Courage is defined as “the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” It’s no wonder then that courage is an integral component of mental health. By calling on the strength inside each and every one of us, we can face challenges that, on the surface, seem insurmountable. Whether its persevering through difficult moments, confronting past demons, or choosing to accept the things we can’t control and focusing on those we can, we will all have to summon courage time and again throughout our lives and our careers.  But believing in your courage ..read more

When it comes to mental health in the workplace, the buck stops at the top. A survey of 34,000 people across ten countries revealed that 60% of people worldwide say their job is the biggest factor influencing their mental health. And whether we realize it or not, the way we show up to work, as managers, leaders or colleagues, affects the environment around us, and the people in it.  Managers in particular have an outsized influence on our mental health in the workplace. The same study showed that managers have just as much of an impact on people’s mental health as their spouse, and even m ..read more

Some people see work as a job, a means to a paycheck they need to live their lives outside the office. Others see work as a career, climbing the ladder one job at a time. But what happens when your job is not only work, but a mission, a passion or, in the case of my guest today, your life? In 2011, the Arab Spring reached Syria. Syrians of all ages took to streets and town squares to peacefully protest against the government’s corruption and economic policies, and to demand democratic reforms. Rather than listen, President Bashar Al Assad and his regime responded with brutal force. The ensuing ..read more

Mental health takes on a whole new meaning when you live in a country in constant crisis. At the age of 40, my guest Karma Ekmekji, a mediation advisor and peace and security professional, along with millions of Lebanese, has lived through multiple upheavals in her lifetime. A devastating civil war, internal conflict, political crime and economic strife have traumatized generations of Lebanese. The COVID pandemic battered an already exhausted population. And as if that weren't enough for one country to handle, in August 202o, nearly 3 thousand tons of stored ammonium nitrate exploded at the Be ..read more

Is there really such a thing as Superman or Superwoman? Being a working parent can sometimes feel overwhelming: trying to balance the responsibilities of parenthood while showing up fully at work can lead to burnout, anxiety and that nagging feeling that you aren’t doing the best that you can, at the office or at home. Add to that a high-pressure environment, in this case working in the U.S government on national security issues, and a bad boss, and the pressure increases exponentially. So how do people do it? Turns out, Superhumans only exists on tv. In real life, working parents are just hum ..read more

Mental health issues among physicians are a silent and global epidemic. In 2021, the British Medical Association reported that nearly two-thirds of doctors in the UK have anxiety or depression. Each year in the US, roughly 300-400 doctors die by suicide. Studies have shown that suicide rates among doctors were 2-3 times higher than the general population in both the US and the UK. Nearly half of junior doctors and 1 in 3 GPs are considering leaving the profession, with the top reason being burnout.   And its not only in the West that there is a crisis in the medical field: in Lebanon ..read more

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol was stormed by a violent mob, a traumatic and terrifying experience for the entire nation, but particularly those in the building. My guest today, Congressman Andy Kim, was present that day. A photograph of the Congressman cleaning the floors of the Capitol building afterwards went viral, capturing the gravity of the task that lay ahead not just in cleaning up the Capitol but also politics in America.  Congressman Andy Kim is a Democrat representing the 3rd District of New Jersey and a former career public servant under both Democrats and Repu ..read more

Throughout my career, I have seen friends and colleagues suffer the effects of depression, PTSD, anxiety, trauma and more, both personal and work-related. I have suffered many of those symptoms myself through the nature of my work in national security and countering hate and extremism. Like many of you, I’ve experienced first-hand the severely detrimental effects on mental health that stem from an unprepared or unwilling workplace and leadership, particularly in high-stress, high-stakes career fields like national security, the military, conflict journalism, medicine, tech and more. I created ..read more