Companies have long known that mental health challenges affect how their employees show up to work and their productivity, but putting a dollar amount on it has been complex.

Lyra Health’s newest peer-reviewed study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, changes that. Using a clinically validated tool that measures workplace productivity, we quantified the precise impact of mental health care on thousands of employees.

The impact is clear: employees who engage in mental health care regain an average of four productive hours per week—worth $4,806 annually. Those with the most severe challenges take back 17 hours per week, translating to $20,882 per year.

This is evidence that investing in mental health drives measurable business results.

Mark’s story: the hidden cost of struggling in silence

Mark’s week started with a familiar struggle. His calendar was packed, but a constant hum of worry and anxiety sapped his focus. His brain was filled with concerns about his family, his work performance, and other smaller worries he couldn’t seem to stop.

He’d find himself staring at a patient’s chart, re-reading the same lab results three times before they clicked. During a consultation, he had to force himself to concentrate, worried he’d miss a subtle symptom his patient was describing. By Wednesday, the exhaustion felt physical. The thought of his packed patient list, the mounting charting and administrative tasks, alongside the high-stakes risk of missing something all felt too overwhelming.

He sent the message to his practice manager: “Not feeling well, going to take a sick day.” He knew it meant canceling a full day of patients and creating a backlog, but the thought of pushing through felt impossible. He hit send and felt the first moment of real relief he’d had all week.

Mark’s story highlights the workplace impacts of unaddressed mental health challenges. Employees like him often try to push through, showing up at work but unable to perform at their best (presenteeism), or needing to miss work entirely (absenteeism). Both quietly chip away not just at productivity and performance, but can also have safety and quality implications as well.

Productivity backed by science

Mark’s story is common, but its impact on business has been hard to quantify. How do you measure the cost of lost focus or having to take days off due to mental exhaustion? Lyra’s new study answers that question. We asked thousands of employees receiving therapy from Lyra to report changes in their work impairment and productivity.

On average, employees who received care from Lyra:

• Gained four productive hours per week—the equivalent of half a workday, every week.
• Reduced overall work impairment by 31%, leading to fewer mistakes at work and generating higher quality work.
• Generated $4,806 in annual productivity gains for employers (per employee, per year)

Employees with the most severe challenges regained 17+ productive hours per week. That’s more than two full workdays, valued at  $20,882 per employee, per year.

Proof, not promises: the power of validated measurement

Numbers this significant demand a high standard of proof. To ensure accuracy, Lyra used the Lam Employment Absence and Productivity Scale (LEAPS)—a clinically validated measure built for assessing the impact of mental health on the workplace.

LEAPS:

• Is designed for mental health. Unlike tools built for measuring physical functioning (“Can you lift a box?”), LEAPS asks relevant questions about motivation, concentration, mistakes, and trouble getting along with others due to the way someone is feeling.
• Captures the full picture. LEAPS doesn’t estimate—employees report concrete numbers like hours missed, giving a full view of lost productivity.
• Provides trustworthy data. Using a validated tool designed for mental health ensures a reliable measure of your benefit’s true impact.

Help employees bring their best selves to work

Mental health care strengthens both well-being and performance. Behind every productivity gain is a person who finally feels better—and every hour regained is proof that better care means better business.

Employees can have great pay and flexible hours, but if they feel disconnected from the people around them, work quickly starts to feel like … work.

Strong relationships with co-workers can lead to more engagement, resilience, and increased likelihood of remaining in a job (even when faced with tight deadlines or budgets). Building relationships at work not only protects against stress and burnout, but helps people feel supported through challenges and boosts overall well-being. When employees feel part of something bigger, collaboration flows more naturally, communication improves, and teams thrive.

Unfortunately, not everyone feels that sense of connection. About a quarter of employees say they feel lonely or isolated at work—and younger workers report the highest rates. For those from underrepresented or historically marginalized backgrounds, it can be even harder. Black and Latinx professionals, for example, are nearly twice as likely as their White peers to report difficulty forming close work friendships with remote co-workers. When cultural barriers or lack of representation get in the way, relationships can stall at surface-level small talk instead of growing into real trust and belonging.

And connection doesn’t mean friendships with everyone—it can be a few genuine relationships where people feel open, respected, and supported. Those trusted bonds are what make the biggest difference in how people experience their work. Strong relationships don’t just make work feel easier and more tolerable; they make employees feel more of their humanity. When people feel safe to show up as themselves—and see others doing the same—it builds a culture of care, trust, and community that benefits everyone.

