At Lyra, we’re proud to partner with benefits leaders who think boldly and prioritize the mental health of their employees by visibly and meaningfully integrating mental health into their broader company strategy. Amelia Subryan, senior manager, health and wellbeing at lululemon, is the winner of Lyra’s 2025 Workforce Mental Health Leader of the Year award. Amelia has consistently prioritized the mental health care of their employees by visibly and meaningfully integrating a mental health care focus into their broader company strategy. Earlier this year, we had the privilege of speaking with her about how she promotes mental health in the workplace. 

What is your philosophy around caring for a workforce?
Caring for others and caring for self is a really important philosophy at lululemon. It informs the decisions we make and who we collaborate with. How do we care for others? How do we care for self? We approach caring for the workforce by keeping that in mind.

What are you especially proud of?
I think the thing I’m most proud of with lululemon is just how aware our people are of the services. We hear so often about the great interactions or great feedback that employees have had from reaching out to our EAP. What we’re doing is working. It is successful. Our employees appreciate it, they feel good about it, the return is there, and they’re continuing to reach out. And I think it’s always just been so positive. That’s where the success lies.

What do you or your members love most about the Lyra benefit?
We always try to give our employees a little bit more, so we are a little bit more generous on the number of sessions we provide. I think that’s something that our employees love.  We also often have seminars with Lyra. We are very intentional with the types of seminars that we set up and the feedback is always phenomenal. People are always asking for the recordings.  We trust Lyra in creating really reliable and valid content.  Whenever we need something that’s going to be delivered globally, we trust Lyra so much in doing that. And so the feedback from that has always been very positive.

If another benefits leader asks you how or why they should make the case for a mental health benefit, what would you tell them?
Absolutely, yes, yes, yes, yes! Because not only when you look at it from an insurance perspective on things like return on investments, what it means for health care spend, or even looking at fewer leaves or less sick time—but also looking at overall happiness and prosperity of an employee and their just general well-being. Having a mental health benefit is so important to that. A healthy employee is a happy employee. It just translates in so many ways—in performance, in general happiness, and in attrition and retention—all of the things. I one hundred percent think that it’s a very, very necessary benefit to have.

There’s a new feeling showing up at work. It’s a mix of curiosity, excitement, and a steady undercurrent of unease. The term emerging for this feeling? AI anxiety.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how we work, it’s changing how we feel about work. In my conversations with employees, the same AI fears surface again and again. Will AI take my job? Will it ease my workload or just increase the pressure to do more, faster?

These are no longer hypothetical concerns. They’re showing up in therapy as cognitive overload, blurred work boundaries, change fatigue, and anxiety about job security and performance expectations. Recent research reveals 52% of workers worry about AI’s future impact in the workplace, while only 36% express optimism. Employers have a critical role to play in terms of how AI is used and how they support employees through its psychological impact.

What is AI anxiety?

AI anxiety isn’t an official diagnosis or clinical disorder. It’s a term people are using to describe the stress, fear, and apprehension around the growing role of artificial intelligence in the workplace. At its core, it reflects the uncertainty of how this technology will reshape jobs, expectations, and careers and how this uncertainty is a very real response to a massive technological shift.

AI anxiety can manifest as:

• Chronic stress over job displacement
• A feeling of being devalued or becoming obsolete
• Pressure to master new tools while keeping up with current workloads
• Burnout from the “infinite workday” where AI enables a 24/7 pace of work

For employers, unaddressed AI fear could quietly corrode the bottom line, leading to lower productivity, decreased engagement, and higher turnover as your best people seek more stable ground or remain physically present, but mentally elsewhere. That’s why AI anxiety isn’t a side effect to be treated later; it’s a structural challenge that needs to be addressed at the source, before it grows into a bigger problem.

7 tips to build a human-centered AI strategy

The single most powerful tool you have in managing this transition is transparency. Transparency builds trust. If you’re clear and consistent about how AI will be used (and just as importantly, how it won’t be), you’ll cut down on uncertainty and keep your team engaged. When people get the ‘why’ and ‘how,’ they can handle the ‘what’ better. Here are a few ways to ease AI anxiety:

#1 Design with them, not for them

Who knows the work better than the people doing it every day? Instead of pushing a new process from the top down, bring your team into the conversation from the start. Ask them how AI could make their jobs better. Give them a sense of ownership, keep things flexible, and don’t over-standardize the creative parts of work.

#2 Replace ambiguity with clarity

When AI starts handling certain tasks, people can get confused about what they’re supposed to do. Don’t let that ambiguity linger. Be deliberate about redefining roles. Make it clear what each person’s new responsibilities are and what success looks like. As things evolve, share the updated “map” of who does what to ease AI anxiety and keep everyone on the same page.

#3 Protect productivity by prioritizing people

It’s easy for “AI makes it faster” to turn into an expectation for constant, high-speed output, which quickly leads to more fear of AI and burnout. Talk with your team about a realistic pace with these new tools. Carve out “think time” so people have the mental space to focus on complex, strategic problem-solving that AI can’t. That’s where your team will add the most value.

#4 Protect human connection 

If you’re not careful, automation can strip away the natural moments of connection that build a strong team. Intentionally design new workflows to include human interaction. Keep collaborative steps in the process and set up team huddles or peer groups where people can share what’s working (and what’s not). 

#5 Support the supporters

Your managers are on the front lines of this change, tasked with delivering results while coaching their teams through uncertainty. They’re the ones who will field questions like, “Is AI taking over jobs?” Your goal isn’t to turn them into therapists, but to equip them as effective, empathetic leaders. Train them on the fundamentals of change management: how to clearly communicate the ‘why’ behind the transition, listen to their team’s concerns, and build trust through the process. To prevent burnout, ensure they have easy access to mental health resources for themselves—because leading through change is demanding work

#6 Turn “What if?” into “What’s next?”

Get out in front of AI anxiety by making the future tangible. Show your team what their career path can look like by outlining internal opportunities and offering training for new skills. When you prove you’re invested in helping employees grow, you build trust and security.

