May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in Northeast Indiana, there are several options for people to go to if they are struggling with their mental well-being.
Sharon Kuhn, an organizational health consultant and executive leadership coach based in Fort Wayne, has years of experience in the mental health space.
“If I were to define mental health, it is the person’s ability to feel connected to others in a way that they feel viable and irreplaceable,” Kuhn said. “And in that way, able to use their full self, whether that’s at home in their relationships, their hobbies, their schooling, their workplace.”
Kuhn pretended to have self-esteem as a child, so she is familiar with the mask that people can put up when they go to school or work. Mental health isn’t something that comes and goes for Kuhn. It’s an everyday thing for her.
“We’re either increasing it or decreasing it with every second. We’re exchanging with ourselves and with others because we’re not the same two seconds from now. The brain and the body are changing so rapidly, and how we treat each other can illicit chemicals to increase that wellness,” Kuhn said.
Today, Kuhn helps people, including leaders, parents, employees, and teams recognize that we are born to bond before we are born to learn or work. That connection, she says, is what lays the foundation for mental wellness.
In her work, Sharon emphasizes the power of affect, the everyday language we use to express our emotions.
“We experience around 400 emotions a day,” she said. “Naming them, being aware of them, and sharing them is how we start to shift our mental health for the better.”
Whether it’s eye contact in a meeting or checking in with a coworker at lunch, every interaction has the potential to impact someone’s well-being.
If there is a person who looks to be struggling. Kuhn says we should connect with that person and empathize with them to optimize the situation. Kuhn encourages both individuals and employers to take small, intentional steps toward building a culture of empathy with genuine emotional awareness.
“Empathy is reading the room and knowing how to regulate yourself within what you observe,” Kuhn said. “We can observe without absorbing.”
Even a 10-second check-in with a colleague who’s struggling can have a meaningful impact. For supervisors, that could mean pausing a task to ask, “How are things going?” For coworkers, it could mean making space for others to share without the need to fix everything.
Additionally, Kuhn stresses the role of physical health in emotional wellness. From staying hydrated and choosing nutrient-dense foods to getting outside for a quick walk, caring for the body supports the brain in powerful ways.
“Exercise, breathing, and clean eating aren’t just about fitness, they’re mental health strategies,” Kuhn said.
In her view, the stigma around mental health and talking about it is lessening.
“It’s not gone, but shifting,” Kuhn said. “We’re moving from silence to curiosity. People are starting to ask questions and want to understand.”
However, there’s still work to do.
“Families still struggle to have hard conversations. People are still performing rather than being seen,” Kuhn said. “But as we make room for emotional language, new patterns start to form. And with those patterns come new maps that help us navigate life and relationships in healthier ways.”
As Mental Health Awareness Month draws attention nationwide, Kuhn hopes our region will continue to lead by example.
“It’s not just about awareness. It’s about action,” Kuhn said. “Every time we choose connection over isolation, regulation over reaction, we’re investing in mental wellness.”
If you or your business is looking for corporate coaching or training, you can contact Sharon at https://www.sharonkuhn.com/.
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