How to build relationships at work

Whether it’s the teammate who supports you, the mentor who challenges you, or the colleague who just gets your sense of humor, relationships at work set the tone for how people show up every day. It’s a few authentic connections that make work feel collaborative, supportive, and real.

The strongest relationships often share a few qualities:

• Feeling safe to speak honestly and take risks
• Practicing openness about decisions, challenges, and uncertainty
• Owning mistakes, sharing credit, and stepping up for each other
• Maintaining consistency and authenticity
• Showing frequent and genuine appreciation

Building relationships in the workplace doesn’t require grand gestures or forced fun. (No one ever found lifelong belonging through a mandatory trust fall.) It’s about steady, genuine effort through small actions that show people they matter.

#1 Be open and respectful

Building strong relationships at work starts with respect. Stay curious about different perspectives, communication styles, and backgrounds, even when they don’t match your own. When someone shares an opinion, listen first instead of rushing to respond. If you make a mistake, own it and move on. Openness grows when people feel heard and valued for who they are.

#2 Practice active listening

When someone’s talking, give them your full attention. Not “half-listen while planning your response” listening. Reflect what you’ve heard (“It sounds like you’re saying…”), ask questions that invite more than a yes or no, and resist the urge to fix things right away. Sometimes people just need to feel understood.

#3 Show empathy

Everyone’s carrying something you can’t see—stress, family issues, health concerns. If someone seems off, check in gently: “Hey, how are you holding up?” or “Anything I can do to help?” A little patience and compassion can build a lot of trust. 

#4 Offer help, and ask for it

If you see someone underwater, offer a hand. And don’t hesitate to ask for help yourself. It’s not a weakness. It shows trust and respect for others’ strengths. Sharing the load keeps work collaborative instead of competitive and helps teams build stronger bonds.

#5 Create opportunities for connection

Connection doesn’t happen by accident. Join in on team lunches, coffee chats, or volunteer days. Even quick “what’s going well?” check-ins can go a long way. These moments matter less for their frequency and more for their authenticity. A few real connections will outlast a dozen polite interactions.

#6 Respect boundaries

Not everyone wants to join every chat thread or after-hours happy hour. Some people recharge quietly; others thrive on connection. Be mindful about when and how you reach out, especially outside work hours. Respecting boundaries keeps relationships healthy and sustainable.

#7 Celebrate often 

Build relationships at work by taking a moment to notice what other teammates are doing. A quick “great idea” or “thanks for jumping in on that” goes a long way. Celebrate wins big and small—the progress, effort, and behind-the-scenes saves that make everyone’s job easier. When teammates recognize each other genuinely and often, work feels lighter, friendlier, and more connected.

Better work starts with better relationships

Building relationships in the workplace happens in everyday moments—the quick check-ins, the shared laughs, the small signs of care. A few meaningful connections can transform how someone feels at work. When people consistently show up for each other, work feels less transactional and more human. And when organizations intentionally nurture that kind of culture, they don’t just build stronger teams, they create places where people want to stay and do their best work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are workplace relationships important for employee retention?

Strong relationships with co-workers lead to more engagement, resilience, and increased likelihood of remaining in a job, even when faced with tight deadlines or budgets.

How common is loneliness at work?

About a quarter of employees say they feel lonely or isolated at work, with younger workers reporting the highest rates.

Do I need to be friends with everyone at work to feel connected?

No, connection doesn’t mean friendships with everyone—it can be a few genuine relationships where people feel open, respected, and supported.

What does active listening mean in the workplace?

Active listening means giving someone your full attention, reflecting what you’ve heard, asking open-ended questions, and resisting the urge to fix things right away.

How can I show appreciation to coworkers?

Take a moment to notice what teammates are doing with a quick “great idea” or “thanks for jumping in on that,” and celebrate wins big and small.

How do I respect boundaries while building workplace relationships?

Be mindful about when and how you reach out, especially outside work hours, and recognize that not everyone wants to join every chat thread or after-hours happy hour.

What are the key qualities of strong workplace relationships?

Strong relationships include feeling safe to speak honestly, practicing openness, owning mistakes, maintaining consistency and authenticity, and showing frequent genuine appreciation.

This playbook will provide you with a clear, actionable, 5-step process to help spearhead a new kind of mental health conversation—and transformation, within your organization.

