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Parents of teens are carrying more than most workplaces realize. After long workdays, many shift straight into managing academic stress, social media crises, identity questions, and the constant worry: Is my teen OK—or is something more serious going on?

Teens, meanwhile, are navigating a world of relentless comparison, 24/7 digital noise, and unprecedented pressures. Nearly half (40%) report persistent sadness, and 20% have seriously considered suicide in the past year.

In my clinical work, I see this strain every day. Parents are exhausted, teens are overwhelmed, and the ripple effects extend into the workplace. Employers are feeling it, too. Nearly half of benefits leaders now rank caregiving and family stress as a top workforce issue—a tenfold jump from last year. They’re seeing the consequences: higher absenteeism, more out-of-network claims and ER visits, and productivity loss.

The challenge isn’t that families don’t want help—it’s that they can’t find good, quality care. Ninety percent of benefits leaders say employees struggle to find benefits tailored to caregivers, and 89% say high quality mental health care for kids and teens is hard to access. More than half report rising claims related to child and teen mental health.

Today’s families are navigating systems that weren’t designed for the realities they face. 

Why today’s teens need a different kind of care

Adolescence has always been complicated. The difference today is the rising prevalence, context, and severity. 

These pressures don’t just affect teens—they redefine what mental health care needs to look like. Long waitlists, generalist clinicians, and poor quality care should not be acceptable for our youth. Teens need care that is fast, specialized, digitally-aware, identity-affirming, evidence-based, and integrated with family support.

A new model for teen mental health care

If the world has changed for teens, our care models must change with it. The mistake many employers and even families make is assuming teen mental health care is just “adult therapy, but younger.” It’s not. Today’s care should include:

When care is designed this way, teens engage more consistently, parents feel supported, and families get better outcomes. Programs like Lyra Care for Teens illustrate what’s possible—fast access to specialists, evidence-based therapy tailored to teens, skill-building exercises, secure messaging, and centralized family resources.

How employers can support this evolution

Employers can’t solve every challenge teens face, but they can influence benefits and policies that determine whether families thrive or struggle.

1. Offer comprehensive youth mental health benefits, including youth specialists, culturally responsive care, virtual therapy, parent coaching, crisis support, and minimal wait times.

2. Communicate benefits clearly and often: during open enrollment, onboarding, awareness events, and manager communications.

3. Build flexibility into work, including time off for appointments, remote options, or flexible schedules.

4. Normalize conversations about family mental health – Train managers, engage ERGs, and reinforce that using benefits is encouraged.

5. Support parents directly – Partner with a benefit that offers expert-led webinars, guides, and parent-focused support.

When families thrive, workforces thrive

Teen mental health is shaping the well-being of today’s workforce, and the workforce of tomorrow. With the right support, teens build resilience and confidence, and parents experience real relief. Employers who invest in family-centered solutions aren’t just helping parents breathe again. They’re helping families thrive and strengthening their workforce.

Serious mental illness is rising sharply in today’s workforce. According to Lyra’s Workforce Mental Health Trends Report, complex conditions like severe depression and suicidality are up 88% year over year, and substance use concerns are up 26%. Even as stigma declines and more people seek help, they’re arriving with far higher-acuity needs. Lyra data shows a 46% increase in symptom severity since 2021, which means many employees now require care that goes beyond standard outpatient support.

These rising needs are showing up exactly where benefits leaders feel the strain: 65% report an increase in serious mental health–related absences, and mental health–related sick days have jumped 36%. As a clinician, it’s clear to me that traditional benefits alone aren’t enough to manage this level of acuity.

Why complexity matters

Serious mental illness includes conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, complex PTSD, and substance use disorders with co-occurring issues. These are not conditions that resolve with a few therapy sessions or sporadic access to a psychiatrist. They require coordinated, multifaceted treatment, and most employees simply don’t have access to it. 

Layer in the stressors people are facing today, like economic uncertainty, caregiving strain, rapid workplace change, and sociopolitical tension, and the likelihood of symptom escalation increases.

Then they enter an incredibly fragmented care system: long waits, difficulty accessing psychiatry, multiple systems and referrals, and unclear next steps. Clinically, that’s a setup for worsening symptoms. Organizationally, it shows up as reduced functioning, lost productivity, and, in many cases, extended leave. Not because employees aren’t trying, but because the system wasn’t designed for the complexity of their needs.

