Unhappiness sprouts seem to be developing into throat strangling vines, rapidly taking hold of more than the standard deviation of those I hold dear.

It is the norm for Mike to lay sleepless as thoughts jump from those departed, to those adrift and still living. 

This week I can empathize with his unrest. 

In my office, our response to the behavioral manifestations of depressive and anger centric modality has shifted our focus from executive coaching to counseling, yielding interventions on both personal and professional cries of outreach.

At home, the playground holds those on the seesaw as relationship foundation’s quake teetering betwixt old dysfunctional patterns, to those on the swings in solitude, at an impasse to find their sweet spot, the missing link of an invitation toward intimacy.

The intersecting commonality is the imbalance of taking too much personal responsibility for circumstances and actions, or not taking any and placing ownership outside of oneself. Both extremes allowing for excuses to not take appropriate action. Too many voices echo, making it difficult to simply ‘be’ in the present.

Adaptation during these divisive, political, pandemonium-demic times, on top of the old norms of growing a business or being the employee responding to an owners performance expectations and charge to be innovative, balanced against community involvement and family commitments, yields this unrest and thus I beseech you to join me in making a difference.

Join me to spread the word and take action to make emotional and mental health on the business and personal fronts, a priority.. 

According to a recent  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s SHINE program study ‘Measures of mental health have worsened, with 56 percent reporting increased anxiety, 45 percent increased loneliness, and 35 percent increased depression.’

The time is ripe to figure out what will be successful toward a united goal of well-being.

Where to begin? Start by opening the dialogue with your leadership team, family, confidants… 

Consider taking a behavioral approach rather than a psychoanalytical one. 

Professionally and culturally – let go of debating whose responsibility it is.  Questions like ‘is it a business’s responsibility to facilitate the mental health of their employees?’, prevents action.  Let’s raise awareness and acknowledge that the wellbeing of the organization and organism is critical to the health and functioning of the business, of the family, of the self.  It is incumbent on us all to take a pulse check and reinforce a commitment toward mental health in philosophy and practice. 

It starts today, try it - have one conversation, and embrace the power of prayer.

Please guide me, and to bless those in need of healing with renewal of body, and spirit. 

To those who are struggling, I leave you with this memory my mother instilled in me:

‘No matter what – you need to get up, get dressed, and put your lip stick on’. 

Changing behaviors begins healing, one step at a time – to the mountain we climb.