#7 Weave well-being into your strategy

Your mental health benefit is a core part of business strategy, especially in times of uncertainty. When employees feel supported, they’re more productive, engaged, and resilient. As AI reshapes work and fuels new anxieties, leading companies prioritize mental health from the start, embedding support into how they lead, communicate, and manage change. Giving employees access to human clinicians who understand workplace challenges is critical to helping them manage AI-related stress, adapt, and thrive.

Your AI strategy won’t work without a people strategy

AI is reshaping the workplace. How we care for our people through that change will define our culture and results. A resilient, engaged workforce grows from intentional, human-centered strategies. Lyra partners with organizations to design work in ways that benefit both people and business.

You might have seen it: a top performer gets promoted to manager, everyone cheers, and then…crickets. Without proper manager training, they’re expected to lead a team, mediate conflicts, and hit ambitious targets while juggling their own workload. It’s a sink-or-swim scenario, and it’s not working.

Managers today do it all—they’re career coaches, culture champions, and a first line of defense for employee well-being. Their influence on engagement, mental health, and retention is enormous. But without the right training and support, even the most well-intentioned managers can burn out or struggle to support their teams effectively.

What is manager training?

Modern manager training goes beyond a one-time seminar. It’s an ongoing process that includes coaching, mentorship, workshops, and hands-on practice. More organizations now recognize that managing people is a learned skill, not something that comes automatically to top performers. Manager training helps leaders build the skills to communicate, delegate, resolve conflict, and coach their teams effectively.

Why is manager training essential?

Investing in your managers is an investment in the health and success of your entire workforce. Effective leadership training is critical because managers:

• Shape the employee experience. They’re the primary touchpoint for support, directly influencing workload, recognition, and day-to-day well-being.
• Spot issues early. Managers are often the first to notice signs of distress and can connect employees to mental health resources before challenges escalate.
• Drive retention and engagement. A manager’s leadership style is often the deciding factor in whether employees stay or leave.
• Fuel performance. They set goals, motivate their teams, and create the conditions for people to do their best work.

What leadership training do your managers need?

Strong manager training programs start with clarity—what skills and behaviors define great leadership in your organization. From there, understanding each manager’s strengths, team needs, and business goals makes development truly meaningful and effective.

• Use a combination of tools, like performance reviews and self-assessments, to get a complete picture of a manager’s strengths and gaps.
• Review team performance and engagement metrics—patterns like missed deadlines, burnout, low morale, or turnover can highlight where managers need extra support. Ensure the training you choose advances the company’s strategic objectives, whether that’s boosting innovation, collaboration, or customer satisfaction.
• Tailor training to context—each team’s work and challenges demand different strengths, from technical expertise to emotional intelligence and communication.
• Ask direct reports what kind of support or development they’d value most.

8 manager skills that drive engagement

Manager training programs that make a big impact give leaders a toolbox of real-world, everyday skills. Here are eight essentials every program should cover:

#1 Building trust and psychological safety

When employees feel safe admitting mistakes, asking questions, or challenging ideas, innovation thrives. Manager training teaches leaders to model psychological safety—for example, responding to a failed project with, “What can we learn from this?” instead of assigning blame.

#2 Supporting employee well-being

Lyra’s 2025 State of Workforce Mental Health found that 73% of employees say work-related mental health struggles hurt their performance. Managers aren’t therapists, but they can spot when someone’s struggling and refer them to the appropriate resources. Manager training helps them recognize signs, like sudden disengagement, and respond with empathy and resources.

#3 Having tough conversations

From giving difficult feedback to mediating conflict, challenging conversations are part of the job. Training gives managers tools for staying calm, using neutral language, and de-escalating tension so discussions stay productive and respectful.

#4 Leading through change

Change is hard, for managers and their teams. Leadership training programs help managers recognize their own feelings, communicate honestly, and create space for open questions. Simple approaches like saying, “I don’t have the answer yet, but I’ll update you by Friday,” build trust and stability during transitions.

#5 Fostering sustainable career growth

Career growth isn’t just about climbing the ladder. It’s about developing in ways that feel meaningful and sustainable. Manager training helps leaders identify energizing challenges for their team, like assigning a “stretch project” to help someone build new skills.

#6 Giving effective performance reviews

The best performance reviews focus on growth, not mistakes. Training helps managers shift from criticism to collaboration, asking questions like, “What resources would help you implement this feedback?” so employees leave the conversation supported and motivated to improve.

#7 Balancing empathy with results

Empathy and accountability aren’t opposites. Training teaches managers how to support employees while keeping goals on track—for example, extending a deadline for someone dealing with personal issues while creating a plan to stay on schedule.

#8 Taking care of themselves

Managers absorb pressure from every direction. They experience the highest stress levels, have a 43% higher risk for burnout, and are 24% more likely to quit than other employees. Training gives them tools to protect their own well-being—like delegating effectively and setting boundaries—while setting a good example for their team.

Develop your most valuable asset

Investing in your managers is one of the most effective ways to build healthier teams, a stronger culture, and better business outcomes. Lyra can help you equip your leaders with the skills to make this a reality.

When we talk about men’s health at work, the conversation usually stops at the physical—heart disease, fitness, maybe injury prevention. But what’s missing is just as important: men’s mental health. 

Body and mind are deeply connected, shaping how men think, feel, and show up at work every day. And for many men, work isn’t just a paycheck; it’s a core part of their identity. That drive can fuel success, but it can also make it harder to notice when something’s off or to ask for help.

For generations, men have learned unspoken “rules” about how they’re supposed to feel—be strong, stay in control, and don’t ask for help. Those expectations make it harder to recognize when stress, anxiety, or exhaustion become something more serious. While traits valued at work, like self-reliance and persistence, are often encouraged, these same expectations can become barriers to support. Instead of reaching out, many minimize their struggles, assuming “this is just how everyone feels.” Over time, those ignored warning signs can build up and spill over into every part of life.

The link between body and mind

One in 10 men experience depression or anxiety, yet fewer than half seek treatment. Men are also more likely than women to face ADHD, substance use disorders, and die by suicide. 

Behind these numbers is a deeper story: physical and mental health constantly shape each other. Chronic stress, sleep problems, fatigue, and pain don’t just wear down the body, they drain focus, motivation, and mood. And the connection goes both ways.  

