Let us rethink what we are actually doing on World Mental Health Day

Here we go again — another year, another World Mental Health Day. And while many companies will roll out their wellness initiatives and post about how much they care, I have to ask: are we really doing right by people?

Employees know when it is real and when it is not. They can spot the difference between genuine care and companies just ticking the mental health box. We all see it: the one-off yoga session, the meditation class nobody asked for, the branded stress ball. None of that matters if the organisation is not truly prioritising mental wellbeing every single day.

The real question

Is your wellbeing strategy the real deal — or is it just part of your ESG report?

Let us be honest. If you are only talking about wellbeing to score points, your people feel it. They want real care, real support, and real change. Not a theme of the month.

The uncomfortable truth is that most wellbeing programmes fail not because of poor intention but because they treat symptoms rather than causes. The yoga class does not help someone who is drowning in work. The meditation app does not address a culture of permanent availability. The stress ball does not fix a manager who does not know how to have a difficult conversation.

What genuine wellbeing strategy actually looks like

It starts with leaders who are willing to ask hard questions — and stay in the room for the answers.

Stop asking “How are you?” on autopilot. Ask instead: “What has been draining your energy lately?” or “If you had 20% more capacity, what would you drop first?” Then listen. Really listen. No solutions. No fixing. Just space.

Learn to spot the signals before they spiral. People go quiet in meetings. They stop contributing the way they used to. Their tone gets short, or flat. Deadlines slip — not badly, just enough. Cameras are always off. Less initiative. Slower replies. That is your cue. Step in.

“My door is open” does not cut it. It is not about being available. It is about showing up first. Try: “I have noticed you have been quieter lately — is everything OK?” Direct. Human. No over-explaining.

And if you are not OK yourself? Say so. Leadership does not mean hiding everything. One sentence — “this quarter has been heavy for me too, and I am working on not just pushing through” — can shift a whole culture.

The bottom line

If you want high performance, start by restoring trust — not by demanding effort.

If someone on your team is struggling and you are still just talking KPIs, you have already lost them.

This year, skip the posters. Lead better. Listen sooner.

Kasia Biernacka is an Organisational Psychologist and Leadership Advisor with over 20 years of international experience. She works with high-achieving professionals and organisations on energy, leadership, and sustainable performance. Based in Belgium. intuipro.eu