As the election season concludes, and we pivot into Thanksgiving; we take a moment of reflection and renewal. Additionally, workplaces face a unique inflection point. The story of Zohran Mamdani’s rise is more than local politics—it is a business signal that leaders and managers should take seriously. 

Here’s why organizations are uneasy, how you as a professional can help them lean in and assist your business in adapting. 

When a new leader is elected it can signal both fear about change and possibility for young people, diverse cultures and those that feel disenfranchised in NYC and around the country. I share the concerns of many business leaders about the implications for their bottom line and the adjustments required within their workplaces.

Before you tell your staff to pack up for greener pastures, hold off and think about how this can improve corporate culture and help our employees. Is there a way to consider segments of your workforce that feel left out, excluded and not heard? If you are a company with young employees, consider your employees over 50 who may feel their ideas are “too old or retro” to be heard and implemented. 

Here are some considerations:

Psychological Safety and Inclusion: How can your company make sure everyone is heard and that all ideas are aligning with culture and operations? If you are an HR professional or manager you may hear a suggestion that does sound not in line with the company strategy-however, you can stay curious and explore the reasoning behind it.

Anxiety and Change: Leadership may feel threatened or question their role in the company. What does this new era mean for my role if we empower segments of the workforce whose voices are often not heard? If we focus on them, does it leave others out?

New Expectations and Norms: How does your organization rank with “corporate greed?” Are you most concerned about bottom line versus talent management and retaining good employees? How do you convey to your employees that there will be more effort to align culture and operations.

Rapid Change and Momentum: Many cities, governments and companies join the “change and excitement,” but moving to day-to-day work and operations can be slow. What are you doing to make sure you consider and ride the tide but take the time to implement new practices. Many businesses mean well, but after a few weeks, lose momentum and get caught up in the old ways of working, especially with the holiday season approaching. 

Implementation: You can hold workshops, training by EAP managers, focus groups or quarterly meetings with results from talking to employees or conducting a survey. How do we let go of old habits and norms? How do you allow those that aren’t represented in the company to feel listened to with a goal of making change? How do you keep some of the business culture to avoid leaving those out who created it and lean into this new energy?

Communicating Updates: Will you have quarterly meetings to discuss and decide what is working and how the suggestions have been implemented? What will remain the same to honor those long-term employees? Are there fun activities or tool kits that can be created?

In conclusion, we survived another election and we’re in the season of Thanksgiving. Will you make a strategic leadership and cultural change to help employees feel engaged? Being open-minded connects people, builds trust, and opens doors to new ideas. Use the new-leader moment as a mirror: if new voters moved the needle in a city, new employees could move the needle in your organization.
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Happy Thanksgiving!

​Kay Gimmestad, LCSW-C is a business coach and clinician in New York City with 20 years of experience working in the profit and not for profit sectors of Human Resources, Health and Human Services. She has built a reputation for being highly skilled in facilitating behavior change while working with employees, both individually and in groups, on matters relating to performance management, substance abuse, crisis intervention, and stress/wellness. ​​​​​​

You know the line: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, your plane has been delayed. We apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused.” 
 
It’s August and honestly motivation has run a little low. I thought of skipping this blog, given the relaxed pace of late summer. But that tired “we apologize for the inconvenience” line didn’t sit right with me. If the train is always delayed, maybe we need to rethink the schedule. 
 
So here I am-your neighborhood coach and clinician-choosing structure, deadlines, and a bit of follow-through.
 
Summer can make us feel like we should be doing more.” “I’m always behind.” “Why can’t I get into a routine?” “Everyone looks so productive.” 
 
Let’s try a reframe: August is a layover-time between summer freedom and fall intensity. In this terminal, “self-care and mental health board first.”
 
Things I could have done instead of writing this blog: 
 

• Declutter my inbox and called it “digital wellness.”
• Read another book on burnout “Repetition Therapy.”
• Nap more and call it “neurological reboot.” 

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Final Call 
 
If your goals missed a connection this month, you’re not alone. 
 
If your thoughts are racing, but your energy is on pause-breathe.
 
Rest isn’t a delay. It’s part of the journey. 
 
Enjoy the layover.

Kay Gimmestad, LCSW-C is a business coach and clinician in New York City with 20 years of experience working in the profit and not for profit sectors of Human Resources, Health and Human Services. She has built a reputation for being highly skilled in facilitating behavior change while working with employees, both individually and in groups, on matters relating to performance management, substance abuse, crisis intervention, and stress/wellness. ​​​​​​

In June of 2019, I wrote a blog about a major milestone in the ongoing journey toward equality for LGBTQ+ people. In the years since gay marriage became legal in many states, we've seen families of all configurations step more boldly into the light. 

In the 2024 presidential race, we saw a perfect example of this. JD Vance was raised by his grandparents due to his mother’s struggle with addiction, VP Harris married at mid-life and has stepchildren. Governor Tim Walz and his wife used IVF. Further, President Trump has been divorced which was rare for a presidential candidate. VP Harris’s stepchildren said they were happy that she was part of the family, but it took time to embrace their stepmother. 

What has changed, is not only the law but the culture. More singles and couples—regardless of gender or sexual orientation—are now openly exploring how to create families that reflect their values and commitment. Family no longer fits into one mold.