• Stress and heart health – Chronic stress can raise blood pressure and heart disease risk
• Sleep and mood – Poor sleep worsens anxiety and depression, and vice versa
• Pain and depression – Chronic pain can fuel hopelessness, while depression can amplify physical pain signals
• Exercise and resilience – Lack of movement weakens both physical and mental health
• Substance use – What starts as a way to cope with stress can spiral into a health crisis

When care is integrated, these connections don’t go unnoticed. A man who comes in for back pain might also get help identifying underlying anxiety or sleep issues. A mental health check-in might uncover hormonal or cardiovascular concerns. When physical and mental health care work together, men get the full support they need. 

Signs it’s time to check in

Many men won’t openly say they’re struggling, but the signs are often there. Managers and HR leaders can look for:

• Sleep or energy changes – Constant fatigue, low energy, or trouble concentrating
• Flatness or disengagement – Going through the motions at work, with little spark or satisfaction
• Irritability or frustration – Strong reactions to everyday challenges or feedback
• Physical complaints – Headaches, muscle pain, or chronic tension without a clear cause

These signals can point to stress or other mental health concerns. Framing men’s mental health conversations around “performance optimization” can make them more approachable. Many men are more open to talking when support is positioned as a way to fine-tune their performance rather than fix a problem.

Why men’s mental health matters at work

Men’s mental health isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a workplace issue. When men struggle with focus, energy, or mood, it often shows up in subtle ways: missed deadlines, tense interactions, or quiet disengagement. Over time, those small shifts can ripple through teams, affecting collaboration, problem-solving, and morale.

We’re also seeing a generational shift. Younger men may be more open to mental health care, while many older men were raised with the belief that emotions should stay private. That gap can make it harder for teams to connect and for leaders to recognize when someone needs support.

The impact is significant. Unaddressed mental health challenges contribute to burnout, absenteeism, and turnover. Even in low-risk jobs, stress and fatigue increase the chance of errors or safety incidents. On the other hand, workplaces that proactively support men and mental health build resilience, stronger work and personal relationships, more engaged teams, and higher performance. 

How to support men’s mental health and physical health

These barriers are real, but not insurmountable. Here are practical ways organizations can strengthen men’s physical and mental well-being:

• Integrate care – Select benefits vendors who already integrate physical and mental health, rather than tasking employers with connecting siloed systems. This makes it easy for them to move between medical and mental health support without stigma or red tape. True integration means providers can communicate, share relevant information (with consent), and coordinate care for a seamless experience.
• Normalize check-ins – Treat mental health check-ins with the same importance as annual physicals.
• Promote recovery and balance – Encourage healthy sleep, rest after illness or injury, and sustainable workloads.
• Equip leaders – Train managers to recognize that changes in energy, irritability, or performance may point to stress or mental health challenges.
• Support life transitions – Offer mental health resources for men, including education and support for fatherhood, aging, injury recovery, chronic illness, and other life changes when men may feel especially vulnerable.
• Provide multiple entry points – Give men options—coaching, digital tools, therapy—so they can start where they’re most comfortable.
• Bridge generational differences – Acknowledge that comfort with mental health care can vary by age, and model openness from the top. When leaders share their own experiences, they signal that seeking help is a strength.

Close the gap in men’s health

When employers support men’s mental health and physical health, they create the foundation for lasting well-being and stronger performance. With integrated care and proactive communication, every man can access the right help at the right time. Lyra makes that easier by connecting men to compassionate, evidence-based mental health care and integrating seamlessly with partners who support their physical health needs..

People are increasingly turning to general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) assistants for mental health support, even as the companies behind them warn that these tools carry risks and are not a replacement for professional care.

These tools are free, instant, and can feel like someone is listening. In those moments of distress, that convenience can be enough to pull someone in.

But these systems aren’t always built or overseen by clinicians. They’re trained to predict words, not recognize warning signs or keep people safe. That makes them both appealing and risky when someone is at their most vulnerable.

Simply put, AI outside of clinical care can’t deliver safe, effective mental health support. That’s why we need clinically rigorous AI, built for how people actually seek help today, with clinicians and safeguards at the center.

Lyra was founded on the idea of making mental health care better through technology with a human touch. We pioneered AI to match members with the right providers, and the Lyra Care model, where providers engage their clients in-between live sessions with “Guided Practice Sessions” to build mental health skills through tailored interactive videos and exercises. Lyra’s approach to fusing evidence-based human care with technology has been proven in peer-reviewed studies to reduce the cost of care by 20% and double the number of people with lasting symptom improvement.

Because life happens between sessions: introducing Lyra AI

Lyra AI is here to help more people start care and see faster, more lasting symptom improvement, all at lower costs. Lyra AI is supercharging the Lyra Care model with 24/7 in-the-moment support fully integrated with human care and crisis support, and guided by our same clinical standards and commitment to quality.

Lyra AI provides a lower-barrier entry point to help give people the confidence to start their care journey. It’s a safe, confidential, and approachable way to explore mental health support, creating an easy onramp to getting real help.

Once in care, Lyra AI is your support guide between sessions, and long after you stop seeing your provider to help keep you well. Lyra AI helps you apply the mental health skills you learn with your human provider to your everyday life, helping you feel better, faster. When intrusive thoughts bother you at night, or you need help staying calm and focused before an important work call, Lyra AI is here for you, instantly.

For members facing mild to moderate challenges like burnout, sleep, and stress, Lyra AI stays with you throughout care with instant access to clinically vetted, integrated support through evidence-based, clinically-designed conversational AI. Lyra AI features a sophisticated flagging system that identifies situations requiring immediate escalation and live human provider monitoring, as well as clear escalation pathways to quickly connect a member with a live representative from Lyra’s 24/7 care team.

Lyra AI is currently available through a pilot for select customers in the U.S. enrolled in Lyra Coaching, with plans to expand across Lyra’s 24/7 digital care experience in 2026.

A principled approach to GenAI

Introducing AI into mental health care requires more than technology; it requires safeguards. Every tool we create is built in close coordination with our clinical team, and guided by our Polaris Principles, a set of strategic and clinical commitments that ensure AI is used responsibly in support of real people:

• Safety and ethics are paramount: anchored in standards from both clinical care and AI to ensure responsible use.
• Human providers are critical: purpose-built to enhance and complement clinicians to drive better outcomes, accountability, and engagement.
• Culturally responsive care is key to global reach: designed to reflect diverse needs and connect people with relevant care wherever they are.
• Innovation driven by science: tested against clinical standards, backed by data, and continuously refined through research.