Misconceptions that hold employers back

These assumptions come up often, and they’re simply not true:

The real issue isn’t the individual. It’s the mismatch between their needs and the care model surrounding them.

Strategies to support employees with serious mental illness

Employers can make a meaningful difference by aligning benefits with clinical reality:

  1. Identify and treat serious mental illness early – Timely assessments and fast access to specialty therapy or medications stabilize symptoms before they intensify.
  2. Keep employees engaged in coordinated care – Integrated programs that blend therapy, medications, and condition-specific support dramatically improve outcomes.
  3. Replace fragmented offerings with unified care – A cohesive system eliminates the navigation burden and reduces the risk of people falling through the cracks.
  4. Foster a supportive culture and equip managers – Psychologically safe workplaces and manager training encourage early help-seeking—the most effective form of prevention.
  5. Choose benefits that truly support high-need populations – Move past “check the box” solutions. Prioritize benefits intentionally designed for complex conditions.

Closing the gaps that put employees at risk

Rising mental health leave is a symptom, not the root issue. Employees’ needs are becoming more complex, but most care systems haven’t evolved to match that complexity.

When employers invest in integrated, specialized care, they’re not just reducing escalation and leave—they’re protecting their workforce and ensuring people get the level of support their conditions demand.

If you’ve ever set a New Year’s resolution and abandoned it a few weeks later, you’re not alone. A Forbes Health survey shows that most people give up their resolutions within the first four months of the year.

But why is it so hard to stick with them? “What I see most often is that people don’t create a plan they can actually stick with,” says Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Chelsea Vinas. “Sometimes the goal is so big that even taking the first step feels overwhelming. People also tend to focus only on the end result instead of noticing and celebrating the progress they make along the way.”

The type of goal you set can also make a big difference. According to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the goals you make that stick tend to focus on your overall well-being—things like reducing stress and taking care of your mental health.

We’ve put together a list of 21 simple, meaningful New Year’s goals to support your mental health this year, plus expert tips to help you stay motivated and on track.

Tips for keeping your New Year’s goals

No matter what your goals are for the coming year, these tips may make them easier to achieve. And, if you’re still working on last year’s resolutions, they can also help you finish the year strong.

Start small

“If you’re struggling to make progress, the first step is probably too big,” says Vinas. “Try making the first step so small and doable that it’s hard to miss, which will create momentum to continue on.” 

Try habit stacking

Instead of starting from scratch, build your new habit onto something you already do. “Habit stacking” makes the goal part of your existing routine.

For example, “After my morning coffee, I’ll drink a glass of water” or, “After I turn off my alarm, I’ll write down one thing I’m grateful for.”

Align your goals to your values

“When setting goals, ask yourself, why is this important to me?” says Vinas. Connecting your goal to a deeper reason can help you stay focused, especially when things get tough.

Writing your goals down, and including your “why,” can also increase your chances of following through. 

Loop in a friend

Telling someone about your New Year’s goals can help you stay accountable and give you a boost when your motivation starts to fade. 

Celebrate small wins

Progress isn’t just about big milestones—it’s about consistency. That could mean showing up, sticking with a habit for a week, asking for help, or doing something outside your comfort zone. Celebrating those wins builds confidence and keeps momentum going.

New Year’s goals: 21 ideas for improving your mental health

Want to set a New Year’s resolution that actually sticks, and feels good? These 21 ideas are simple, doable, and designed to support your mental health all year long.

1. Spend more time outside

Spending time in nature is proven to help lower stress and anxiety levels. Even a 10-minute walk, stretching after work, or sipping your coffee outside can help you hit the mental reset button. 

2. Try meditation

Regular meditation may lower stress, improve focus, and help you sleep better. If you’re new to it, start with a guided video to help you get the hang of it.

3. Schedule your self-care

We all say we want to make time for self-care, but then life happens. Block time for it on your calendar like you would any other priority.

4. Start a gratitude practice

Instead of focusing your New Year’s goals on what’s missing, try noticing what’s already good. Gratitude can boost happiness, improve sleep, and strengthen relationships.

5. Cut back on screen time

Excessive screen time is linked to decreased grey matter in the brain. Try simple swaps like keeping your phone out of the bedroom, deleting a social app, or starting your day screen-free.

6. Delegate something

You don’t have to do it all. Asking for help, at home or at work, helps lighten your mental load and prevent burnout. 

7. Say no

Saying “no” can be hard, but it’s a powerful form of self-care. It protects your time, energy, and peace of mind.

