May is one of my favorite months of the year, for a number of reasons, but especially because we celebrate mothers, and we raise awareness about the importance of mental health.
I did a search on what else is ‘celebrated’ in May and learned it is packed with recognition and appreciation for Cinco De Mayo, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage, Nurses, the Armed Forces, Teachers, Memorial Day, and even Star Wars! Thus, I’ve termed May as the Mother of All Celebrations, pun intended!
No disrespect to all the other recognition days, I first want to honor all the working mothers who wear many hats and carry many loads in and out of the home. I see you and get you, and I have the pleasure of knowing that after years of being concerned about the impact of being a working mom, my kids turned out just fine!
In honor of Mother’s Day on May 10, here’s a replay of the Leadership and Motherhood podcast featuring my daughter and me talking about redefining ambition. If you like to listen to podcasts about leadership AND motherhood, I’d highly recommend, subscribing to Executive Coach Leanna Laskey McGrath’s podcasts to hear from other working mothers in leadership roles. Her guests and topics are always very relevant and inspiring!
I would be remiss as a Mental Health First Aider to not give a shout-out to Mental Health Awareness Month. I just returned from Denver, where I attended Natcon ‘26, the annual conference hosted by the National Council of Mental Well Being. Created as a month of awareness by Mental Health America in 1949, the theme for Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2026 is “More Good Days, Together.”
My commitment to mental health in the workplace began in earnest after the pandemic, when I started noticing more burnout and anxiety within my client companies. Six years later, burnout is not just happening at the individual level, but at the organizational level, too. It looks different across a company, with early-career employees, managers, and executives all experiencing different levels and signs.
☎ Contact me about the Addressing Anxiety and Beating Burnout Virtual Lunch & Learn for your organization and hear what you can do to support your team.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a good reminder that sustainable leadership starts from the inside out. When you take care of your own mental health, and create the environment for your team to do the same, you are actually increasing productivity and generating a better ROI. But more about that in the next email!
If any of this resonates, let’s continue the conversation.
Wishing you more good days — together,
Loretta