These principles are the foundation behind Lyra AI and guide how we build, test, and implement AI across Lyra’s care experience.

A safe and seamless path forward

The fact that so many people are turning to AI as their first stop for mental health support isn’t a sign that care has failed. It’s a sign that care must continue to evolve. By integrating AI tools directly into a proven, clinically-backed model, we can bridge the gap between instant accessibility and genuine safety, while also delivering care that works.

The future of mental health care isn’t about choosing between humans and AI. It’s about combining the best of both — immediate and responsive technology paired with human expertise and empathy. That’s how we ensure that no matter where someone is in their journey, they have access to the right kind of care.

Learn more

Artificial Intelligence offers a powerful opportunity to expand access to mental health care. But not all AI tools are designed with the safeguards and clinical rigor that people engaging in mental health support need, especially when they’re in crisis. At Lyra, we believe that AI should never lower care quality—it should elevate it.

The most pressing question now is how we can effectively and safely harness AI’s power for mental health. 

AI is evolving quickly, but the foundations of safe, ethical, and effective mental health care remain the same. Lyra’s Polaris Principles ground us in these fundamentals. They’re our blueprint to ensure AI is used responsibly in mental health to deliver on its transformative potential.

For a decade, Lyra has delivered evidence-based mental health care to millions worldwide, combining technology with a human touch. As we expand the role of AI to strengthen our care, we continue to uphold strict ethical standards and keep people’s wellbeing at the center of everything we do. Preserving the humanity at the heart of care is essential, which means respecting each person’s autonomy, lived experience, and background, as well as retaining connection to human providers when needed. With clinical outcomes as our north star, our approach is guided by science, member and customer feedback, and wide-ranging expertise.

Principle I: Safety is paramount

Lyra is committed to following strong ethical guidelines and clinical protocols to deliver safe, effective, and practical AI support for mental health, including those from respected organizations like the American Psychological Association, World Health Organization, and the International Coaching Federation.

What makes this possible is the guardrails we built in our AI solutions from the start. Unlike generic AI, Lyra AI is designed with mental health-specific protocols at its core to protect people and promote therapeutic progress. These guardrails include: 

• Clinical-grade training – Decades of evidence-based training shape how Lyra AI responds, guiding members towards more helpful choices and behaviors and not validating harmful ones.
• Active monitoring and escalation – AI interactions are monitored, with clear protocols for looping in a human provider if risks or other concerns arise.
• Rigorous testing and evaluation – Predefined benchmarks assess the safety, appropriateness, and inclusiveness of Lyra AI, promoting meaningful outcomes for each innovation.
• Human expertise at the core – Clinical experts guide every stage of AI development and provide oversight. Drawing on diverse backgrounds and specialties, they ensure Lyra AI is both effective and inclusive.

Principle II: Human providers are critical 

AI can offer tremendous value to members via round-the-clock support. AI also has limitations which is why expert mental health providers remain the foundation of care. Lyra AI is designed to enhance and complement clinicians, creating a synergistic solution that drives better outcomes, accountability, and engagement.

Key clinical priorities:

• Integrated care – Human providers and AI deliver a stronger care solution that is more coordinated, timely, and personalized for each client. Clients retain access to human providers when that is the right level of care for their needs. 
• Accountability and oversight – Clinicians maintain ultimate responsibility for care, ensuring overall care supported by AI aligns with best practices and therapeutic goals. 
• Enhanced outcomes – Combining human expertise with AI allows for more consistent, around-the-clock support and reinforcement of skills, improved monitoring of progress, and timely intervention when challenges arise. 

Principle III: Culturally responsive care is key to global reach 

AI has the potential to expand mental health support around the world, reaching people who might otherwise experience significant barriers to care. To be truly inclusive and effective, AI must reflect the values, language, and culture of the people it serves. Lyra prioritizes culturally responsive care to build trust, reduce stigma, and ensure meaningful impact across diverse populations.  

Key clinical priorities:

• Inclusive AI design – Lyra AI is trained on diverse datasets and tested to reduce bias, to increase its relevance and effectiveness across different communities.
• Local expertise – We tailor AI for local languages, customs, and cultures, in close collaboration with regional clinical experts.
• Equity and accessibility – Lyra AI is designed to support people with a wide range of comfort with technology, so care is accessible and inclusive.

Principle IV: Innovation driven by science

Lyra advances mental health care by leveraging rigorous clinical science and research in AI development, so every intervention is evidence-based and designed to deliver meaningful clinical outcomes. Our approach sets a high standard for AI in mental health, which is not yet common across the industry.

Key clinical priorities:

• Evidence-based – Lyra AI is trained on high-quality data linked to proven clinical outcomes.
• Ongoing research and knowledge sharing – Lyra contributes to the field through peer-reviewed publications and clinical studies, transparently sharing outcomes to advance best practices in AI-supported mental health. 
• Measurable clinical outcomes – AI innovations are evaluated for real-world improvements in clinical effectiveness, impact on overall well-being as well as client engagement and satisfaction.

Guiding the future of mental health care

We’re excited about AI’s potential to expand access to mental health care at an unprecedented scale – and we’re committed to doing it with the highest ethical and clinical standards.

In honor of World Mental Health Day this year, HR and benefits leaders are taking the opportunity to re-evaluate how their organization supports employee well-being. 

Because when you better understand your employees as full people, you can begin to implement holistic care solutions that keep them healthy and happy. You stop reacting to symptoms of employee stress, and start to proactively build workplaces that protect from the kinds of stress that are hazardous to employee wellbeing and job performance.

The traditional wellness vendor approach tends to treat employee mental health as an individual-level problem, with minimal collaboration among organizations and their benefits partners. Companies that want to help stressed employees might offer a menu of one-off benefits, like yoga classes, meditation apps, or individual therapy sessions. 

