May is Mental Health Month, and here in Canada, the first week of May marks Mental Health Week. But before you get the “Wellness Wednesday” emails and posters about deep breathing or office yoga, let’s take a moment to talk about something we often avoid — how we really are.
Not how we say we are.
Not how we look we are.
But how we actually are.
Because that’s where the conversation needs to start.
The Mask We Wear at Work
You know the one. The “I’m fine” mask. The “let me push through” mask. The “everything’s under control” mask. Most of us wear it. Some of us are it. But here’s the truth: leadership, connection, and mental wellness don’t live under that mask.
They start the moment we check in with ourselves — honestly.
In our training at Broadmind, we call this leading without the mask. It’s the idea that the best leaders (and teammates) are the ones who can pause and ask:
“How am I actually doing?”
Not for optics. Not for performance. But for real.
This question sounds simple, but it’s bold. It’s vulnerable. And it’s where real psychological safety starts.
So, What Might Be Under the Mask?
During Mental Health Week, we invite you to explore what might be hiding underneath:
- Are you feeling overwhelmed but pretending you're just "busy"?
- Are you on edge — but blaming your team, the traffic, the inbox?
- Are you avoiding conversations or dreading meetings, but calling it "just a phase"?
These are real signals. Not flaws. Not failures. Just signs that something inside you needs a little attention.
And that is mental health work.
Let’s Try This Together
Here’s a quick check-in — a way to lead without the mask, even if you're not sure where to start:
Ask yourself:
- Am I reacting more than I want to?
- Am I numb or disconnected from the people around me?
- Am I feeling too much — or not enough?
If the answer is yes to any of these, take a breath. That’s not a diagnosis. That’s data. And it means your nervous system, emotions, or body might be waving a little flag.
Leading Without the Mask
You don’t need to be the most emotionally fluent person in the room to support someone else’s mental health. You just need to be grounded enough in your own. And that takes care — not performance.
This May, instead of putting on the face of “wellness,” we’re inviting you to get curious:
- What helps you feel like your truest self at work?
- What boundaries or resets might help?
- What’s one tiny way you could unmask — just a little?
Remember: people don't connect to perfection. They connect to presence.
Want to Go Deeper?
At Broadmind, we’re hosting workshops, self-care refreshers, and training sessions that help leaders and teams build the real skills behind showing up authentically.
Because this isn’t about bubble baths and breathing apps.
This is about building the courage and clarity to show up — as yourself.
Let’s unmask together.
Your real self is not too much. It’s exactly where leadership — and healing — begins.
- Sherry Lachine