Overcoming Workplace Mental Health Challenges: My Personal Journey

My biggest takeaway from this journey is that a healthy work-life balance looks different for everyone.

There is no one-size-fits-all.

TW: Suicidal Ideation

Thursday in the Park with Linea

It’s October, and I was sitting on a busy set of stairs in Bryant Park in New York City, crying on the phone with my mom.

The park was bustling with people and booths for a Christmas market. Workers and families filled every seat, enjoying lunch on a beautiful fall New York day.

Attending a Prestigious Conference

I, too, was taking my lunch break from the conference I was attending in town. I was delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this conference held by one of my favorite performing arts marketing firms. It was full of the top marketing staff from arts organizations I admired worldwide, sharing incredible content and insights I could take back home.

Questioning Depression

The problem was I couldn’t stop thinking about death.

I cried as I told my mom I was worried my depression was coming back and that I didn’t know if I would be able to stay out of the hospital.

The Reality of My Dream Job

I had gotten a job as the communications director at a beautiful Midwest performing arts center only eight months prior. I was elated at the opportunity. As a musician and having studied music in college, this job felt like a full-circle moment.

Reflecting on My Career Journey

As I left my prior company, I remembered telling one of my closest friends and colleagues that it almost felt like the “hero’s journey.” The journey in which I had started with the belief I would be a professional musician, life had thrown…