Work Shouldn’t Break Us - It Should Build Us

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, I want to dive into an important question: What if our jobs weren’t just a source of stress to be managed… but a source of strength and resilience to be cultivated?

For years, decades even, the conversation about workplace mental health has lived in the realm of reaction: stress management, crisis intervention, burnout recovery, EAP brochures slid across desks when things fall apart. These are necessary supports. But if we stay in reaction mode, we miss a much bigger opportunity.

For many, work is a source of pride- whether it's pride in the outcomes, the impact, or even bringing home a paycheck to care for ourselves and our families.  Connecting to a purpose and sense of self-efficacy is powerful, especially when building resilience and overcoming past traumas.  So why don't we ever focus on work's power in building our mental health? 

It's far past time to shift the question from:

How do we respond when work harms our mental health?

to

How can work actually strengthen our mental health?

Work as a Mental Health Protective Factor?

Yes. It’s possible.

Just as poor working conditions - chronic stress, micromanagement, or moral injury - can deteriorate mental health, and the inverse is also true. Supportive, psychologically safe, purpose-driven workplaces can:

• Reduce anxiety and depression symptoms
• Buffer the effects of trauma and adversity
• Increase self-esteem and motivation
• Foster resilience, meaning, and post-traumatic growth

Think about it: We spend 90,000+ hours, approximately one-third of our lives, at work. That’s too much time for mental health to be an afterthought.

From Reactive to Regenerative: The Shift We Need

Here’s and idea of the mental model I believe workplaces need to adopt:

What This Looks Like in Practice

1. Better systems and process work design. The goal of The Wounded Workforce and trauma informed workplace culture is primarily to shift and transform the way we work, specifically the processes and systems. This allows us to exist in systems that support and enhance our mental health, versus ones that erode it..  Think of it- Deadlines and KPIs that don’t have to compete with wellbeing. Predictable schedules, realistic workloads, and autonomy can all go a long way. 

2. Training managers to be protective factors. Not therapists - but culture setters. The manager-employee relationship is one of the strongest predictors of work-related wellbeing. Let's invest accordingly.

3. Prioritizing belonging not just benefits. Flexible time off and good benefits matter. But so does the daily experience of inclusion, recognition, and psychological safety.

4. Talking about purpose. We’re wired to need meaning. When employees can connect their work to something bigger than themselves -even in tough jobs -the mental health dividends are real.

What if the Future of Work is Healed People?

This isn’t just a feel-good idea. It’s a leadership imperative. A competitive advantage. And frankly, a moral one.

When we treat workplaces as ecosystems that either support or sabotage mental health, we unlock a new level of agency: to design for resilience, not hope for it.

Let’s move the conversation upstream.

Let’s build workplaces that don’t just avoid harm, but actively do good.

Let’s get to work!

📣 Question for You: What’s one way your job has supported your mental health - or could in the future?

Hit reply or share your thoughts using #TheResilienceReport

Shout-Outs & Celebrations

Clear and transparent expectations at work- you know I'm a huge fan! So I am super excited to share my friend Rachel Kleban 's work, LevelUp. Leveling work can be a huge undertaking in any organization, but it is vital in creating an equitable and trauma informed organization. I love the option to make it more accessible for organizations of any size. Learn more directly from Rachel here.

A big congratulations to our friend and workplace mental health colleague Melissa Doman, M.A. , on the rebrand of her organization to The Workplace Mental Health Method™ ! I love the new name, and I love her work even more! Check out her offerings here. And, if you haven't read her book, yes, 'You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work', get on it before her next one comes out in 2026! 4

Want to get the real corporate playbook? Subscribe to my friend, Jessica D. Winder 's new newsletter, The Corporate Cheat Code.

In Case You Missed It

Did you know you can work with me directly, on-demand? Check out my availability and services here.

PSA! Today is the last day to get The Bounce Back Blueprint Mini-Course for 50% off! Jen Fox is an absolute powerhouse in leveraging resilience practices in a meaningful and impactful way. Don't miss out on this opportunity! Learn more and sign up here -

May was a busy month! In case you missed catching some of the great events, here are a few to check out!

I joined the incomparable Katie Kurtz on the 'A Trauma-Informed Future' podcast. Listen here - A Trauma-Informed Future

This month, we hosted a panel on career resilience. Check out the full recording here - https://youtu.be/g3BFIZO1L6E?feature=shared

Build-her.org shared my story in their Friday feature this week. Check out my story working in construction (and many more) here - Story Feature: Stephanie — BUILD-HER.ORG

I co-hosted a webinar with Construction Suicide Prevention "From Crisis to Culture Shift: " - watch the full recording here - https://youtu.be/vGcyzJ3D-tE?feature=shared and make sure to sign up on their website to participate in Construction Suicide Prevention Week in September. Register here - it's free!