We partnered with Dr. Omar Dawood, Chief Medical Officer at Calm, to host a discussion on mental fitness, burnout, and strategies to build resilience for ourselves and our teams. We kicked off the workshop with a 3-minute mindfulness exercise to center ourselves before diving into mental resilience.
Key Insights from Dr. Omar Dawood
The Stress Reality:
Humans are wired to handle a limited amount of stress. When stress is sustained over long periods, it can become debilitating. Every stressor is unique, but there are ways to reframe our thinking:
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Novelty: Approach situations with curiosity.
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Unpredictability: Focus on what you can control.
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Threat to the ego: Reflect on how you’ve overcome challenges before.
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Sense of control: Identify actionable steps you can take right now.
Stress and anxiety directly affect sleep, which in turn impacts decision-making, communication, and overall health. Stress-related presenteeism, absenteeism, and disability costs U.S. companies approximately $300B annually.
Defining Mental Fitness:
Mental fitness is the ability to maintain concentration, focus, self-awareness, and resilience to perform at your best through life’s highs and lows. Like a muscle, the mind needs daily training to build resilience.
Strategies for Building Resilience:
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Prioritize Sleep and Mental Health: Reduce screen time 90 minutes before bed, dim lights an hour before sleeping, use the Calm app for guided meditation or relaxing music, and include stretching.
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Practice Mindfulness: Take short pauses throughout the day to breathe and reset—even one minute can make a difference.
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Create Start and End Rituals: Simulate arriving at and leaving the office to set boundaries and build comfort in routines.
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Immerse in Nature: Time outdoors helps refocus and calm the mind.
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Move Your Body: Exercise strengthens the mind-body connection and relieves stress.
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Connect with Others: Regular, meaningful interactions and small acts of kindness can boost morale and create a positive workplace culture.
Common Questions on Mental Fitness in the Workplace:
1. How can leaders gain buy-in for mindfulness programs like Calm?
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Conduct an employee survey to show the current reality of stress levels.
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Present data on how mental health programs can improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and minimize presenteeism.
2. How can managers reinforce mental health in the workplace?
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Normalize discussions around mental health.
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Leaders demonstrating vulnerability encourage employees to share stress or anxiety openly.
3. How can managers recognize and address employee stress?
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Look for changes in prioritization, conflicts, or engagement.
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Ask employees directly during 1:1s or check-ins.
4. How can managers help employees set boundaries and disconnect?
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Encourage using email draft functions and send messages during regular hours.
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Implement “No Meeting Days” to focus on deep work.
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Reinforce PTO usage and lunch breaks.
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Block personal time to recharge during the day.
Mental fitness is not a one-time effort—it’s a daily practice. Small, consistent steps toward improving sleep, mindfulness, and self-care help us better support our teams and create resilient, healthy workplaces. Tools like Calm for Business can help companies build mental well-being programs. At Landing Point, we’ve seen firsthand how impactful these practices can be!