Start With Kindness: Four Tips for Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace

Lessons from a Clinical Psychologist

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked Dr. Andrew Bertagnolli, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the National Medical Director of Virtual Behavioral Health Services at One Medical, to share some of his mental health tips for employees and employers.

As a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience helping people with their mental health, Bertagnolli has seen what makes a difference. He’s a proponent of starting small and leading with compassion. “In practice, the strategies that seem to help most are the ones people can sustain. Consistency beats intensity,” Bertagnolli said. “Self-compassion matters more than many people realize. People tend to do better when they respond to stress with kindness rather than self-criticism.”

Here are four tips from Bertagnolli that HR and benefits leaders can practice, model, and share with employees to nurture mental health.

Treat mental health as a shared priority

There is continued momentum around the idea that workplace mental health is not just an individual responsibility. “More leaders are recognizing that employee well-being is shaped by culture, workload, communication, flexibility, and whether people feel supported and valued,” Bertagnolli said.

“Employers can encourage healthier norms around communication and availability,” Bertagnolli advised. “Not every update needs to feel urgent. Not every employee needs to be plugged in all day. Protecting recovery time matters. Autonomy helps too — people’s mental health tends to improve when they have some control over how they organize their work, manage their time, and recover during the day.”

A culture of openness, without the stigma around mental health, is also beneficial. People do better at work when they feel safe asking questions, naming challenges, and speaking honestly without fear of embarrassment or punishment, Bertagnolli said. Leaders can help instill this culture by talking about their mental health journeys at work. Social connection helps, too: “Feeling supported by even one trusted colleague, supervisor, or friend can make a real difference,” he added.

Model simple mental health practices

Some of the most effective mental health practices are also the simplest, Bertagnolli reminded us. “I come back to a few basics again and again: getting outside, moving my body, keeping some structure in the day, and noticing when I need to step away instead of pushing harder,” he said.

Practice and share these proven mental health strategies from Bertagnolli:

Create a simple start-of-day plan. Pick your top one to three priorities instead of carrying the whole day in your head.
Pause for one minute between tasks. Take a few slow breaths, unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders, and let your nervous system reset.
Try a “tiny check-in” once or twice a day. Ask yourself: What am I feeling right now? What do I need most in the next hour? That small moment of awareness can help prevent stress from building in the background. It can be especially useful when stress is coming not only from work itself, but also from layoffs, economic uncertainty, or difficult news.
Use short movement breaks. A brief walk, standing stretch, or even walking during a phone call can help reduce mental fatigue and improve focus.
Protect a few minutes of transition time after work. Even a short routine, like changing clothes, taking a walk, or putting your laptop away, can help your brain shift out of work mode.

Research points to the benefits of small pauses throughout the day, Bertagnolli said. “One growing area of focus is microbreaks and recovery during the workday. The idea is that mental health is shaped not only by what happens before or after work, but also by the small moments of recovery built into the workday itself.” Take the lead in easing workloads

Take the lead on easing workloads

Sometimes the best mental health strategy is not “do more,” but “carry less,” Bertagnolli emphasized. He shared five ways leaders can support employees with this strategy:

Reduce preventable stress where possible. That includes manageable workloads, clear expectations, reasonable deadlines, and fewer unnecessary interruptions.
Help people separate what is within their control from what is outside of it. That is especially important during periods of uncertainty.
Train managers to respond supportively. A manager does not need to be a therapist, but they can learn how to check in, listen well, and point people toward support early.
Make help easy to access. Benefits only matter if employees know about them, trust them, and can actually use them without stigma.
Support flexibility where possible. Even small amounts of flexibility can help people manage stress, appointments, caregiving, and recovery.

Bertagnolli also pointed out that sometimes the stress people feel at work is about more than their workload. “It’s important for employers to recognize that employees may be affected by more than their immediate task list. During periods of layoffs, economic instability, or heavy world news, concentration, morale, and trust may all take a hit. Naming that reality with care can help people feel seen rather than expected to act as though nothing is happening.” Be kind to yourself

Be kind to yourself

As a leader, you are part of shaping the culture around mental health at your workplace. Being kind to yourself is one of the best places you can start, Bertagnolli reminded us.

“One thing I find especially helpful is asking a very simple question: What is the kindest next step I can take right now? Not the perfect step, just the next kind one. That tends to lower pressure and make action feel more possible,” he shared.

“I also like to remind people that protecting their attention is a form of self-care,” Bertagnolli added. “It is okay to step back from nonstop input, especially when the news cycle feels relentless.” Set limits on news consumption during the day. Instead of checking headlines constantly, choose one or two planned times to catch up, then return to what’s in front of you.

Bertagnolli shared a few more messages for self-compassion:

You do not have to fix everything today.
Small steps still count.
Rest is not a reward you have to earn.
Needing support does not mean you are failing. It means you are human.
Your mental health deserves the same attention you would give any other part of your health.

Putting these messages on signs around the office and in your company’s communication channels can help them be adopted as workplace culture.

Make it easier to care for mental health

Support for mental health is an important part of helping everyone show up — leaders and employees. Benefits that include mental health support, like those we offer at One Medical, are key to this. With our collaborative care program, everyone can do their best at work.

Learn more about how One Medical can help your employees to stay healthy here.