Bookmark it. Reference it in conversation. Share it out with like-minded HR and benefits leaders. Most importantly, use these guidelines as an entry point to start to build the community of support you need to make lasting change.

For Dr. Joe Grasso “transformation” is deeply meaningful. As a Clinical Psychologist by training, he’s seen the impact when companies prioritize and invest in comprehensive mental health resources for their employees.

Lives change. Work gets better. Performance thrives.

As VP of Workforce Transformation and Customer Marketing at Lyra, Dr. Grasso partners directly with HR and benefits leaders at professional services and tech companies to advocate for systemic change over ad hoc wellness benefits.

But implementing that change isn’t always easy.

Overcoming resistance to systemic mental health initiatives

Workforce transformation requires an investment of time and energy that doesn’t always align with how many executives view the business critical goals of their organization.

They’re often only willing to “okay” individual wellness interventions and one-off benefits. Can’t we just add another mental-health day? Reimburse for yoga? Encourage everyone to meditate?

“Once we get into things like changing culture, policy, or ways of working,” says Dr. Grasso, “they’ll say: we don’t want a well-being culture. We want a performance culture.”

The irony is: this isn’t an “either or” choice. A wellness culture is a performance culture. But we don’t need to tell you that…

The five-step approach to leading the conversation around mental health workforce transformation

As an HR or benefits leader, you’re probably already a change-maker in your organization (we see you). But you’re also often caught between two (all consuming) responsibilities: the needs of individual employees vs. the organization-wide changes needed to build a culture of safety. In most cases, one can help shape the other.

When you spend so much time putting out fires, there’s little fuel left to make organizational change. Our five-step approach is designed to help you start the conversation, soften potential resistance from leadership, and take small but powerful steps forward.

Step 1: Identify the right entry point

As an HR or benefits leader, finding the right entry point — when leadership is most receptive to thinking in a new way about employee well-being — can be a doorway to change. These moments often occur in the wake of a crisis:

• A safety issue or other well-publicized reputational risk can often force leadership to look inward and consider large-scale change. For example: an employee death connected to overwork and bullying could spark instant, org-wide change.
• High turnover or low-morale combined with the right data can also inspire introspection. A customer service call center was struggling with a high turnover rate, discontent among teams, and low employee morale. The problem was acute, but they didn’t call in the Lyra team until they saw their dismal employee engagement scores.

But it’s not just “when.” In his work with Lyra clients, Dr. Grasso has learned that how we talk about change matters… a lot. So when you’re starting the conversation, be intentional with your evidence.

Does leadership care most about customer retention? Or customer acquisition? You can draw a clear line between employee well-being and any business goal your exec team cares about.

Are they concerned about human impact? Make sure you’ve spoken to employees, gotten feedback, and can paint a clear picture of the risk to their people.

Are they motivated by competitive advantage? Show them the performance and reputational gains happening in companies that prioritize employee well-being and the risk to their own position if they continue to delay action.

“It’s about speaking the language of what the company cares about,” says Dr. Grasso. In the case of high turnover, you might frame the problem this way:

This is a team that will continue to be at high risk of turnover, and it’s costing us $[X] unless we solve the problem at the root. 

“It’s as much about storytelling as it is about data,” says Dr. Grasso.

Step 2: Identify internal champions (you’re going to need them)

It can be tempting to go straight up the chain for implementation approval, and in certain cases that’s enough, but Dr. Grasso also recommends a lateral approach:

Identify and recruit allies from across your organization. Whether that’s executives with decision-making power or cross-functional teams who will need to help put your plan to action (or even those who will feel the change most dramatically), you want people engaged with your objectives so that you can:

1. Make a compelling case when it comes time to get approval
2. And hit the ground running once you get it

To build internal champions you’ll need to:

Focus on the right champions. For example: if your plan includes embedding mental health training as part of your learning and development (L&D) and safety programs: you’ll need the leads on each of these initiatives to help you with implementation.

Engage necessary stakeholders, early. If you want to avoid friction and unnecessary defensiveness from colleagues who feel blindsided by change—what is this plan and why are we doing it, anyhow? —you’ll want to get champions on your side. Ideally, before implementation even begins.

Create a compelling narrative that’s tied to data. The narrative should tie your wellness objectives to concrete business goals, and the supporting data should speak to the goals of the individual you’re addressing.

If an executive cares about retention, share data that ties your initiative to retention goals—show them the clear connection between employees who feel happy in the workplace and how it has a direct impact on retaining customers.

