Welcome to Episode 7 of The Rise Room! Today, we’re stepping into a conversation every leader, and honestly, every human, needs to hear: how empathy shapes mental health in the workplace.

We’re talking about why empathetic leadership isn’t soft or optional anymore… it’s essential. Because when people feel seen, supported, and safe, everything changes, stress levels drop, creativity rises, and teams become healthier and more resilient.
If you’ve ever wondered how to lead with both strength and humanity, this episode is your blueprint.

Episode Highlights

How empathetic leaders dramatically reduce burnout, stress, and emotional overload in their teams.

What psychological safety actually looks like in day-to-day leadership.

The subtle signs someone on your team may be struggling, and what to do before they hit burnout.

Here are scholarly sources you can reference for the research on empathy and mental health discussed in this episode:

Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence. Basic Books.

Muss, C., Tüxen, D., & Fürstenau, B. (2025). Empathy in leadership: A systematic literature review on the effects of empathetic leaders in organizations. Management Review Quarterly.

Gentry, W. (2025). Empathy in the Workplace: A Tool for Effective Leadership. Center for Creative Leadership.

World Health Organization (2022). Mental health in the workplace.

Welcome to Episode 6 of The Rise Room!
In this episode, we’re slowing things all the way down. Today, we’re exploring the power of meditation, a simple, grounding practice that helps you find calm, clarity, and connection with yourself.

Whether you’ve never meditated before or you’ve been practicing for years, this one’s for you. Let’s take a breath together… and just be.

Episode Highlights

✨ Meditation isn’t about emptying your mind, it’s about understanding it.

✨ It’s the small space between thought and reaction, the quiet pause where peace actually lives.

✨ You can start anywhere: One deep breath before checking your phone. A pause before you speak.

✨ Each breath is a chance to come home to yourself.

Welcome to Episode 5 of The Rise Room! In this episode, I’m bringing you into the murky territory of control, charm, and emotional manipulation, exploring how manipulators and narcissists operate, how their behaviors impact mental health, and how you can reclaim your power and peace.

This one’s for anyone who’s ever left a conversation wondering if their memory is wrong, their feelings are too much, or their reality is just warped. We’re pulling back the curtain on what’s really going on.
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Episode Highlights

🔑 A manipulator uses guilt, fear, or emotional tactics to steer outcomes in their favour.

🔑 A narcissist often has a fragile core, needs constant admiration, and reacts with control or withdrawal when that admiration isn’t there.

🔑 Gaslighting blurs truth and makes you doubt your memory, your feelings, your sanity.

🔑 Coercive control turns emotional or social independence into an invisible trap.

🔑 These aren’t just “bad traits” they’re patterns that quietly degrade your mental health: anxiety, self-doubt, emotional exhaustion.

🔑 We’ll hear real-life phrases you may recognize (“After everything I’ve done for you…”, “You’re too sensitive”, “I’m just trying to protect you”) and unpack what’s going on underneath.

🔑 Research tells us that narcissistic traits and manipulative behaviors connect to higher risk of trauma, relationship harm and mental-health issues. (See citations below.)

🔑 I share my personal journey of realising I was being gaslit, how I rebuilt trust in my own memory and feeling, and what healing looked like.

🔑 Burnout isn’t just being tired, it’s emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.

🔑 We wear exhaustion like armor and call it ambition, but real strength is knowing when to pause.

🔑 Boundaries are self-respect, not selfishness. Learning to say “no” protects your purpose.

🔑 Healing takes time. Resting, reconnecting with your “why,” and asking for help are vital steps toward recovery.

🔑 Dr. Tashy shares her personal journey through burnout in healthcare leadership, and how slowing down saved her.

🔑 Burnout is a cultural epidemic, not a personal failure. Awareness, compassion, and change begin with us.

🔑 Strength has long been defined by silence, but real strength begins with emotional honesty.

🔑 Emotional suppression doesn’t make men stronger, it breaks them over time.

🔑 Parents and caregivers play a powerful role in shaping a generation that can either continue or disrupt the cycle.

🔑 Women also have a role, our words, expectations, and jokes can either support men’s healing or deepen their shame.

🔑 We can’t blame men for emotional harm while also being the ones reinforcing emotional repression.

🔑 It’s time to make softness safe. Vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s leadership, connection, and wholeness.

Episode Highlights

Key Insight #1:
Self-love deficit isn’t just about low self-esteem, it’s a survival pattern rooted in childhood conditioning. Many of us learned that love must be earned, and that caring for ourselves was selfish. Those lessons follow us into adulthood, draining our peace and joy.

Key Insight #2:
Overgiving activates the brain like addiction and it keeps us stuck. Constantly doing for others can give a dopamine “hit,” making us associate being needed with being loved. But without boundaries, it leads to burnout and resentment.

Key Insight #3:
Confidence is not the same as self-worth. You can be successful, social, and put-together on the outside and still feel empty, lonely, and invisible inside. True self-love is how safe and seen you feel with yourself, not how good you look performing for the world.

Episode Highlights (Show Notes)

• 🔑 Suicide is a global reality, but so is hope , awareness, compassion, and open conversation save lives.

• 🔑 Self-love is not selfish; it’s the foundation of healing, resilience, and leadership.

• 🔑 Small daily acts of care, checking in with yourself, setting boundaries, showing kindness are powerful ways to find your way back to you.

• 🔑 What you can expect from The Rise Room: weekly encouragement, real stories, and practical Rise Challenges to grow stronger inside and out.