While all of these solutions are useful, they’re not enough by themselves. This approach manages surface-level challenges without addressing what’s causing them—whether that’s work-related stressors that call for systemic solutions, or personal issues like caregiver burden or childcare needs that go beyond what individual therapy can address. Like giving cough drops to someone with strep throat, they might temporarily ease pain, but they won’t make the underlying infection go away.

Addressing mental health effectively requires turning the workplace into a strong community of care. This means treating mental health as an organizational responsibility and creating a culture of sustainable work that supports employees both at work and at home. 

As part of World Mental Health Day, we’re providing managers with practical resources for preventing burnout, addressing workplace loneliness, and fostering psychological safety. Get the “Manager’s Toolkit” here.  

A culture of sustainable work thrives on three key elements: workplace transformation, whole-family support, and culturally responsive care. 

Workplace transformation: Addressing the root causes of stress and burnout, not just symptoms 

Almost one-third of employees today list work-related stress and burnout as their top mental health concern, highlighting the importance of direct workplace interventions to support employee wellness. 

Creating a strong community requires evaluating the working environment to identify factors that contribute to mental health challenges, which can be complex. At work, these factors could include unclear role expectations, poor working conditions, or lack of support from a manager. Stress and burnout are systemic issues, so organizations must change how they operate rather than simply provide employees with tools to manage issues on their own. At home, they might include navigating caregiver responsibilities and financial pressures.

What you can do:

• Include thorough overviews of wellness benefits as part of new employee onboarding, manager training, and internal community resources. Routinely remind your employees of the resources available to them.
• Managers have a profound impact on employees’ day-to-day lives—but 40% lack confidence in supporting employees with mental health challenges. Give your managers the training and tools they need to help their teams prioritize wellness. Start by conducting role clarity exercises to identify gaps between manager and employee expectations and align teams.
• Set individual, team, and company-level goals that are related to employee wellness, such as retention rate, employee engagement scores, and time-to-fill open positions. 
• Develop events programs that invite employees and leaders to share stories about their mental health struggles and how resources like clinical therapy have helped them.

Ready to make lasting changes in your work environment? Our Workforce Transformation team is here to help.

Whole family support: Benefits that extend to home life 

What happens at home doesn’t always stay at home. When employees worry about their family members, like their children and parents, it becomes more difficult for them to focus and fully engage with their peers. 

More than half of working parents in the US support children struggling with mental health. One in three parents in this situation report a decline in their own mental health, with many of them expressing that their mental health challenges have a “strong” or “significant” impact on their ability to do their job. 

When families receive proper support, employees are better equipped to do their best work. Rather than suffering from burnout that may force them to leave the workforce altogether, they have the energy to collaborate with their colleagues and grow within their role.

When you build your baseline policies around the people most in need of support, you inevitably create work environments that are better for everybody. For example, sick leave and flex work policies that support single parents will also be better for employees with other family structures, creating a culture that values work-life integration and driving retention and overall job satisfaction. 

A rising tide lifts all boats. 

What you can do:

• Make sure your mental health benefits include specialized offerings for children and teens, from educational content to coaching and therapy options. Offer personalized care solutions for common mental health challenges, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. 
• Connect parents and caregivers with personalized coaching that helps them build skills to navigate unique parenting challenges. 
• Go beyond individual therapy to offer couples therapy and family therapy benefits. 
• Provide comprehensive dependent care assistance, including backup childcare and elder care support. 
• Create realistic parental leave policies and structured return-to-work plans that include phased re-entry options and ongoing check-ins for employees transitioning back after parental or FMLA leave. 

Lyra can work with you to offer coaching and specialized support for employees and their family members, including for children and teens.

Culturally responsive care: Benefits that acknowledge everyone’s perspective  

Mental health support only succeeds when it prioritizes cultural understanding. 

Employees need to feel genuinely understood and valued for who they are, without having to constantly explain their background or experiences. Cultural alignment helps prevent employees from having to take on the burden of educating their provider about their experiences while trying to work through the challenges they face.

For example, Kamila Jones, a Lyra client and senior project engineer at JE Dunn, suffered from panic attacks driven by a combination of work and home stressors. After working unsuccessfully with multiple therapists who didn’t understand her cultural background, her employer connected her with a Lyra provider who shared her identity as a woman of color in a specific age range. 

“The things we deal with on a daily basis come from when we grew up and the environment we were raised in,” she shares.

https://video.lyrahealth.com/watch/Jg1bAEvdNo6Q7DCmcV7wLe

Cultural competence makes mental health care more accessible and effective for LGBTQIA+ communities, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) employees, and other underrepresented populations. 

What you can do: 

• Establish employee resource groups to support employees with specific identities and backgrounds. Provide resources and budget for employees to launch and run organization-backed communities to discuss issues, share how they’re using relevant resources, and celebrate their voices. 
• Identify internal advocates who understand local cultures and employee backgrounds to run group sessions, ERGs, and cultural events.
• Partner with mental health providers who can offer care in multiple languages and understand diverse cultural approaches to wellness. 
• Ensure your training and internal communications reflect diverse family structures, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences. 

Lyra can help you make this outcome a reality for all your employees, by connecting them to our diverse network of providers trained in culturally responsive care.

A shared journey

World Mental Health Day reminds us that mental health is a shared journey. 

Mental health challenges don’t take shape in isolation—factors at work and at home all play a role. Every individual deserves holistic support that acknowledges their unique experience and helps them connect the dots to the resources, care, and community that can help them. By understanding your people, you can begin to guide your organization to tackle the root issues that impact your employees.

The most productive, forward-thinking organizations build strong communities of care. They treat mental health as a collective, organizational responsibility and create a culture of mental well-being.

By focusing on the these elements, organizations can proactively address mental health challenges at their source:

• Workplace transformation tackles organizational stressors before they drive burnout and turnover.
• Home support addresses family stressors before they derail work performance.
• Cultural alignment ensures that these support is accessible and effective for everybody. 

When you build systems that support employees as the whole people that they are, they thrive—and your organization does too.

GLP-1 medications can be an important tool in supporting physical health, but they can’t do everything. A prescription can’t heal someone’s relationship with their body or teach healthy coping skills. Without addressing these root causes, the pounds often return once the medication stops.