8. Prioritize sleep

There are so many benefits of getting enough sleep: better mood, memory, concentration, and stress management. Create a calming bedtime routine and aim for consistency—your brain will thank you. 

9. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of fully tuning into the present moment and accepting it without judgment. Pause, notice what’s around you, and gently bring your mind back to the present moment when it wanders. “Taking time to pause and reflect on the environment in moments we may take for granted can help decrease anxiety,” says Vinas.

10. Nurture your relationships

Strong social connections help reduce stress, combat loneliness, and remind you that you’re not alone. Send a quick text. Make that dinner plan. Practice asking for what you need in relationships and receiving feedback. 

11. Ditch the negative self-talk

Standing up to your inner critic is a New Year’s resolution that can shift your entire mindset. The way you speak to yourself shapes your self-esteem and mood, and negative self-talk is also strongly linked to conditions like depression. Taking time to challenge these negative thoughts is a powerful first step toward breaking the negativity cycle.

12. Try something new

Growth begins when we step outside our comfort zone. If you don’t have a specific goal in mind or a hobby you’d like to pursue, try simply setting a resolution to shake up your routine in small ways like trying a new food, visiting a store you’ve never been to, or signing up for a class.

13. Take a trip

“Go on a road trip, discover a new place, go back to a place you enjoyed, plan a trip for you and your loved ones, or go on a solo trip,” suggests Vinas. Travel gives your brain a boost and your stress a break.

14. Move more

A lot of New Year’s resolutions center around exercise, but you don’t have to have lofty weight-loss or muscle-building goals to benefit from a little extra movement. Try a short walk outside, a dance break, or a bike ride to lift your mood and energy.

15. Make time for fun

Joyful, unstructured moments help relieve stress and remind you that life isn’t only about productivity. Whether it’s revisiting a forgotten hobby, planning something spontaneous with friends, or simply setting aside time to do something that makes you laugh, building fun into your routine can boost your mood and help you recharge.

16. Declutter your space

Decluttering can have a surprisingly calming effect, even if it’s just a drawer or shelf. A tidy environment often leads to clearer thinking, reduced stress, and a greater sense of control, making it easier to relax and focus.

17. Drink less alcohol

You don’t have to quit completely. Try cutting back or joining a dry month challenge. Your mood, sleep, and energy may improve more than you expect.

18. Start journaling

Journaling can have a powerful effect on your mental health. It can help you process emotions, track thought patterns, and release stress. Prompts can help if you’re not sure where to start.

19. Breathe deeply

A few slow, intentional breaths can help reduce anxiety, lower stress levels, and create a sense of mental clarity. Set aside a few minutes a day to make it a regular habit or use it during stressful moments to get quick relief.

20. Ask for help

New Year’s goals often revolve around solo activities, reinforcing the idea that we need to carry all of our needs and worries alone. But asking for help—whether it’s with household chores, work tasks, or something bigger—can make life feel less overwhelming and even help us build a greater sense of connection. 

21. Try therapy or coaching

Talking to a mental health provider is one of the best long-term investments for your well-being. Whether you want to work through emotional challenges, heal from past trauma, or work with a coach to create a strategy for personal growth, the benefits of working with a qualified professional often extend long beyond your sessions, helping you better navigate life’s ups and downs. 

Be kind to yourself

You won’t stick to every goal perfectly, and that’s OK. What matters is the effort, not perfection. “Even if you don’t follow through on everything, setting goals gives life meaning and direction,” says Vinas. “If you find yourself in a position of not following through, it’s a great opportunity to get curious, not critical.”

And if you need a little help identifying New Year’s goals or staying motivated, a therapist or mental health coach can help you reset, refocus, and find a path that works for you.

Everyone works differently. Some people thrive in structure, others in flexibility. Some are energized by collaboration; others do their best thinking solo. Understanding and embracing these different work styles isn’t just considerate, it’s a strategic advantage.

Research shows that teams with cognitive diversity solve problems faster and produce higher-quality outcomes. When employees feel their working styles are supported, stress drops and collaboration improves. That’s critical in today’s environment, where 92% of employees say they want to work for organizations that value emotional well-being.

The foundation lies in psychological safety. Google’s Project Aristotle study found that this ability to take risks, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear is the single biggest predictor of team success. When teams prioritize trust, openness, and collaboration, diverse work styles complement each other rather than clash. Friction becomes synergy.

What is a work style?