If a health and safety colleague cares about the psychological safety of employees, show them how embedding the right training into their courses will help managers play an active role in well-being and preventing employee crises.

Step 3: Gather compelling data that connects mental health to business outcomes

Next, you’ll need to go below the surface to get targeted, qualitative insights.

Your leadership wants data. But you don’t have to be an analytics expert to gather it. Start by:

• Administering a survey or assessment to get a broad swath of feelings, opinions, and feedback from employees about interpersonal, environmental, and work design elements of work. Even a few additional questions on your engagement survey can provide valuable insight.
• Talking to individuals, especially those within high-risk teams.
• Engaging managers to get a sense of larger problem areas and soliciting their honest feedback on where change is needed.

You should also feel empowered to survey more than once. Executives fear “survey fatigue,” but, “people don’t have survey fatigue from surveys,” says Dr. Grasso. “They have it from lack of follow-up.”

If you survey and then take action, employees will be happy to answer your surveys again.

When Dr. Grasso and his team work with clients, they use Lyra’s Organizational Health Assessment to gather data to predict potential outcomes related to employee wellbeing and performance. The assessment helps HR and benefits leaders get a deep understanding of individual risk and surface answers to questions like:

• What aspects of work and the work-environment are impacting well-being and posing the highest risk of harm?
• If that risk goes unabated, what are the potential downstream effects?
• What’s the human cost coupled with the organizational cost? Which teams are at the highest risk from the root causes?

Following the assessment, the employer receives a dynamic heat map to help them visualize these problem areas.

“On the heat map, we can tell the whole story of risk,” says Dr. Grasso. An example of Lyra’s Organizational Health Assessment is pictured below.

Step 4: Implement a small change with high visibility

When it comes to workforce transformation, it’s OK to start small. By simply opening the doors to a new kind of conversation around issues like burnout—a problem that plagues employees and destroys productivity—you can start to turn things in the right direction.

“The norm is: most companies don’t talk about burnout,” says Dr. Grasso. “Or when they do, they talk about how people can cope more effectively, not the organization’s responsibility to mitigate it.”

To start small, identify just one risk area to address. This could be anything from an internal event impacting one or more employees or a specific team that’s showing signs of burnout. Once you’ve worked to resolve the issue, expand the conversation to other parts of the organization.

Dr. Grasso shared that one HR leader discovered an issue with role clarity that was impacting employees on a specific team. It was showing up in several critical ways:

• Employees were spending time on low-value tasks.
• Managers were frustrated by their employees’ focus on non-business-critical work.
• People in other departments were feeling territorial about work that they considered “theirs”.

HR’s solution? They asked each team member to write their own job description, then had every manager also write a job description for each of their direct reports. At the end, they compared the two descriptions to align on role responsibilities.

This was a powerful intervention that addressed a small but frustrating company-wide problem, cost zero dollars to implement, and had an immediate impact on the team:

• The employees felt seen in their roles, and clearer on their individual responsibilities.
• Their trust in leadership improved and friction between teams decreased.
• Managers were able to give direct reports more autonomy while focusing on higher value problems.

That trifecta: big problem, simple solution, visible impact–will go a long way toward making a case for larger systemic change. When employees see you take action toward solving their challenges, rather than just “survey and split,” their trust—and performance—improves.

Step 5: Reassess and use results to expand the conversation

Congratulations! You’ve successfully implemented a new mental health initiative! Job done, right?

Not so fast.

After implementation, you’ll need to reassess by:

• Completing additional assessments or surveys. (Remember: survey fatigue is a myth.)
• Asking individual employees for their feedback on implementation thus far.
• Putting that feedback into action. Were there inefficiencies or frustrations with the process? Did the timeline for writing those job descriptions feel unclear? Small changes reap big rewards.

Don’t stop at the first positive result. Circle back. Ask people how they’re feeling about the change: what’s working and what’s not. Then adjust or course-correct as necessary.

Putting transformation in motion: gains for employees, companies, and your future

When you implement thoughtful, targeted interventions, you create compelling evidence that helps you secure the buy-in and budget needed for organization-wide mental health changes.

And even small changes can reduce employee risk and improve trust.

• By addressing bullying and harassment head-on, a tech company created a culture of safety and prevention instead of fear and blame. Productivity soared because of it.
• By focusing on improving morale, employees at a call center weren’t just happier: they worked smarter, stayed longer, and moved out of high-risk categories for good.
• By giving employees and their managers a stake in the solution, teams at one company led productive and meaningful conversations around role responsibilities, lessening friction between teams, managers, and their direct reports.

