Tiffany Atkinson

With a little over a week left in May, you’ve probably noticed an uptick in mental health awareness content on your feed.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, after all.

While I appreciate the posts encouraging more open conversations on mental health in the workplace, I want to remind everyone that this should be a norm we practice all year round.

With mental health struggles rising worldwide, it’s crucial for us to build workplaces where talking about mental health isn’t taboo.

This not only helps those who are struggling but also sets a standard for how we view our overall health.

One group that can particularly benefit from open dialogue on mental health is those living with invisible conditions.

It’s estimated that 10% of Americans live with a physical, mental, or neurological condition that isn’t visible from the outside but can limit how they navigate the world.

These conditions, often called invisible conditions, can range from chronic illnesses to learning differences and vision or hearing impairments.

A frequently overlooked challenge faced by those living with invisible conditions is the toll it can take on mental health, especially when trying to keep up with career demands.

Not because living with an invisible condition makes someone less capable, but because it can thrust them into an unplanned battle of keeping up appearances when they’re feeling their worst.

In fact, it’s widely understood that most people living with invisible conditions do not self-identify or disclose their condition in the workplace.

Often fearing that disclosing their condition will result in retribution or accusations of faking or taking advantage of their condition.

As someone who has lived with two invisible conditions since the age of 19, one of which is a disability, I am all too familiar with these fears.

I have experienced firsthand the mental health struggles that can come from building a career while living with these conditions.

I encourage you to take everything you learned this May about the importance of discussing and prioritizing mental health in the workplace with you throughout the year.

Because you never know who could be suffering in silence and could use someone checking in on them.

Take Care,
Tiffany