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Your boss impacts your mental health more than your therapist: 8 Tips for Managers in Distress

Let's talk about the mental health of managers, who are often antagonized and overlooked when it comes to discussing their mental well-being.

By:
Ileana Castro & Ricardo Guerrero
November 13, 2024
8 Tips for Managers in Distress

Employees’ mental health is equally influenced by their managers as by their partners at home. In fact, both have a greater impact than employees' therapists, according to a global study of 3,400 people by the Workforce Institute.

But before you use this powerful statistic as a new excuse, today we want to talk about the mental health of managers themselves, who are often antagonized and ignored when it comes to discussing their mental well-being. In our experience transforming work environments their mental health directly influences how they manage their teams.


"Sometimes being a manager is a lonely road, with tough decisions and the responsibility of everything and anything that happens in your team."
-Ileana Castro, People Manager


As our People Leader at Fuckup Nights has said, being a manager is a constant effort to balance the challenge of inspiring a team to be the best version of themselves, while empathizing with their personal circumstances. It can be hard to balance the personal with the professional.

In management roles, mental health is essential because it impacts the presence or absence of:

  • Psychological safety
  • Pro-mental health habits and rituals
  • Motivation
  • Flexibility and work-life balance

If 80% of employees currently prioritize their mental health over a well-paid job(The Workforce Institute), managers' mental health is more important than ever.

8 Tips for Managers in Distress

On this occasion we list some good practices (in addition to seeking professional help) suggested by Ile, our People Manager:

4 Tips to Ask for Help:

  1. Be transparent: Being open about your struggles builds empathy and true moral leadership, while inspiring your team to share their own challenges and areas of opportunity.
  2. Be specific: Request help in a clear and specific way. This helps others to better understand what you need and reinforces the idea that everyone is working toward the same goal.
  3. Practice Smart Delegation: Identify each team member's strengths and assign tasks that will allow them to stretch and grow. They might make a few mistakes at the beginning, but people always step up when you trust them.
  4. Creates a circle of safety: By modeling openness in asking for help, managers create a culture where the team feels safe to speak up, strengthening collaboration and problem-solving.

4 Tips to Overcome Isolation:

  1. Build support networks: The pressure of decision-making and appearing strong causes leaders to isolate themselves (especially men). Make a habit of sharing your biggest challenge at least once a month with people who have your back.
  2. Be vulnerable: A leader that shows their full self, not just their role, fosters a relationship of mutual support. By opening up, leaders lighten the burden of isolation. Perhaps it's time to share your failures with your team.
  3. Surround yourself with other leaders: Develop a network of trusted advisors you can rely on. Join or create external mentor circles or peer groups with similar roles. It can be very helpful for finding support and guidance during lonely times.
  4. Know yourself: Learn when you tend to react with negativity. Grow your emotional intelligence through meditative activities. These allow you to develop new and better ways to react to challenging situations.

Remember that when a manager asks for help, it demonstrates intelligence and humility, and shows that everyone has opportunities for growth. This can allow us to do business at the speed of trust.

If you know a manager in distress who could benefit from these tips, don't hesitate to forward this information.

Our Fuckup Nights experiences for companies have proven to be a great way for teams and leaders alike to collectively catharsis,an excellent opportunity to share mistakes and learnings, the first step to improve your work environment. Learn more and take the first step here.

Co-written by Ricardo Guerrero & Ileana Castro

Edited by Pepe Villatoro

Edited by

Your boss impacts your mental health more than your therapist: 8 Tips for Managers in Distress
Ricardo Guerrero
Media Editor & Newsletter Coordinator
Content & typos creator. He probably posted this blog by himself, and thinks it's awkward to write his own bio. Fuckuppin's mom.
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