This isn’t just frustrating for employees—it’s unsustainable for organizations. With an almost 600% increase in GLP-1 prescriptions, the rising health care costs are paying for temporary results, not long-term health improvements that truly support your people and workplace.

Lyra’s solution: healing the mind-body relationship

We believe there’s a better way to support your employees—one that honors their full experience. That’s why we’re expanding our care for chronic conditions to include dedicated behavioral health support for weight concerns and body image. Lyra’s integrated care is a proven approach that addresses physical, mental, and social health for long-term change.

Our care for weight concerns offers:

Support from all angles

We help people explore the why behind their weight concern and body image journey. This includes behavioral and mental health factors like emotional eating, stress, and self-worth. Employees build healthy coping skills and change behavior patterns for sustainable health.

Evidence-based care

Our providers use proven therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Personalized support

Health can be shaped by an individual’s culture, identity, and lived experiences. Our care is never one-size-fits-all; it honors what matters most to each person. This inclusive approach helps your entire workforce feel seen and supported on their own terms.

A connected care experience

Today, care is often fragmented, mental and physical health providers operate in silos, leaving members to piece everything together on their own. Our vision with Lyra Link is to change that. We’re building toward a future where mental health providers and physical health partners are seamlessly connected, creating a truly coordinated care experience. In this future, every member of the care team works together, ensuring people receive whole-person support that feels integrated, not fragmented.

Our goal is helping people build a healthier relationship with their bodies and live fuller lives. It’s not weight loss for its own sake. Based on their individual needs and goals, members work with their therapists to gain insight and learn skills that can support making sustainable changes to their lives. This can reduce a reliance on medication. The payoff: employees feel more in control of their health, and employers see lower GLP-1 spend with lasting results.

Beyond weight concerns

Lyra’s specialty care doesn’t stop at weight and body image concerns. We know that chronic conditions often come with complex mental health needs, and our approach addresses them together. Some of these include:

• Cardiovascular disease – Lyra helps people build lasting habits around nutrition, movement, and sleep while staying on track with their medical treatment. Just as importantly, our therapists support people in managing the stress and anxiety that often come with heart conditions.
• Insomnia – Sleep is one of the most important foundations of health, but stress, anxiety, and unhelpful habits can disrupt it. Lyra clinicians use CBT-I—the gold standard for treating insomnia—to help people reset their sleep patterns and feel more rested and functional during the day.
• Chronic pain – Living with ongoing pain affects more than the body—it takes a toll on emotional well-being too. Lyra therapists use research-backed approaches to help people manage pain, build resilience, and restore a sense of balance and quality of life.

Support long-term well-being

Forward-thinking benefits leaders are moving beyond quick fixes to deliver care that addresses mental and physical health together. The outcome: healthier, more resilient employees, measurable impact on costs, and a benefits strategy that truly moves the needle.

Every workforce is made up of people at very different points on the mental health continuum. Some employees are facing challenges and stressors that stretch their ability to cope. Others are doing ‘fine’ but could benefit from support to feel more resilient, flexible, and able to thrive. Leading organizations tell us they want to meet all these needs, not just respond when issues become urgent. That’s where mental fitness comes in.

Mental fitness is about strengthening the brain’s ability to adapt, recover, and perform under stress—like cross-training for the mind. By helping employees build this resilience, flexibility, and stamina, employers can help workers reach their full potential.

What is mental fitness?

Mental fitness is your capacity to draw on your skills and resources to help tackle challenges, increase positive emotions, and thrive. Think of mental fitness like a muscle—you can build it over time through small, purposeful habits and routines. And while 73% of employees say their mental health has affected their work, most won’t seek out traditional therapy. But many are open to approachable, stigma-free mental fitness activities like meditation, reflection exercises, or gratitude practices.

Historically, mental health has been associated with illness or struggle. But in reality, it’s a spectrum that includes challenges on one end and thriving on the other. Mental fitness supports us across that full spectrum, helping to buffer against challenges while also helping us savor positive experiences.

Mental fitness works because our brains are designed to change. Thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain can adapt and form new connections based on how we think, act, and respond to our environment. That means small, intentional shifts—like new ways of handling stress, relating to emotions, or approaching challenges—can add up to big results. Each time we practice these habits, we’re reinforcing new neural pathways, creating a positive feedback loop where change becomes easier and mental fitness grows stronger.

Consider a situation where two sales managers face the same setback: a major client unexpectedly backs out. One spirals into self-doubt, loses momentum, and struggles to rally their team. The other feels the sting but recovers quickly, reframes the loss as a learning opportunity, and leads the team toward new prospects. The difference isn’t luck—it’s mental fitness.

Why mental fitness matters

The speed of change at work isn’t slowing down. Economic uncertainty and shifting expectations are fueling higher cognitive load and emotional strain. Left unchecked, that strain leads to burnout, turnover, and costly disengagement.

Organizations that weave mental fitness into their culture see measurable gains:

• Protection against burnout. At its core, burnout is a systemic problem. But there are things we can do as individuals to lower our burnout risk and guard against its consequences. Employees with stronger mental fitness recover from stress faster and are less likely to experience emotional fatigue because they’re resilient, self-regulating, and flexible.
• Enhanced work-life balance. Strong mental fitness helps us be more focused and intentional, freeing up valuable mental energy for life outside of work.
• More effective leadership. Mental fitness allows leaders to zoom out and see the full picture—both internally and externally—leading to better decisions and stronger relationships.
• Sharper decision-making. Greater cognitive flexibility and clarity under pressure lead to better business outcomes.
• Stronger teams. Mental fitness supports better communication and conflict resolution.
• Talent magnetism. 81% of employees say they’re more likely to join or stay with an employer that prioritizes mental health.
• Cost savings. Proactive mental health strategies and comprehensive benefits help reduce absenteeism and downstream health care costs.

