You didn’t get to an executive position by accident. Discipline and the ability to perform under pressure are traits that have helped you build a successful career.
But those same qualities can make it almost impossible to recognize when the role has started to affect your mental health.
Everyone in your organization has someone above them they can turn to when things get stressful – everyone except you. The higher you climb, the fewer people there are who check in on you and how you’re really doing. The people around you see the results you deliver, not what delivering them takes out of you.
While some workplace stress in any job is normal, if you’ve noticed that its effects follow you home from work, it may be time to re-evaluate your executive mental health.
This page explains:
Nearly 70% of C-suite executives told Deloitte they were seriously considering leaving their role for one that better supports their mental well-being.[1] For the level of positions most people spend a career trying to reach, that is a lot of people looking for the exit.
Most days involve high-stakes decisions that affect other people’s jobs and livelihoods, and each move draws from the same pool of cognitive and emotional resources. If that pool is drained, all day, every day, the quality of your thinking can drop while the importance of each decision stays the same.
This is what’s known as decision fatigue or decision paralysis, and if it’s happening persistently, it means your emotional resources have been drained.[2] It’s why a small choice at the end of the day can feel strangely difficult after hours of big ones.
Isolation also plays a big part in why executive roles are so stressful. Surveys find that around half of CEOs report feeling loneliness in their role.[3] Out of that group, 61% stated that it hinders their working performance, which causes considerable amounts of occupational stress.[3]
Most of us are resilient enough to deal with a certain level of stress now and again. But when stress becomes chronic and something you have to deal with every single day, it can take a toll on your mental health. Some of the effects of chronic stress include:
Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion, with prolonged stress as the root cause. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the standard tool for measuring job burnout, breaks it into three dimensions:[4]
None of this is rare in executive roles. Deloitte’s survey found that roughly 40% of executives reported feeling overwhelmed, and exhaustion ranked as another C-suite mental health concern.[1] Many executives can push through a bad quarter, but a bad year can pile stress on top of stress.
Professional burnout can be a little tougher to catch in leadership roles, largely due to performance masking the internal struggle. For example, if you’re dealing with burnout but you’re still hitting targets and still showing up to work, no one else would assume that you were struggling. That can even include yourself. When the results still look good, it’s easy to dismiss how much it’s taking out of you to keep producing.
Survey data found that 55% of CEOs reported experiencing a mental health issue in the past year.[5] Executive anxiety is one of the most commonly reported conditions.
Anxiety often starts with an inability to switch off when the working day has finished. The hypervigilance that might serve you in the boardroom follows you home, and before you know it, you’re running through next meeting scenarios at 2 a.m., anticipating what could go wrong and how you’d handle it.
The occasional late-night thinking about work is normal, but when your nervous system stays in this heightened state day after day, it paves the way for clinical anxiety to form.
Depression in executive roles is a little more difficult to establish, and the research shows why. One large study that surveyed over half a million U.S. workers found that 11.7% of people in management roles reported depression, which is actually lower than the rate recorded across most other occupations.[6] However, the Deloitte survey found more than double that, at 26%, which clouds the picture.[1]
The lower figure here may reflect who is willing to report rather than who is affected. At this level of an organization, admitting to a mental health difficulty still carries real stigma.
Even when the signs are clear, the culture surrounding executive roles can push people toward ignoring them entirely. There are real reasons why those in senior positions are less likely to reach out for executive mental health support, and understanding them is one of the first steps to moving past them.
Research has tested this idea directly. People expect those in leadership roles to have higher well-being and fewer mental health difficulties than those in subordinate positions.[7] The same research found that an employee experiencing a mental health difficulty was rated as less “leader-like” than one with a physical illness or no illness at all.[7]
This creates an environment where your struggles are invisible because no one is looking for them. Your team assumes you’re fine and your board assumes you’re coping, but the reality is very different.
Executives hold responsibility for the mental health and safety of their entire team, or even the whole workforce.[8] They’re expected to create well-being initiatives and model resilience for those they manage.
This kind of positioning makes it much harder to admit that you’re the one who needs support. Admitting that you’re struggling can feel like a failure of the role itself, making executives less likely to want to reach out for professional support.
AMFM is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
SAMHSA identifies specific warning signs that apply across different types of mental health conditions. These include:[8]
These signs count even if you’re still doing your work to the same high level. If you notice any of these signs, the best thing to do is seek professional support for further evaluation. The same also applies if you’ve taken time off work to recharge, but the exhaustion or emotional numbness returns within days of being back in the working environment.
If something clinical has developed, a professional may recommend outpatient therapy, depending on your specific situation. Outpatient treatment sessions are flexible and can be scheduled to fit around a demanding calendar. You get the support you need without stepping away from your role. Many executives start with outpatient treatment.
However, if you’ve tried outpatient treatment and nothing seems to have improved, your clinician may recommend residential treatment. Residential treatment allows you to hit pause on your daily life and enter a calming and structured environment that’s solely focused on your recovery. Removing yourself from the work environment that feeds the stress is part of the treatment itself.
Residential programs typically last 45 to 60 days and provide executive burnout treatment that addresses both the condition you’re experiencing and the factors that contributed to it.
The Family and Medical Leave Act entitles eligible employees to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for a serious health condition. That includes mental health conditions.[9]
This means your medical information is kept confidential and your employer isn’t allowed to fire you for taking the time off.[9]
Eligibility requires you to have been in the role for at least 12 months, with at least 1,250 hours worked in the 12 months before the leave. The law also only applies where your employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles of your worksite.[9]
A 45- to 60-day residential program fits within the 12-week timeline, which means many professionals can complete treatment with the peace of mind that they won’t lose their job.
A Mission For Michael (AMFM) provides treatment for adults experiencing various conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-478-4383 to learn about our current treatment options.
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If the demands of your role have led to burnout or other mental health conditions that you’re finding too difficult to manage on your own, AMFM (A Mission For Michael) Mental Health Treatment can help you take the first step toward recovery.
Our team of expert clinicians believes in treatment persistence and will personalize your treatment plan so you can achieve lasting, life-changing outcomes. We maintain full confidentiality throughout the treatment process for executives concerned about visibility.
We offer an intimate, focused mental health treatment experience for adults in home-like settings that are carefully maintained to be peaceful, comfortable spaces. AMFM Mental Health Treatment provides the full spectrum of care, including residential treatment and multiple levels of outpatient treatment programs.
Our locations in California, Minnesota, Virginia, and Washington accept insurance and are in-network with most major providers. To check your insurance coverage for mental health care, simply complete our confidential online verification form or call us at 866-478-4383.
We understand that the qualities that made you effective in leadership are also the same ones that make it harder to ask for help. Taking time away from your role might feel risky, but allowing a mental health condition to dictate your life is unsustainable.
Reach out to us if you would like to start the admissions process or learn more about how we can support your mental well-being. Our compassionate team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance with no obligation.
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At AMFM, we strive to provide the most up-to-date and accurate medical information based on current best practices, evolving information, and our team’s approach to care. Our aim is that our readers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Our reviewers are credentialed medical providers specializing and practicing behavioral healthcare. We follow strict guidelines when fact-checking information and only use credible sources when citing statistics and medical information. Look for the medically reviewed badge on our articles for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate or out of date, please let us know at info@amfmhealthcare.com
