk about these and other conditions. Before some people I talked to heard these terms discussed more openly, it seemed like there was some sort of “in club” with knowledge they were missing - which discouraged them from going to events like the ones the group at work are planning.
After these talks, I realized that it’s not a bad thing to start with the basics. It means we’re starting instead of stalling, and my workplace is investing time and money in helping people become informed. It means that people who may not know much about stress or self-care can start learning, and this knowledge can help everyone be kinder to themselves and others.
As someone with a long background of mental health education, I’m glad to share my knowledge and also learn from others as we plan these events - and more in the new year. And hopefully, my office won’t be alone in starting a program like this - I hope to hear about more people learning, gaining empathy, and finding ways to make mental health not seem like the “other” in mainstream office culture.
Michelle Cohen, a writer in the Chicago area, was diagnosed with OCD at age 3. She hopes to educate others about her condition and end the stigma against mental illness.