These results aren’t limited to the employees and teams around you. As a mental health champion, you can also positively impact your own future. Following the successful launch of some key mental health initiatives with the help of Lyra, one HR leader was able to boost her visibility among the leadership team and make the case for her professional advancement.

–

With Lyra, you have a partner and a champion of your own.

We’ll be with you through every step of the process — together we’ll find an entry point, gain needed buy-in, collect data with our Organizational Health Assessment, then implement and reassess that change to make sure it’s working.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Lyra can help you transform the mental health culture of your organization—and change the lives of your people for the better—start a conversation with our team today.

The ground beneath workforce mental health is shifting fast. After years of progress, pressure is mounting. Health care costs are rising, employee needs are growing more complex, and AI is reshaping how we live and work. In the middle of it all, HR and benefits leaders are being asked to do the impossible: contain costs without compromising care quality or employee well-being.

Workforce mental health is entering its toughest test yet, and the decisions leaders make now will shape the future of employee health, performance, and retention.

To uncover how organizations are meeting this moment, we surveyed more than 500 HR and benefits leaders from U.S.-based global organizations. The findings reveal the most pressing challenges for organizations in 2026, and the bold strategies you can use to meet them head on.

Download the full Lyra Trends Forecast for even more insights and strategies to stay ahead of 2026’s biggest workforce mental health challenges.

Trend #1: Resilience wears thin as mental health leaves and complex needs rise

Over the past several years, many organizations have made meaningful progress, strengthening their mental health strategies, expanding access to care, and recognizing that employee well-being is business-critical. But new data suggests pressure is building once more: rates of complex conditions—like substance use—are climbing, mental health-related leaves are accelerating, and signs of stress are resurfacing.

Traditional benefits may not be built for the scale or intensity of what’s ahead. Without deeper, more proactive support, the risk to workforce resilience will only grow.

of benefits leaders say disability leaves are on the rise

Signs resilience has run out

More benefits leaders report worsening employee mental health:

• Complex conditions (e.g., severe depression or anxiety, suicidality): up 88% YoY
• Substance use: up 26% YoY
• Employee mental health decline: up 50% YoY
• Sick days tied to mental health: up 36% YoY

We’re at the same kind of turning point we saw a decade ago when traditional EAPs gave way to more robust offerings. The standard for mental health at work is shifting again—toward proactive strategies, emphasis on sustainable work design, and truly comprehensive care.

– Joe Grasso, PhD, VP of Workforce Transformation, Lyra Health

Trend #2: AI is the double-edged sword of progress

AI is already reshaping the workplace, but benefits leaders are split on what it means for employee well-being. Over a third say it’s fueling anxiety, while others see potential to ease workloads and improve balance.

What leaders do agree on: AI should enhance mental health care, not replace it. Nearly all emphasize the need for tech that improves access and reduces barriers without sacrificing trust, transparency, or the human connection employees rely on.

Pressure vs. promise

of benefits leaders say AI is driving employee stress and job anxiety

expect AI to improve work-life balance through reduced workload

AI should be treated as a massive change-management initiative. Without clear guidance, employees are left with the mandate to use new tools, but no roadmap. This fuels stress, uncertainty, and anxiety.

– Joe Grasso, PhD, VP of Workforce Transformation, Lyra Health

Trend #3: Caregiving stress is the invisible load breaking your workforce

Caregiving has become a second job for many employees, and it’s taking a toll. From rising burnout to higher absenteeism and health care costs, the impact on workplace performance is real. Nearly half of benefits leaders now rank caregiving and family stress as a top workforce issue—a tenfold jump from just last year.

Yet finding flexible, reliable care remains a challenge. As caregiving demands surge, organizations that close this gap with better support aren’t just easing the burden at home—they’re building a stronger, more loyal workforce.

Most of what the system does for kids’ mental health is reactive—waiting until they struggle. What’s missing is a systematic, proactive approach to help children build resilience from the start.

– Alethea Varra, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer, Lyra Health

Pressures are mounting, but so are the opportunities

The 2026 trends reveal a clear warning: mental health needs are deepening, and traditional benefits aren’t keeping pace. But those that see where workforce mental health is headed—and move first—have an opportunity to build resilient, high-performing teams for the future.

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.