Our Mental Health Is TBD
Maintaining a Healthy Headspace Is Our Life's Most Important Work
When it comes to our mental health, it is the best of times, and it is the worst of times. First, let’s understand why it is the best of times for mental health. The most significant shift I have experienced in my lifetime when it comes to all things mental health is the progress society has made, mainly in removing or significantly reducing the stigma that has historically come with mental health issues. As a topic, mental health is now talked about openly in our culture. On a personal level, people have become more comfortable talking about their mental health struggles, triumphs, and experiences.
I can recall one of my professional peers around my age talking freely about some recent mental health challenges they had to navigate. This is a very high-functioning and successful executive working for one of the premiere tech companies casually referencing their mental health journey. I often find these experiences more commonplace now and remember how it wasn’t always this way. Generationally, views on mental health have fundamentally shifted, and this extends into the workplace, where GenZ employees prioritize perks such as mental health days:
Younger generations are documented to suffer more from poor mental health than older employees. Ensuring easy access to employee assistance programmes (EAP) or mental health first aiders is especially important for this population.
We are also living in a golden age when it comes to the options we can access to maintain our mental well-being, from countless mobile apps to telehealth to online support groups, in addition to traditional therapies, medications, retreats, etc. Mental health support as an industry is booming, with tech-enabled backing being one of the most significant growth sectors:
The global mental health apps market size was valued at USD 7.48 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach from USD 8.92 billion in 2025 to USD 20.92 billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 15.5% during the forecast period (2025-2033).
Now, let’s shift gears into the “worst of times” when it comes to our mental health. Unfortunately, this will be the main focal point of this newsletter, and the growth mentioned above in the mental health tech space is only validation that the crisis brewing for some time will only worsen. As part of my efforts to maintain a healthy headspace, one of the most insightful pieces of literature on this topic that I devoured from cover to cover is “Lost Connections” by Johann Hari. In this book, the author explores the idea that chemical imbalances in the brain do not merely cause depression and anxiety but are deeply rooted in societal and personal disconnections. He identifies nine critical types of lost connections that contribute to depression and anxiety:
1. Disconnection from Meaningful Work
Many people find their work unfulfilling, stressful, or alienating, leading to a sense of purposelessness.
2. Disconnection from Other People
Modern society fosters isolation and loneliness, even as we are more digitally connected than ever.
3. Disconnection from Meaningful Values
A culture of materialism and consumerism encourages us to pursue extrinsic goals like wealth and status rather than intrinsic values like relationships and personal growth.
4. Disconnection from Childhood Trauma
Unaddressed or unhealed trauma from childhood can manifest as mental health issues in adulthood.
5. Disconnection from Status and Respect
Feeling undervalued or disrespected in society can erode self-esteem and lead to depression.
6. Disconnection from the Natural World
Lack of interaction with nature significantly impacts mental well-being, as modern life often keeps us indoors and away from green spaces.
7. Disconnection from a Hopeful or Secure Future
When people feel that they have no control over their future or are pessimistic about it, it leads to despair and anxiety.
8. The Role of Genetics and Brain Changes
Hari acknowledges that genetic predispositions and brain changes can play a role but stresses that they interact with environmental factors.
9. Disconnection from a Sense of Community and Shared Purpose
The decline of communal bonds and shared goals (like those found in tight-knit communities or religious/spiritual groups) has left many people feeling isolated.
Hari argues that addressing these lost connections—both on a personal and societal level—can lead to more effective and holistic solutions to mental health challenges than simply relying on medication. The book emphasizes the importance of building a more connected and compassionate society.
Our Mental Health Is TBD
Since reading and digesting Hari’s book—the insights he uncovers have only become more apparent to me over time—and each of the connections he outlines seems to become more pronounced in our lives as time progresses. Disconnection number 9 in particular (a sense of community and shared purpose) is especially relevant now. The trend of political polarization has been advancing steadily over the last decade, we know this—but what we aren’t as aware of is how, increasingly, the societal values that align under one party or another are becoming our new sense of community and shared purpose. This can be a good thing in many ways—we can “find our tribe” and experience a sense of community when surrounded only by others who share our values. But when confronted with those who do not, we view them as members of the enemy tribe—those we should be at war with and those we will fight when given the chance.
I’m not a mental health professional, but if you talk to one, they will tell you that when we operate in a “fight or flight” mindset for prolonged periods, this inevitably leads to a degradation of not only our mental wellness but also our physical health (see The Body Keeps The Score for more information on what prolonged elevated cortisol levels does to our minds and bodies). It is not only disconnection that threatens our mental health, but it is also what we connect to and when. Just as social media is not a substitute for true intimacy, neither is AI. Nevertheless, AI companions have become a popular way for people who use them to combat feelings of loneliness. However, when placed in the hands of the vulnerable, AI companionship can turn deadly, as evidenced by a Florida teen who committed suicide and felt directed to do so by his AI companion. The technological factor around mental health will remain complicated, both helping and hurting us simultaneously. One thing is certain: while regulation remains limited, it will primarily come down to our individual efforts to understand where tech can aid or take away.
I recently returned from a trip, driving seven hours from San Antonio, TX, to Big Bend National Park, located in the southwest of the state on the border. I planned the trip as part of my own TBD management, knowing that long drives and nature are the best ways to help position me in the right headspace. I used AI to plot out my four-day itinerary (it did a great job) however, the timing was all human-generated—I departed the Friday after the election. I planned it this way, knowing that regardless of the election results, spending some time away from social media and the 24/7 news cycle would be good for me.
I was right…
But moments like these, while impactful, are not the little things we need to do daily to help keep our headspace where it needs to be. For that, I find daily walks with the dogs, exercise, and writing helpful (to name a few). The point is that it’s on us to be our best advocates for our health—physical, mental, and spiritual. And we can learn from anyone. I’ll never forget how my younger son shared that he no longer kept Snapchat and Instagram on his phone (essential for a GenZer). He removed them because he realized that they made him feel bad—he’d often see friends out having fun and could not appreciate what he was doing at that moment. I’ve often reflected on the wisdom of this at his young age—that it is better to remove the thing that threatened his mental health than keep doing the thing that was chipping away at it.
The bad news is that the world isn’t going to get any easier on us when it comes to our mental health. Actually, given societal, cultural, and tech trends, I believe it will steadily become even more challenging. The good news is that our mental health is TBD based on the steps we can take to protect or improve it when needed. There’s help, but we must be willing to do the work because it’s probably the most critical work we can do for both ourselves, and those we care about.
Visually yours,