Work styles describe how people prefer to approach tasks, communicate, and solve problems. They’re shaped by personality, experience, and environment, and they can evolve as people and teams grow.

When leaders ask, “What’s your work style?” they’re really uncovering how someone thinks, collaborates, and thrives at work. Recognizing these patterns helps teams pair strengths effectively and provide the right kind of support.

Types of work styles

There’s no single framework, and most people don’t fit neatly into one box. Many shift between working styles depending on the project, environment, or team dynamic. For example, you might prefer independent focus for deep work, but lean collaborative when brainstorming or solving complex problems.

These styles reflect themes from the VIA character strengths framework—a tool that helps people understand the qualities that align with their innate strengths and personal values. Think of them as flexible guideposts, not rigid labels.

Independent

Collaborative

Supportive

Idea-oriented

Detail-oriented

Proximity

What is your work style?

Discovering your work style requires self-reflection:

How to support different work styles

Creating space for diverse approaches requires intentional leadership.

Pair complementary styles. Match big-picture thinkers with detail-oriented doers, or independent workers with connectors. Diverse teams consistently produce stronger outcomes.

Build psychological safety. Encourage questions, experimentation, and healthy disagreement. Trust enables teams to learn and adapt.

Provide flexibility. Stanford research shows hybrid arrangements and flexible schedules help everyone work at their best.

Watch for burnout risks. Each style has vulnerabilities. Supportive employees may absorb too much emotional labor, while independent ones may overwork quietly. Use capacity checks and clear priorities for protection.

Normalize differences. No style is “better.” Strengths-based cultures see higher engagement and lower turnover. Research backs this up. McKinsey found that over half of employees report being unproductive when their work styles aren’t acknowledged or supported. Recognizing these differences helps re-engage teams and boost impact.

Measure and adapt. Track engagement and workload balance. Rotate rituals—like focus blocks, written updates, or team syncs—to keep collaboration fresh and fair.

Creating space for everyone to succeed

Recognizing and empowering different work styles gives organizations both a human and competitive edge. When people can lean into their natural strengths, teams move faster, innovate more, and maintain better well-being.

The work mental health providers do is profoundly meaningful—and often incredibly demanding as they balance their client’s needs with required administrative tasks. The Lyra AI Sessions Summaries tool helps lighten this administrative load, allowing providers to be even more focused and present with their clients throughout their day.

Built in close collaboration with clinicians, Lyra’s AI tool supports providers while keeping their professional autonomy and judgement at the center. It drafts a summary of each session they can review, edit, and finalize in their notes, ensuring documentation reflects their clinical expertise and perspective.

Built with providers in mind

Integrated into the Lyra Engage provider platform, Lyra AI Session Summaries streamlines paperwork so providers can stay engaged in their workflow. As part of the development, Lyra conducted a 10-week pilot study, designed to measure the usability and impact of the new Lyra AI Session Summaries. In the pilot, providers saved an average of three administrative hours per week from using the tool—time they could reinvest in planning, reflection, or recharging. Providers also saw real potential for AI to reduce their administrative work.

The pilot study found the tool to be:

Tested, trusted, and clinician-approved

Rigorous research is core to how we validate our results and build trust. Every Lyra AI tool is guided by Lyra’s Polaris Principles, our framework for safe, responsible AI in mental health care. The pilot study shows that when AI is designed and implemented thoughtfully, it can reduce administrative strain while supporting high-quality documentation.

Technology that supports providers

With around 75% of sessions now using Lyra AI Session Summaries, the tool is becoming a seamless part of providers’ workflow. With less paperwork, providers can dedicate more attention to the work they care about most—helping clients get better.

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. Carey Shore, Wellness Program Manager at Heidelberg Materials, is the winner of Lyra’s 2025 Workforce Mental Health Innovator of the Year award. Carey is a leader who has demonstrated a willingness to push limits and think boldly about the future of workforce mental health by launching programs like Heidelberg’s Well First Responders and working with leadership to reduce stigma and promote mental health at all levels of the organization. We had the privilege of speaking with her about how she promotes mental health in the workplace.

What is your approach to advocating for mental health?
A major reason we’ve been able to introduce innovative programs is strong leadership involvement. When leaders openly communicate that it’s OK to talk about mental health, and that support is confidential and free for employees, it sends a powerful message. Those are big deals. That leadership backing was critical for us in the beginning, and it continues to drive engagement and reinforce the importance of mental health today.

