What if the word we've been missing is soul exhaustion? Not burnout. Not depression. Something deeper - when the essence of who you are is tired. In this post, I share the conversation that changed how I think about suicide prevention, and the new workbook that's bringing this framework to life.
Awe isn’t just a beautiful feeling. It’s a powerful, science-backed way to calm your nervous system and shift your perspective. In this reflection, I share how revisiting a single awe-filled moment can move you out of stress and into connection, gratitude, and presence. It’s a simple, accessible tool for resilience — one you can use anytime you need to reset.
Our nervous systems respond to place in powerful, measurable ways. From the buzz of a city to the calm of home, the vastness of mountains, or the rhythm of the ocean, each environment shapes how our bodies settle, stimulate, or restore. In this reflection, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas explores the psychology of place—and invites you to notice where your own nervous system can finally exhale.
The countdown is on for the 5th Annual Construction Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference — where construction meets courage, connection, and care. With leaders from across the industry gathering to turn awareness into real action, this year’s event promises powerful conversations, practical tools, and unforgettable moments of recognition, including a Flannel & Finery awards dinner and a keynote on addiction, mentorship, and mental wellness in construction.
Today the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and United Suicide Survivors International announces the launch of a survey designed to assist with the development of the first set of guidelines for workplace suicide prevention in the U.S.
The purpose of the 5-minute survey is to give stakeholders an opportunity to provide their opinions for the guidelines — content, format, dissemination, implementation and evaluation.
It seems fitting that on this day — July 4th — I should write a little something about kickstarting a revolution.
June was overwhelming for many in my suicide prevention tribe — the scientists, advocates, clinicians, crisis call-takers, peer supporters, and many people with all forms of lived experience with suicide — as many of us were called upon to respond to the seemingness constant barrage of tragic news about suicide and trauma.
Given that men in their middle years are dying by suicide at increasingly higher rates, I spend much of my time speaking and training in male-dominated industries like construction, transportation, veteran and first responder communities. The men I have met along the way have taught me much about resilience and honor…
What if you ask someone if they are thinking about suicide, and they say, “yes”? What do you say?
Often when people express daunting thoughts about suicide they expect to be judged. They anticipate that others will react in negative ways such as fear, anger, minimizing, or shaming. When they hear a genuine expression of gratitude, often they are put at ease. This honoring response creates a safe space to move into next steps. Starting here is starting from a place of dignity and respect...
This week I had to say goodbye to one of my confidants and greatest supporters, my 13 year-old Australian Cattle Dog Mutt, Apache. Today is Valentine’s Day, and this is my love letter to him and my gratitude for all he taught me about living a great life.
We rescued Apache from Denver’s largest animal shelter when he was nine months old in 2005. My kids were little; just 7, 4 and one year. We all gathered in the meet-and-greet room, and Apache was on his best behavior. We brought him home, and I immediately became his human....
I’ve been looking forward to the Dad 2.0 Summit for months.
Not just because it was hosted in New Orleans at the beginning of Mardi Gras…
Not just because I got an opportunity to reconnect with some inspiring thought leaders who are there to support men in becoming the best fathers they can be…
Not just because my “krewe” was there to reveal some powerful stories of hope from our “Guts, Grit and the Grind” men’s mental health anthology…
But also because, the Dad 2.0 Summit exemplifies what it means to engage an army that successfully fights for a cause....
Without fail, a person seeking treatment for PTSD will come into my office and say something along the lines of, “Well, other people have had it worse. I should be over it by now.” This is the convincing trap of posttraumatic stress...
As we start a new year with new aspirations and intentions, dealing with a mental health or suicide crisis can be particularly challenging. Other seems so full of hope, while you—or a loved one—are struggling. For those with a strong faith background or spiritual sensibility, the difficulties can be compounded...
“Applying business skills to resolving social ills…part saint, part politician, part business person,” said Robert Redford about social entrepreneurs.
What is Impact Entrepreneurship?
Social entrepreneurs, or “Impact Entrepreneurs,” as I like to call them, bring together the best of the nonprofit heart and the for-profit efficiency. They are the ideal blend of the best of both worlds and the future of how business and social change gets done.
I have often said, “Hope is the antidote to suicide.”
I realize that the word “hope” – like “love” and “support” and “leadership” – is often experienced as cliché, having lost its power and meaning from overuse. I would like to reclaim it and use it like Wonder Woman’s shield (goodness I love that movie) to defiantly deflect pessimism, bitterness and negativity coming at us from all angles.
As advocates for suicide prevention and mental health promotion, we must be warriors of hope. Now is the perfect time to explore how we can learn to build hope as a practice – like pieces of protective armor that protect us as we forge our way onward to the frontiers of what is possible....
When we consider a comprehensive strategy to suicide prevention and mental health promotion, it’s helpful to segment approaches into “upstream” (preventing problems before they emerge through self-help), “midstream” (catching emerging problems early and linking people to least restrictive support), and “downstream” (helping people with more serious mental health challenges and suicidal thoughts) tactics.
Thus, for this article, I have organized some of the most popular, best researched and most innovative apps into these three categories.
The stoicism of farmers helps them power through hardship and harsh environmental conditions often in great isolation, but when it comes to their mental health, this power through approach can be life threatening. It’s not surprising then that “farming, fishing and forestry” is the industry with the highest suicide rates (McIntosh et al, 2016)...
Firefighters are a unique breed. They run into burning buildings when everyone else is trying to escape. They respond to gruesome medical calls. And they do it all as a team. There’s a brother/sisterhood that comes with being part of this elite crew, and while there are many positive things that result from that connection, it can also create a tough guy mentality that leads them to believe they can’t or shouldn’t seek outside help when they’re struggling. As one firefighter told me, “We literally depend on each other’s lives to be mentally sound. It is our strength to compartmentalize, stay decisive, and move on that is valued in this work.”
