Every day, millions of people around the world face mental health challenges that they struggle to mask at the workplace; oftentimes, the workplace itself is the source of stress, anxiety and difficulty. Millions more face these challenges under conditions of extreme duress: war, economic collapse, or natural disasters, people still have to show up to work. And yet far too often, the workplace can aggravate, rather than support, an individual’s circumstances.

This has to change.

Mind/work is not just a show; it’s a mission to transform workplaces into healthier—and therefore more productive—spaces. It is also a community of people committed to sharing and implementing good mental health practices in their workplaces and communities. If you are part of the Mind/work community, you:

• Are never alone.

• Have access to support and resources if and when you need them.

• Are an integral part of the movement to normalise conversations about mental health in the workplace and strive to make a positive difference.

On the show and in conversations with the Mind/work community, you will listen to, read, and participate in conversations with people in every field of work who have lived experiences in what we discuss. From politics and medicine; journalism and academia; to tech and social media, we will uncover the stories, struggles and lessons behind mental health at work—and how we can all work together towards a stronger, healthier workplace.

Mind/work is the first venture of its kind in the mental health and workplace niche in that it combines three elements pillars:

1- Information to raise awareness;

2- Personal stories to inspire empathy and identify resources; and

3- Lessons and tools to elicit action.

The individuals on the show and in the community are not speaking about the issues from an intellectual or theoretical perspective; rather, they have experienced the issues in their career field. They can identify the solutions because they have lived the problem.

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, from serving as a communicator between US forces and the local population during the war in Iraq to translating for detainees in Guantanamo Bay. As a civil servant in the Pentagon to consulting in the private sector and Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs), I experienced first-hand the severely detrimental effects on mental health that stem from an unprepared or unwilling workplace apparatus and leadership, particularly in high-stress, high-stakes career fields like national security, the military, conflict journalism, emergency medicine and research on extremism, to name a few. As a result, I am committed to championing a complete transformation of the workplace: from a place that treats people like commodities to be discarded at the slightest sign of need or vulnerability, to a space that respects, nurtures and supports people when they show up for the job.

Thank you for joining me here. I look forward to getting to know you.

With love,

Jasmine