What are you especially proud of?
What I’m most proud of is that we’re driving engagement and utilization. I love seeing people use these resources—they’re engaged, they’re learning, and they’re getting help when they need it. And I’m proud that we’re talking openly about sensitive topics we never talked about before. We’re talking about suicide, anger management, parenting—real, sensitive issues that shape people’s lives. These conversations help create cultural transformation and better work-life balance. I feel like it’s truly making a difference for our people.

What do you or your members love most about the Lyra benefit?
What I hear most often about Lyra, and what our employees love, is how easy it is to use. If a benefit isn’t easy, people simply won’t use it. It has to feel comfortable, accessible, and seamless, and Lyra consistently delivers on that.

If another benefits leader asked why they should invest in a mental health benefit, what would you tell them?
I would say that mental health is essential. It’s truly the foundation of overall well-being. You can’t be physically if you’re not mentally well. That’s why having a high-quality provider, paired with ease of use and strong engagement, is key for any benefits package.

Managers have always been the engines of performance, but the role has changed dramatically. Today’s managers are expected not just to meet goals but to foster connection, adaptability, and well-being in their teams.

For HR leaders, that shift creates both a challenge and an opportunity: how to equip managers with the modern management skills that drive engagement, retention, and resilience. 

Lyra’s 2026 Workforce Mental Health Trends Forecast shows that while employee expectations have evolved, manager training hasn’t always kept pace. Many managers are navigating greater demands than ever—supporting team well-being, adapting to rapid change, and meeting rising performance goals—often without the tools or time to do it all effectively.

Yesterday’s skills won’t solve today’s problems

Management skills have typically focused on process: Do they know the software? Are the projects running on time? Did they fix the broken thing? But in an era where AI can build a project plan and a dashboard can flag a problem, human management skills have become the true competitive edge.

Today’s key people management skills include:

How to build “superpowered” managers

Developing great managers requires focused training and a culture that gives them space to apply what they learn.

#1 Modernize management skills training 

Most organizations offer training, but 95% of HR leaders say it’s not enough. A generic management skills webinar can’t prepare a manager to support a neurodiverse employee or respond to a mental health challenge. Without practical, scenario-based support, managers are left guessing—and employees feel the impact. This is especially important in leadership training for new managers who may be promoted for skills besides people management readiness.

Solution: Offer people management training that builds human-centered leadership skills—like empathy, adaptability, and mental health literacy—and pair it with individual coaching so managers can practice these skills, apply them to real situations, and get tailored guidance for their role.

#2 Reward people skills that lead to performance

If promotions hinge only on hitting numbers, you signal that people come second. Managers who connect and inspire can be as valuable as those who deliver metrics. 

This is a real business risk. Managers account for 70% of team engagement, and recent Gartner research found 75% of HR leaders say managers are overwhelmed by increasing job responsibilities.

Solution: Incorporate human connection skills into performance reviews. Use 360-degree feedback, and celebrate managers who build trust and engagement, in addition to the ones who crush a quota.

#3 Address “the middle squeeze”

Managers can’t build connections if they’re stretched to their limits. The average manager now oversees three times as many direct reports as in 2017. When capacity breaks, even the best skills can’t compensate.

Solution: Review manager workloads and goals. Create realistic spans of control and provide expert consultation and coaching support so managers aren’t carrying the emotional labor alone.

#4 Foster autonomy and trust

Micromanagement drains energy and engagement. High-performing teams thrive on autonomy and trust. 

Solution: Empower managers to coach, not control. This means giving employees ownership over their work and trusting them to deliver. Lyra’s report notes that 53% of leaders are redesigning roles and workloads to reduce chronic stressors, and building autonomy is a key way to do that.

#5 Prioritize self-care as a leadership skill

Managers who are overwhelmed can’t model balance for their teams. Self-care is not indulgent—it’s essential to effective leadership.

Solution: Normalize healthy boundaries, time off, and use of mental health resources when needed. When leaders care for themselves, they lead with more empathy, clarity, and sustainability.

Equip managers to lead with impact

The manager role has evolved faster than most organizations’ support systems. By investing in modern management skills now, you can help prevent burnout, strengthen culture, and build resilient teams ready for the future of work.

Coming back to work after losing someone you love can feel impossible. The routines that once felt normal now feel strange. Yet, the workplace can also be a place of healing—a space to reconnect, find purpose, and rebuild structure amid the challenges of grief. How you support someone returning from bereavement leave shapes not only how safe and supported they feel, but also how connected and committed they remain to your organization.