Making mental fitness part of your workforce strategy

The organizations that excel in the next decade will be the ones that treat mental fitness as a core performance driver. That means:

• Embedding mental fitness into performance culture. Celebrate skills like resilience, adaptability, and emotional regulation as much as business results. Recognize employees who demonstrate these strengths and make them part of what “great performance” looks like.
• Auditing work design to support mental fitness habits. For employees to practice awareness, set boundaries, and respond intentionally instead of reactively, the work environment must make those habits possible. For example, if leaders expect immediate responses at all hours, employees can’t practice the mental fitness skill of setting healthy boundaries. Designing work and norms that respect recovery time enables people to build—and sustain—mental fitness.
• Providing tools for everyone. Guided meditations, digital exercises, coaching, and peer programs help employees strengthen everyday mental fitness skills like focus, self-awareness, and stress management—before challenges escalate.

Mental fitness tips for leaders

As a leader, building your mental fitness has a ripple effect. Not only will it benefit you and your well-being, but by modeling mental fitness habits, you can shape a culture where others feel empowered to do the same.

#1 Cultivate flexible thinking

Strong leaders are open to new ideas, perspectives, and information—a mindset that fuels innovation and better decisions. Flexible thinking is the skill that makes this possible. It doesn’t mean abandoning your beliefs or avoiding strong opinions. Instead, it’s about building the habit of examining your views and updating them when new evidence or perspectives warrant it.

You can practice this by noticing when you hold a strong opinion and asking yourself—or your team—‘What would it take to change our minds?’ This simple question helps you pause, broaden your thinking, and welcome fresh insights.

Over time, these intentional moments of openness strengthen new brain connections, making flexible thinking a natural part of how you approach challenges and opportunities. Leaders can also model this skill by showing intellectual humility with statements like, ‘I don’t know yet, I need to learn more.’ These small shifts encourage flexibility in yourself and create a culture where others feel safe to think differently too.

#2 Model mindfulness and balance

Your team takes cues from you. Protect time for breaks, block your calendar when you’re offline, and set clear boundaries around after-hours communication. When leaders show they prioritize rest and recovery, they give employees permission to do the same.

#3 Use gratitude as a leadership tool

We can rewire our brains to be more biased toward positive thoughts, emotions and experiences. One of the most effective and straightforward ways we have to do that is via practicing gratitude.

For a leader, practicing gratitude not only strengthens your mental fitness, but it’s also a powerful tool for building a culture of recognition and appreciation on your teams. You can build this habit with consistent practice: set aside a consistent time each day to reflect on three things you’re grateful for, a practice shown to shift your brain toward noticing more positives. You can also make it a routine to thank someone directly—a coworker, friend, or family member—with a quick message of appreciation.

Research shows this not only boosts your own well-being but also uplifts the recipient, creating positivity for both. Even taking 30 seconds to thank a teammate for their help or a partner for a small act at home can make a lasting impact. Over time, these small practices train your brain toward gratitude and strengthen the kind of positive mindset that benefits both you and the people around you.

Mental fitness tips for employees

Building mental fitness doesn’t require huge amounts of time. Small, consistent actions can help you feel calmer, more resilient, and more focused, both in and out of work. Here are a few skills you can start building today.

#1 Practice mindfulness with a quick check-in

Mindfulness is the practice of noticing your thoughts, feelings, and environment in the present moment and without judgment. You can build this muscle by creating brief, intentional opportunities to hit pause and check in with yourself. This is something that can be done anytime, anywhere, and requires no equipment. Even check-ins as short as 90 seconds can help you build your mindfulness muscle.

First, intentionally focus your attention on the here and now. Then, simply notice your thoughts, emotions, and any physical sensations. As you’re noticing, be curious about your experience, observing your thoughts, feelings, and environment just as they are. The final step is to observe this experience with curiosity and without judgment, just as it is.

#2 Regulate strong emotions with opposite action

Big emotions can hijack our reactions—especially when stress runs high. The problem is, our first instinct isn’t always the one that helps us in the long run. That’s where the skill of “opposite action” can help.

Before reacting, pause and ask yourself two questions:

• Does my emotion (and the intensity of it) fit the facts of this situation?
• Will acting on my instinct help me in the long run?

If the answer is no to either one, that’s your cue to do the opposite of what the emotion urges. For example:

• Anger: Instead of criticizing or lashing out, seek calm and understanding
• Anxiety or fear: Instead of avoiding, take a step closer
• Sadness or grief: Instead of withdrawing, reach out
• Depression: Instead of staying in bed, engage in activity

This shift doesn’t mean your feelings aren’t valid—it means you’re choosing a response that protects your long-term goals and well-being. Over time, practicing the opposite action helps strengthen emotional balance, build resilience, and prevent stress from snowballing.

#3 Start a gratitude habit

Practicing gratitude is one of the easiest ways to strengthen your own mental fitness. When you train your brain to focus on what’s going well, it helps balance out stress and makes it easier to stay resilient.

Build stronger teams with mental fitness

Mental fitness helps people feel grounded and engaged and keeps organizations agile. When leaders prioritize it, they create an environment where people can thrive.

A one-size-fits-all approach to global workforce mental health can’t meet the diverse needs of employees based in different parts of the world. To improve employee satisfaction and quality of life as well as minimize issues such as turnover and reduced productivity in your global workforce, company benefits leaders need a more personalized approach to workforce mental health solutions. So how can organizations make sure that employees in all corners of the world have access to mental health support?

Mental health around the world: global mental health statistics

Rates of mental health disorders are escalating worldwide, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. One in eight people worldwide has a mental health disorder, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In a study of global employees, 41 percent of respondents reported declines in mental health due to the pandemic. “The mental health and well-being of whole societies have been severely impacted by this crisis and are a priority to be addressed urgently,” said Devora Kestel, director of the WHO’s mental health department. Mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide. The WHO estimates that the loss in productivity due to depression and anxiety alone costs the global economy $1 trillion each year. Some of the countries with the highest rates of mental disorders include China, India, and the U.S.

Barriers to global mental health care

Although effective treatments exist, few people receive the care they need. Globally, more than 70 percent of people with mental health disorders don’t have access to care. The 26 million people worldwide with severe mental illness face some of the heaviest challenges; nearly 90 percent of people who need treatment for schizophrenia in low-income countries do not receive it. Common barriers to care include:

Discrimination and stigma against people with mental disorders

Seeking mental health care remains taboo throughout much of the world. Many developing countries lack funding for mental health, primarily delivering care through psychiatric institutions. This drives many people to keep their struggles secret. Research shows that people in Eastern countries are more likely to view mental illness as shameful or a moral failing than Western countries. People in Asian countries face especially heavy stigma; for example, as many as 80 percent of psychiatric patients in China experience discrimination.

