Kindness: The Missing Link to Mental Health at Work

Last week, was World Mental Health Day, conversations around mental health at work will take center stage. If we know that according to the World Health Organization nearly one billion people around the world suffer from a mental health condition, such as anxiety and depression, and being aware that we spent a great part of our lives at work, it is crucial to create mentally healthy workplaces. And what better way than to integrate kindness as a powerful, yet simple tool to make our work environment mentally safe and healthy.

“Kindness fills and envelops you in authenticity that will make a greater first impression in seconds than you ever could without being kind.” - Adrienne Bankert

In my book, The Path of Powerful Kindness, I explore how kindness is not just a soft skill; it’s the cornerstone of strong leadership, collaboration, and well-being. Today, I want to focus on how practicing kindness can support mental health at work—because the workplace is where many of us spend the majority of our time, and how we treat each other in these spaces directly affects our mental and emotional well-being.

1. Kindness as a Stress Reliever

Work environments can often be high-pressure, and filled with constant demands. While deadlines and performance are essential, so is the mental well-being of the people behind the work. Acts of kindness—whether it’s a thoughtful word, a genuine thank you, or offering help without being asked—create moments of relief. These small gestures act like a buffer against stress, reminding people that they are valued not just for what they do, but for who they are.

When we cultivate kindness in our workplaces, we reduce anxiety and promote a sense of safety. This isn’t just good for individuals—it’s good for teams and organizations as a whole.

2. Connection Through Compassion

In The Path of Powerful Kindness, I emphasize that compassion isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength. When leaders lead with compassion, they create an environment where people feel seen, heard, and understood. This can make all the difference for someone silently struggling with mental health challenges.

When an employee feels disconnected or isolated, their mental health can decline rapidly. But when we reach out with genuine concern and empathy, we create a supportive culture where asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but of strength.

3. Kindness Fuels Resilience

Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back from adversity—it’s about how we move through challenges with grace and strength. Kindness helps build resilience, both on an individual and collective level. When we are kind to one another, especially in moments of difficulty, we bring a sense of solidarity. This sense of ‘being in it together’ allows people to draw on collective strength, which is especially important in high-stress environments.

Teams that practice kindness are more likely to thrive in the face of challenges because they know they have each other’s backs. This creates not only resilience but also a more positive, productive atmosphere.

4. The Role of Leadership in Mental Health

Leaders play a crucial role in shaping the culture of kindness in any organization. A leader who embodies kindness can transform their team’s mental well-being by creating a culture where people feel supported, appreciated, and empowered to be their authentic selves.

As a leader, your attitude towards mental health directly impacts how safe your team feels discussing their own struggles. When leaders model vulnerability and kindness, it sends a clear message: It’s okay to not be okay sometimes, and we’re here to support each other.

5. Creating Long-Term Change Through Kindness

It’s easy to talk about mental health awareness for a day, but what about the other 364 days of the year? Kindness is the key to creating sustainable, long-term change in how we approach mental health at work. By embedding kindness into the DNA of workplace culture, we make sure that mental health is a priority every day, not just on World Mental Health Day.

Let’s make kindness a core pillar in how we lead, collaborate, and communicate. It doesn’t take grand gestures, just the consistent practice of showing up for each other in small, meaningful ways.

May you be guided by kindness always.

Much love, Barbara

PS If you want to explore how to adopt a kind, detached and powerful way of living, 'The Path of Powerful Kindness' might be something for you. You can check it out here: https://www.thepathofpowerfulkindness.com/e-book