World Mental Health Day 2026

Coming back from the most incredible holiday in Crete, and with World Mental Health Day upon us, I’ve found myself reflecting on something that feels particularly relevant, both personally and to the work I do.

For perhaps the first time in a very long time, I totally switched off. And I mean properly switched off. I stopped thinking about the next email, the next piece of work, the next deadline or what I should be doing.

Instead, I simply appreciated my time. Time with the people I love. Time sitting in the sunshine, eating wonderful food, laughing, exploring, doing very little and sometimes doing absolutely nothing.

And somewhere along the way, I think I finally understood just how important it is to step away, slow down and give ourselves permission to rest.

I’ve come home feeling refreshed, energised and genuinely excited about what is going to be a very busy few months. But I’ve also realised that being ready to get back to work doesn’t mean I need to go back to being permanently switched on.

It’s something I’ve been thinking about a great deal, particularly because so much of my work focuses on creating healthier, more inclusive workplace cultures where people feel valued, supported and able to thrive.

When I deliver sessions on workplace wellbeing, psychological safety, inclusive leadership and organisational culture, we often explore the importance of recognising stress, looking after our mental health, building resilience and knowing when to ask for support.

And, of course, all of these things matter enormously.

But I think we also need to look beyond what individuals can do to protect their own wellbeing and consider the environments in which they’re expected to work.

We’ve somehow created workplace cultures where being constantly available can be mistaken for being dedicated, where taking a proper lunch break can feel slightly rebellious, and where people sometimes apologise for taking annual leave they’re actually entitled to.

I’ve met people who feel guilty about switching off at the end of the day, who worry about how taking sick leave might be perceived, or who feel an unspoken pressure to demonstrate their commitment by working longer and longer hours.

And yet we continue to talk about the importance of work-life balance, self-care and mental health awareness.

There’s a contradiction here that I think we need to acknowledge.

We cannot keep encouraging people to look after their mental health while maintaining workplace cultures that make doing so unnecessarily difficult.

This is where leadership, organisational values and psychological safety become so important. Because a genuinely healthy workplace isn’t simply one that offers wellbeing initiatives or encourages people to talk about mental health. It’s one where people feel comfortable establishing boundaries, where workloads and expectations are reasonable, where asking for help isn’t seen as weakness, and where taking time away from work doesn’t come with an accompanying sense of guilt.

And perhaps most importantly, it’s one where leaders demonstrate these behaviours themselves, recognising that the example they set can be far more influential than the messages they communicate.

None of this means that we shouldn’t work hard, take pride in what we do or be committed to doing our jobs well. I certainly love my work and feel incredibly fortunate to do something that I find so rewarding and meaningful.

But loving what we do shouldn’t mean that everything else in our lives becomes secondary.

So, on this World Mental Health Day, I’m reminding myself of something I regularly encourage others to consider.

• Take your lunch break.
• Switch off when the working day ends.
• Enjoy your weekends.
• Take your holidays.
• Use your sick leave when you’re unwell.
• Spend time with the people who matter to you.

And please, don’t feel guilty for any of it.

These aren’t signs of a lack of commitment or professionalism. They’re part of maintaining healthy boundaries and recognising that our wellbeing, relationships and lives outside work are important too.

After all, we agree to bring our time, skills and experience to our jobs in return for pay and benefits. We don’t agree to hand over every evening, weekend, holiday or moment of our personal lives.

And organisations have a responsibility to respect that.

For me, this is what makes World Mental Health Day such an important opportunity. Not simply to raise awareness or encourage people to take better care of themselves, but to reflect on what we can all do to create environments that genuinely support good mental health.

Because great workplace cultures don’t just get the best from people. They want the best for people too.

I’m looking forward to getting back to work, reconnecting with clients and colleagues, and continuing the conversations that make what I do so rewarding.

But I’m also going to try very hard not to forget what Crete reminded me.

Work to live. Don’t live to work.

And perhaps that’s something worth remembering, not just on World Mental Health Day, but every day.

I’d love to know: Does your workplace genuinely encourage people to switch off and look after their wellbeing, or do we still have some way to go in changing our expectations around work?