Thinking Differently as a Superpower at Work
Our brains work in magical and mysterious ways, so working with employee mental health and neurodiversity, can bring out the best in everyone and even help businesses achieve more success …
Tracy Irvine is an executive coach with an extensive background in talent management, human resources, leadership, and training.
She’s also a pretty cool human being.
With Tracy’s years of experience, including at companies such as Apple and Accenture, and in coaching individual executives, has come deep wisdom regarding the very human issues which transcend industry, geography, or company size.
Because whether at a mid-sized startup, hospital, restaurant, school, retail store, or a Fortune 500 company, success in the workplace comes down to understanding the potential we all have as human beings.
It’s Not Just Good for Business But the Law
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been an available protection against discrimination for mental health challenges, disability, or any other covered condition, since its signing in 1990 by George H.W. Bush, and later as amended in 2009 by George W. Bush.
Unfortunately, even with the protections afforded by the ADA, most of us haven’t historically jumped to make public our personal struggles — as the stigma has been very real. Even today, as workplaces become more publicly supportive of diversity, it’s fair to still wonder: is acknowledgement of the struggle enough? Are businesses doing enough, especially when it comes to accommodating unseen, mental health and neurodiversity challenges?
Meet Coach Tracy Irvine
How any of us embraces our unique ability in the workplace often makes the difference between a sense of fulfillment and overall happiness, or an inability to advance, and deep frustration. And this is precisely why Tracy uses her own personal experience to make people happier, more self-aware and successful at work.
Tracy is an ICF-Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Relational Trauma Coach (CRTC) and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) through the prestigious Co-Active Training Institute. She is a student of Positive Psychology and a Conscious Business Coach (CBC), and a Certified Mentor Coach (CMC), focusing on helping new and experienced coaches improve on their coaching skills for ICF credentialing.
But most importantly, Tracy is a strong and resilient human who has faced the disability of loved ones, and her own mental health challenges, which is why she has been so successful.
Tracy’s Story
“By all accounts, I shouldn’t be alive today. I was dealt a difficult hand in life, but I refused to let it define me. I overcame a childhood of neglect and abuse to become a successful executive and leadership coach.
My early years were about survival. When I was five years old, my mother was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This diagnosis turned my family inside out.
My early years were about neglect and survival. My grandmother cared for me until her death when I was eight, followed by the death of my mother at age 15, and my father a short year later. I had to take care of myself from a young age, and I learned to suppress my emotions in order to survive.
I excelled in school and went on to college. I landed a great job and made a lot of money, albeit in a toxic work environment, and I was still struggling with depression. I felt like I was living a lie, and I was afraid to let anyone see my true self.
I had a wake-up call when I almost turned my car into oncoming traffic. That was the moment I realized that I couldn't keep living like this. I needed to find a way to heal my mental health and start living my life authentically.
I started therapy, read self-help books, and hired a coach. It was a long and difficult journey, but I eventually learned how to set boundaries, let go of toxic relationships, and say no to things that weren't good for me. I also learned how to care for myself emotionally and physically.”
Coffee With the Coach
For more experienced workers, mental health challenges, or neurodivergency, has historically been a burden to work around. What has that meant to many of your clients?
TI: My clients who learned to work around their mental health challenges have reported more control in their work. Not control in the bad sense, but control in how they interact with people and respond to stressful situations.
They have also reported more personal satisfaction, higher achievements such as promotions, pride in their work, and even experiencing more enjoyment at work. Many have also reported that their personal and professional relationships have improved. Finally, in some cases, my clients realized they were working in a toxic work environment, so they could move on to another company or industry that aligned with their values.
While more acceptance and awareness of mental health in the workplace has emerged of late, it feels like only a start, would you agree?
TI: We are in a much better place than even before the pandemic, but it's only a start. I was recently on a call with a company with a people-first value. Though they have many resources and benefits available to their employees and most conversations from leadership had a people-first message, the audience agreed that mental health awareness was improving, but the company still had a long way to go.
I also noticed that most mental health conversations within corporations are held within Human Resources or if the company is lucky to have a mental wellness group. These groups can talk to each other all day, but until the message gets out to the broader corporate community along with education and resources, the movement will stagnate.
Do you think we help new graduates enough with managing their mental health when considering work or a career?
TI: The younger generation is much more self-aware and vocal about their needs than we were. This gives me hope as they enter the workforce and create change. But today, no. Though awareness continues to grow around mental health, just like in the example above, conversations and action need to happen outside our respective groups for any real change to happen.
What are your suggestions for those who maybe have struggled to work around their mental health, and now could more boldly address?
TI: Realization and acceptance are the first two steps. I've dealt with depression, anxiety, and c-PTSD most of my life, but it has only been in the last few years that I have begun to accept it as a part of me. The awareness that there is nothing wrong with me has been influential.
Next, one needs to eliminate the blame and shame around it. My brain is wired a certain way because of life events. For others, it could be genetics or illness. The brain is an organ, and similar to other organs in the body, it can get sick. That also means it can get better, and you can find a way to work with it.
Finally comes self-awareness. Now, I look at my mental challenges as a superpower. It's my body telling me something needs to be addressed. And there are a million ways to do that, like working with a therapist or a mental wellness coach, meditation, yoga, or tai chi, to name a few.
How do you work with clients?
TI: Mental health is personal, and no two people are the same. I take the time to get to know my client. Learn their values, motivations, what trips them up, and what they want to achieve. I teach them how to listen to their body and give them the tools they need to thrive. I also challenge them when they are stuck and hold them accountable when they stray.
Any other recommendations?
TI: If you are struggling, seeking help is the best thing you can do for yourself. Reach out to trusted family members or friends, or dial 988 — the suicide prevention hotline.
Find a coach trained in trauma and mental health, or seek a therapist who specializes in your particular area.
Also, do your research. There are many books, videos, and podcasts out there that can help. I'm a big book reader, and I just finished “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel Van Der Klok. I learned so much about how my past trauma affected my mind/body connection, and this gave me insight into why I responded the way I did to certain people and triggers.
Last, many people on the internet and social media platforms say they can help. Rely on those who are trusted and trained sources.
To learn more or chat with Tracy, you can reach out here:
What are your thoughts? Do you feel more supported in the workplace?