7 ways to support employees after bereavement leave

Some employees find comfort in the structure of work after a loss. Others need time to regain focus and balance in their daily routine. Supporting someone after bereavement leave isn’t about having the perfect words, it’s about creating space, showing empathy, and acknowledging their experience. 

#1 Acknowledge, don’t avoid

It can be difficult to see an employee or coworker affected by grief, especially in the early days after they return from bereavement leave. You might wish there is more you could do, like offering a perspective that eases their pain. Yet it’s often best to refrain from trying to comfort or “fix” an employee’s experience of grief with statements like, “You’ll feel better in time” or “At least they lived a long life.” These well-intentioned words can minimize the person’s pain, or even create the impression that you expect them to move on quickly. 

Instead, acknowledge their loss with something simple and genuine like “That sounds incredibly hard. I’m here for you.” However small, these compassionate interactions matter. You can’t make grief go away, but you can show that you see and respect it. Foster a work culture where grief and other challenges are acknowledged as part of the human experience, not avoided altogether. 

#2 Create a reentry plan together

Grieving employees may be tending to complex issues and making difficult decisions outside of work, particularly in the first month or two after a loss. As the employee returns, recognize that their grief experience continues. Discuss what would make the transition back to work easier—adjusted hours, modified workload priorities, or a gradual return schedule. Clarifying expectations early prevents overwhelm and signals that flexibility is supported, not penalized. In a study of bereaved employees, the most-used supports were those that offered flexibility and control, including flexible schedules (53%), reduced schedules (41%), and workload assistance (44%). 

#3 Follow their lead

Every employee’s needs are different. Healthy expressions of grief vary widely across individuals and cultural backgrounds. Some employees may want to talk about their loss at work, while others may need space to process their reactions privately. Ask how you can best support them and whether they’d like anything shared with the team on their behalf. Check in regularly, but let them set the pace and boundaries around what they choose to share. If the employee is a part of a team, consider encouraging co-workers to offer support in small ways, like sending a card or helping with a project, without putting pressure on the grieving employee to make a public response. 

#4 Help them prioritize

The pain of loss is an intensely emotional experience, but changes in emotion are not the only impact of grief at work. Some estimates indicate that up to 94% of grieving employees have trouble concentrating after a loss and as many as 91% feel significantly less productive. In the first weeks back, help employees focus on core responsibilities. When possible, offer flexibility—adjusted hours or workloads, remote work, or camera-off meetings—to ease the transition. Encourage open conversations about key priorities so they can manage their workload at a sustainable pace. 

#5 Expect fluctuations

Grief isn’t linear. One day an employee might seem fully engaged; the next, they may struggle to focus or participate. Grief can affect energy, concentration, and relationships. These are all natural responses to loss. If there’s an obvious work performance concern, it may be counterproductive to “intervene” on subtle changes that ultimately won’t last. If you notice changes in grieving employees, handle these with compassion (e.g.,“How have you been doing lately?”) and have open dialogues that account for fluctuations over time. Transparent conversations help employees feel connected and cared for through their grief journey and prevent premature disciplinary actions. Keep in mind that grief-related changes in motivation or performance may rebound in the days ahead. Incorporate an employee’s grief into the overall picture. 

#6 Be mindful of sensitive moments

Anniversaries, team celebrations, or milestones can stir painful memories or feelings. Give employees a heads-up and permission to opt out: “We’re planning a celebration next week. You’re welcome to join, but no pressure.” These small gestures honor their emotional experience and help employees feel supported to find the level of connection that is right for them.

#7 Watch for signs of deeper struggle

Changes in focus and motivation are normal after bereavement leave, and grief may be a lasting presence in someone’s life after a loss. But persistent withdrawal, emotional overwhelm, or major behavior changes (e.g., panic attacks, low mood, reports of sleep disturbances) may signal a need for extra mental health support. Some employees will cope with grief-related stress in less sustainable ways, like overworking—watch for signs of burnout or exhaustion and connect employees to mental health resources early. Most importantly, normalize the use of mental health supports by talking about them upfront  and showing people how easy they are to use. Lyra offers fast access to individual therapy services for a range of mental health concerns, including grief. 

Help grieving employees feel supported

Returning to work after a loss is a transitional time for both employees and their teams. Leading with empathy helps rebuild purpose,stability, and connection in the work environment. Your response can shape whether the workplace feels like a source of stress or support in the weeks ahead.

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:

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:

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:

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.