America’s olympians at the Paris games have made our country proud. As the games wrapped up Team USA brought home 126 medals—earning the most medals in 40 years—and tied for the gold.
Beyond the medals, they remain role models for all of us — something in short supply today. The resiliency of four Olympians in particular stand out to us.
Simone Biles shows us that her decision to prioritize her mental wellbeing over her gymnastic career in 2020 was the right one for team USA, despite the widespread criticism at the time.
“For anyone saying I quit. I didn’t quit, my mind & body are simply not in sync,” said Biles back then after making the tough decision to step away from the Tokyo olympics.
Now, with three gold medals out of Paris, Biles is literally the single best gymnast in the world. Her journey shows us how a mental health challenge doesn’t have to define your future. In fact, prioritizing mental health at work can lead to even greater professional success.
"I'm really excited to be competing again… I'm still in therapy, working on all that stuff, to just make sure my mental health is well," Biles said this month after taking first place in the vault. “After all these years of putting the mental work in, it's paid off.”
The American swimmer, Caleb Dressel, decided to take a detour from his career to navigate his panic attacks and depression. In 2022, he stepped away from swimming during the world championships for an eight month hiatus. But this year, amid both wins and losses, Dressel is more equipped to handle the ups and downs of competition at the highest levels.
A third Olympian, as many of us know by now, Michael Phelps experienced post-olympic depression, beginning in 2004. He saw it as a “sign of weakness” if he talked about it. He came to see talking about it and vulnerability as a strength.
Business leaders have the opportunity to show their workforce that taking care of your mental health is a strength, not a weakness. Like Biles, Dressel, Phelps, and just this week sprinter and gold medalist Noah Lyles, senior leaders can be champions for mental health in the workplace by talking about it and sharing their own personal stories.
"It got to the point where I was just so deep, deep inside of myself that I was just putting on a face and doing what I needed to do," Lyles shared with Olympics.com about his personal experience with depression.
Given the stigma and cultural riptides, many employees need permission to focus on their mental wellbeing. A Mind Share Partners / Harris Poll survey found that more than one-third of employed Americans (35%) say that stress about their mental health impacts their ability to do their work.
High expectations and the pressure to perform well exist in every workplace. Instead of moving on to the next goal, take the time to stop and celebrate the wins and milestones along the way. Celebrating wins fosters social support and feelings of connection, while skipping celebrations can increase stress and the risk of burnout.
As we look to the future of work, employee mental health is at the heart of a happier and productive workforce. When individuals thrive, the team thrives.
About Mind Share Partners
Mind Share Partners is a nonprofit that is changing the culture of workplace mental health so that both employees and organizations can thrive. We help employers create mentally healthy workplaces through consulting and training and are building a national movement to change the landscape around work.
Challenges like anxiety, burnout, and depression are not just an individual employee’s responsibility. They’re a collective responsibility. That’s why our time-tested approach hinges on changing company culture—and using an equity lens to do so.
About the Authors
Nina Tomaro is Mind Share Partners' Marketing and Communications lead. Nina develops and drives the organization's content marketing strategy. As one of the organization's early team members, Nina has a deep breadth of knowledge about workplace mental health and drives the creation of Mind Share Partners resources to support organizations in creating mentally healthy workplace cultures.
Kevin Nix is the Managing Director for External Affairs and Communications at Mind Share Partners. He leads the national movement building, messaging, and corporate engagement work to normalize mental health in the workplace. Kevin has spent 15 years in issue advocacy with high-impact nonprofit organizations. Kevin has an M.A. in American Government from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Tulane University.