Moving past mental health stigma to help-seeking behaviours: A mental fitness micro-skill

Most organizations still have significant work to do to eliminate mental health stigma in the workplace. To accomplish this goal, education, policies, training leaders and setting cultural expectations around caring behaviours all matter.

While the environment has a major role, all you can control is what is within your control. Like any micro-skill, developing knowledge and skills around stigma and help-seeking behaviours in times of need can help a person learn to speak up, ask for help, and challenge stigma when they encounter it.

After working with clients in mental health for over 30 years, I know that what I am suggesting is not easy, but it is possible. Learning to ask for help or to address stigma can feel as daunting as training for a marathon. Both can flood one with negative emotions and perception.

It may seem impossible at first, but like running, progress comes one step at a time. Each small action builds confidence and insight. Helping normalize conversations about mental health and taming stigma’s power is a first step towards help-seeking behaviour.

To tame stigma, we need to tame the emotions that fuel it, because stigma is rarely just about misunderstanding; it’s powered by fear and its companions. The following are the key emotions that often drive stigma and why they matter:

• Fear of the unknown: Many people don’t understand mental health or mental illness, so they fear what they don’t know. This fear can lead to avoidance and silence.
• Fear of judgment: Employees worry about being labelled as “weak” or “broken” if they speak up. This fear keeps people from asking for help.
• Fear of rejection or isolation: Concern that peers or leaders will treat them differently can make individuals hide their struggles.
• Fear of loss: People fear losing opportunities, promotions or their job if they disclose a mental health challenge.
• Fear of vulnerability: Opening up feels risky. Vulnerability can trigger anxiety about being exposed or misunderstood.

Why taming stigma fear matters

Stigma is a form of prejudice and discrimination rooted in misunderstanding and fear. It often shows up as negative attitudes, stereotypes or behaviours towards people who experience mental health challenges. At its core, stigma sends the message: “You’re different, and that’s not okay.”

How stigma impacts a person

• Isolation: People may withdraw to avoid judgment, leading to loneliness and reduced support.
• Silence: Fear of being labelled keeps individuals from speaking up or asking for help.
• Delayed care: Stigma discourages early intervention, which can worsen mental health conditions.
• Self-stigma: Over time, external stigma can internalize; people may start believing harmful stereotypes about themselves.
• Reduced confidence: Feeling “less than” can erode self-esteem and impact performance at work.
• Barrier to learning: Stigma blocks conversations that help others understand the difference between mental health and mental illness.

• Erodes trust: A culture of judgment undermines psychological safety and team cohesion.

How to tame these emotions

Taming stigma begins with recognizing how common it is and how vulnerable it can leave a person if they do not get assistance from their support systems or develop courage and skills from within:

• Name the fear: Acknowledge what you’re feeling – “I’m afraid of being judged” – to reduce its power.
• Replace fear with facts: Learn mental health basics to replace myths with knowledge.
• Practice micro-steps: Start with small actions, such as asking for a resource or sharing a stress-management tip.
• Build confidence gradually: Like training for a marathon, each step makes the next easier.
• Link to help-seeking: When you tame fear, you unlock the ability to ask for help without shame. Help-seeking becomes a proactive choice rather than a last resort. This is why developing this micro-skill matters; it’s the foundation for mental fitness and psychological safety.

This matters because taming stigma and practicing help-seeking behaviours go hand in hand. When stigma decreases, asking for help becomes easier. And when you learn to ask for help, you model strength and create space for others to do the same.

Three levels of action: Where to start

Reducing stigma isn’t just about big organizational policies; it starts with small, intentional actions. Here’s how you can make a difference at three levels:

1. Self: Start with you. Before you can influence others, you need to examine your beliefs and habits.

• Challenge your assumptions: Ask yourself, “Do I see mental illness as weakness?” Replace judgment with curiosity.
• Learn the basics: Understand that mental health is a continuum; everyone has it, just as physical health.
• Model openness: Share how you manage stress or your mental fitness practices. Vulnerability reduces stigma.
• Practice help-seeking: Treat asking for help as a strength, not a weakness. Start small; ask for feedback or resources.

2. Peers: Support each other. Peers play a critical role in creating a safe space for conversations.

• Listen without fixing: When a colleague shares, focus on empathy, not solutions.
• Normalize help-seeking: Encourage peers to use resources and celebrate proactive steps.
• Offer partnership: Say, “Would you like me to join you when you talk to HR or EAP?” This reduces fear.

3. Environment: Shape the culture. Culture is built by everyday behaviours. You can influence it.

• Speak up: If you hear stigmatizing comments, address them respectfully.
• Promote education: Advocate for mental health literacy sessions and anti-stigma campaigns.
• Create safe spaces: Support initiatives such as peer networks or mental fitness challenges.

Six coaching points: How to move past stigma and build agency

These practical steps help you tame stigma and strengthen your ability to ask for help when needed:

1. Educate yourself and others: Learn the difference between mental health and mental illness. Share credible resources and encourage conversations.
2. Practice empathy daily: Replace judgment with understanding. Ask, “How can I support you?” instead of assuming what someone needs.
3. Challenge stereotypes: When you catch yourself thinking “They’re not normal,” pause and reframe: “They’re managing a health condition.”
4. Lead by example: Share your mental fitness habits or times you sought help. This signals that caring for mental health is normal.
5. Develop help-seeking as a micro-skill:
   • Start with low-risk asks (e.g., “Can you recommend a resource?”).
   • Prepare your words: “I need support with…”
   • Identify safe people (HR, EAP, trusted peers).
   • Remind yourself that asking for help is proactive, not a failure.
6. Create a support accountability partner: Form a support accountability partnership for mental fitness. Check in on each other’s progress, celebrate wins and encourage asking for appropriate help when needed.

Anchoring this as a mental fitness micro-skill

Step 1 in your mental fitness plan is taming stigma by challenging fear and building understanding. Step 2 is embracing help-seeking behaviour as a powerful, on-demand micro-skill. Everyone benefits from this skill; it’s a cornerstone of resilience and psychological safety. Like training for a marathon, progress starts with one step. Each conversation, each act of openness, moves you closer to a workplace where mental health is treated with the same respect as physical health.

Dr. Bill Howatt is the Ottawa-based president of Howatt HR Consulting.