Shortage of trained mental health care workers

With just 1 percent of the global health workforce choosing to work in mental health, there is a glaring shortage of mental health professionals worldwide that severely limits access to treatment. Almost half (45 percent) of the world’s population lives in a country with less than one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people.

Limited education, awareness, and research related to mental illness

Just as there is a shortage of mental health professionals, there is a lack of trained mental health researchers, leaving gaps in understanding mental illness. In developing countries, limited education about mental illness as a health condition that requires treatment prevents people from seeking help.

Geographical distance from providers

In many low- and middle-income countries, mental health conditions are treated in centralized psychiatric hospitals rather than primary care or community health centers. This makes it difficult for people who live far away from a facility to access care.

Fragmented delivery models

In both developing and developed countries, the health care system typically deals with mental health care separately from physical health, creating a confusing maze for people to navigate. Rather than taking a holistic approach, mental health treatment options are often limited, with long wait times.

Cost

Costs and not having health insurance are barriers to mental health services. Even for those who do have insurance, mental health treatment may not be covered in some countries. In addition, many mental health providers are out-of-network, which is expensive.

Inadequate preventive services

The challenge of addressing global mental health can’t be addressed through treatment alone. Prevention is key. Mental disorders typically emerge in childhood and adolescence. Identifying and treating these issues early in life can help prevent disability and improve outcomes in adults. Yet in many countries, child mental health care is still in early stages of development.

Tips for supporting your global workforce’s mental health

Faced with different barriers and needs across a variety of locations, what can managers and company leaders do to support their global workforce? Developing specific programs and messaging to decrease stigma is a good place to start. Employers play an important role in destigmatizing mental illness and nurturing a positive work environment. When managers and company leaders talk openly about mental health, they send a message that employees are safe talking about their challenges, too. Research shows this type of authentic leadership builds trust and improves employee performance. Here are a few ways you can make mental health part of an ongoing conversation in your workplace:

• Be conscious of the language you and others use, and respond quickly to inappropriate remarks about mental illness
• Share internal videos of company leaders discussing their mental health
• Develop a team of “mental health champions” who build awareness of mental health and are non-judgmental sources of support
• Create ongoing mental health awareness campaigns, trainings, or workshops that educate employees about mental illness and encourage them to seek help
• Talk about mental health on all-company calls
• Model healthy behaviors by using paid time off (PTO) or telling employees you took time for a mid-day walk, therapy appointment, or other form of self-care
• Develop and enforce anti-discrimination policies

The importance of localized care

Global workforces require easy access to professional, confidential, consistently high-quality mental health care regardless of where they are in the world. To be effective, that care must also be locally nuanced and relevant.

“There’s an extraordinary difference in how people think about mental health concepts in different countries, from how we describe illness to how we ask people if they’re OK,” says Gus Booth-Clibborn, chief technology officer at ICAS World, a Lyra Health company. In some parts of the world, people express mental health challenges through physical symptoms rather than talking openly. Or people may ask for help with practical concerns like housing or legal status rather than asking directly for mental health support. Understanding these different manifestations can be powerful in getting people the care they need.

With 35 years of experience providing mental health services on a global scale, leaders at ICAS have found that care has to be delivered at a local level to achieve the best outcomes. “And when it comes to local, we mean much more than just language,” says Andrew Davies, chief executive officer at ICAS World. “Language is absolutely critical, but it also involves an understanding of local culture, health care infrastructure, legislation, and geo-political and socioeconomic situations.”

For example, in some countries being part of the LGBTQIA+ community is illegal and members of that community are persecuted. In other countries, suicide is criminalized. In these areas, it’s critical for care providers to offer support that doesn’t put people at risk. Even small actions, like the “thumbs up” symbol, eating during meetings, or calling someone on a Friday can be significant because they may be considered offensive in some regions.

And while it’s critical for global workforce mental health to understand these differences, it’s also important to remember the similarities we all share. “Thinking globally is essentially about cultural competence. At the heart of it is awareness, but awareness isn’t enough,” says Davies. “Sometimes we think too much about how we’re different and not how we’re the same. Certain fundamentals traverse almost every culture—showing respect, listening, acknowledging others, asking questions, being tolerant, expressing interest and gratitude, and finding something in common.”

Balancing global parity with local concerns

Most organizations strive for parity in their global mental health benefits, so that there’s a similar standard everywhere in the world for the types of services available, wait time to access those services, and quality of care. But what does global parity look like?

“It’s critical to realize that the world is not the same,” says Davies. “And it’s a mistake to try and treat it as the same because different countries have different languages, cultures, religions, health care systems, legislative environments, geographical challenges, and attitudes towards mental health. A great global mental health program is one that’s able to recognize, respect, and accommodate those differences.”

At Lyra, we do this by ensuring that our services are relevant and appropriate to every country. Care is not only provided in local languages, but also adapted to local conditions. For Lyra, parity means global operational consistency and ease of access, along with flexibility at the country level to accommodate important local considerations.

For example, in many Western countries, we often respond to a critical incident by running a group trauma debriefing session with those who are impacted. However, in countries such as Japan, where there’s a heavy stigma around mental health and expressing emotional distress can be perceived as a weakness and bring shame to an individual’s family, a group session is often contraindicated and we would need to intervene on an individual level more appropriately. 

Some essential ways to achieve balance between global strategic alignment and local relevance are:

• Identify a strong in-country program champion or local custodian who understands the unique local needs and challenges and can communicate those to stakeholders
• Choose a global mental health benefit that understands the local environment and can work with a company custodian to position the program to meet those needs
• Make sure the benefit has a robust local clinical presence with providers who are equipped to deal with local issues and challenges

“Mental health is deeply bound to context and culture,” says Davies. “An employee in Germany isn’t too concerned about whether or not she has exactly the same service as her colleagues in the U.S. She’s more concerned about having easy access to high-quality care that’s relevant and appropriate to her needs. Seeking parity is a noble pursuit—one that should be about consistency in standards of care and an ability to manage local differences effectively.”