Addressing the Issue Instead of Looking Away: Why We Talk About Mental Health at empiriecom
Sometimes you can tell that something isn’t right. Someone is quieter than usual, seems tense, or withdraws. Your own thoughts can also be a sign: You’ve been trying to juggle everything for days, until eventually you run out of energy. At empiriecom, we believe mental health is an integral part of our team spirit, because personal thoughts and worries don’t just disappear the moment the workday begins. We don’t leave anyone to deal with them alone.
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Our MHFA-certified colleagues are an important point of contact. The acronym MHFA stands for Mental Health First Aid. Yvonne is an MHFA-certified colleague at empiriecom and works closely with the teams as a Scrum Master and coach. We spoke with her about what motivated her to pursue this training, how she experiences her role, and what she considers particularly important when it comes to mental health.
Why do we need MHFA practitioners?
For Yvonne, it all began with an observation she made in her day-to-day work: Together with other colleagues, she realized that there was a need for mental health support, but at the same time, people lacked the knowledge to respond appropriately.
Her training as an MHFA responder was therefore intended to provide her with one thing above all else: confidence in dealing with questions such as: What can I do if someone isn’t feeling well? How do I approach someone if I get the impression that something isn’t right? And when does it make sense to seek professional help?
The goal is not to make diagnoses or take on therapeutic roles. MHFA practitioners listen, take concerns seriously, and help find an appropriate solution. Anyone who needs a listening ear or advice can reach out to them at any time.
The program is supplemented by workshops and a Mental Health Teams channel where information, tips, and resilience exercises are shared. A peer group is also in the planning stages.
When a lot of things happen at once
Most of the time, it’s not just one thing. Often, it’s the interplay of various factors: multiple tasks running concurrently, frequent shifts between tasks, or the feeling of having to refocus over and over again. And at the same time, personal life continues with all its demands.
Yvonne knows this from many conversations: what helps in these situations varies from person to person. For some, writing down their thoughts helps, which often leads to greater clarity. Others step outside for a moment of fresh air after a long meeting to clear their heads. And sometimes, even a quick breathing exercise or a glass of water is enough to take a breather for a moment.
Above all, Yvonne believes it’s important to recognize and take your own limits seriously. The “stress traffic light,” for example, can help you recognize early on when stress is building or when the first warning signs appear.
After all, we often don’t realize it ourselves until it’s actually already too late.
Speak up if something isn't right
It’s often even harder to know how to react when someone else isn’t doing well.
Many people feel unsure in these situations: Is the question too personal? Am I crossing a line? Does this have anything to do with work at all? Before long, we settle for simply observing, even though we actually want to be there for our coworkers.
Yvonne encourages people to approach the person openly and seek out a conversation. You don’t need a special way to start. Something as simple as “You don’t seem like your usual self right now. What’s on your mind?” can be enough.
Once the conversation has started, it’s all about listening. It’s not about finding a solution right away or judging what’s being said, but about giving the other person space. Just the feeling of being seen and taken seriously can mean a lot.
Yvonne hopes that it will become just as natural to say, “I’m not feeling so great right now,” as it is to say, “I need help with a task.”
Sometimes that starts with a simple question:
“What’s on your mind right now?”