When I moved to New York City several years ago, I was struck by how adoption was viewed in certain professional circles. In my own extended family, adoption was a natural part of our family story. But in social work and psychology spaces, I encountered a level of skepticism and stigma that surprised me. The narrative often pathologized adoption—framing it as a source of dysfunction rather than a different, valid path to parenthood.

I challenged these views where I could. I asked, “Do we not see difficulties in biological families too? Isn’t it our profession that first acknowledged the complexity of all family systems?” But many resisted, anchored in the belief that adoption inherently harmed children or disrupted the "natural" family order.

Yet change came, slowly and in surprising ways. Some of the same colleagues who had questioned adoption would later become fierce advocates for marriage equality. They championed the right of two women or two men to raise children—even when those children came to them through adoption, surrogacy, or foster care. It was as if one door had to open before another could be seen.

Still, contradictions remain. A colleague recently noted that a client’s struggles were likely “because he was adopted”—a stance she’s voiced many times. But her own son is raising three, multi-racial adopted daughters with his husband. This is something she openly celebrates. She didn’t seem to notice the disconnect in her thinking.

Another professional, who has long criticized adoption as being ‘problematic,’ wore LGBTQ+ Pride colors just days after the Supreme Court affirmed marriage equality. When I gently reminded her that more “non-biological families” will naturally follow, she paused—clearly unprepared to reconcile the disconnect between her views and her politics. 
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These stories reflect a broader cultural evolution. We are in a moment of expansion. As society redefines love, commitment, and identity, we must also expand our definition of family. 

This is more than a policy issue. It’s about acknowledging the hurt caused by outdated beliefs. It’s about repairing those wounds and offering validation to families who have long been made to feel “less than.”

We’ve come too far to let old prejudices shape our present understanding. Family is not about sameness of DNA. It’s about connection, care, and commitment. This Pride Month—and every month—we are invited to affirm that love makes a family. 

​Kay Gimmestad, LCSW-C is a business coach and clinician in New York City with 20 years of experience working in the profit and not for profit sectors of Human Resources, Health and Human Services. She has built a reputation for being highly skilled in facilitating behavior change while working with employees, both individually and in groups, on matters relating to performance management, substance abuse, crisis intervention, and stress/wellness. ​​​​​​

Human resource professionals are first responders in the workplace. During times of national stress, they (along with coaches and clinicians) become essential sources of support for employees navigating a shifting world. 
 
As 2025 unfolds, we’re seeing escalating tensions- from culture wars to non-stop news updates and media cycles. Employees don’t leave these issues at the door; they bring their stress, fears and frustrations into the workplace. HR and management are being asked to stay neutral, empathetic and effective-all while managing an emotionally taxed workforce. 
 
The following are some things to consider when it comes to workplace mental health. 
 
How Political Stress Can Impact Work:
 

• Increased irritability, absenteeism and decreased productivity
• Tension or conflict between coworkers
• Heightened sensitivity
• More sick calls or requests for time off. 
• Scrolling the news instead of working

 
Why This Time Is So Charged:
 

• 24/7 news cycles and the constant buzz of social media.
• Heightened fears around safety, identity and rights
• Lingering burnout from Covid
• Eroding of trust in government and corporate leadership 

 
What HR Can Do:
 

• Normalize stress and mental health challenges in the company
• Remind employees of EAP services and how to access them 
• Review and promote employee benefits- medical, mental health, gym discounts etc.
• Encourage stepping away from the computer: take walks instead of scrolling the news at lunch
• Create intentional spaces for employees to be heard 
• Set expectations for limiting media during business hours

 
Self-Care for HR and Management
 

• Take small breaks-stretch; move and breathe
• Build in daily check-ins. A former employer of mine held a 10-15-minute check-in every day, to gauge team morale, workflow, and to provide support 
• Encourage connection; formally or informally. It helps to create a sense of belonging and importance. 

 
As someone who has assisted HR teams, managers and union leaders for years, I’ve seen the impact of a proactive and compassionate approach. Leaders who prioritize mental wellness help build resilient and healthier workplaces. This kind of leadership matters now more than ever. 

Kay Gimmestad, LCSW-C is a business coach and clinician in New York City with 20 years of experience working in the profit and not for profit sectors of Human Resources, Health and Human Services. She has built a reputation for being highly skilled in facilitating behavior change while working with employees, both individually and in groups, on matters relating to performance management, substance abuse, crisis intervention, and stress/wellness. ​​​​​​

As a coach and a clinician, I’ve seen firsthand how workplace culture impacts mental health, productivity and one’s personal life. A workplace should be a space where people feel valued and safe to be their authentic selves. Central to this is a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
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DEI is not only applicable to women, people of color and the LGBTQ community, but also can apply to men who are in a work environment dominated by employees that are of different backgrounds than them. 
 
Recent political directives aimed at curtailing DEI initiatives have made these principles and guidelines more challenging to sustain. 
 
Here are some ideas to maintain alignment with these values while navigating a complex political landscape. 
 
Reaffirm Core Values: Leadership and management should affirm the organization’s commitment to DEI regardless of external directives. 
 
Compassionate Workplace: I always encourage organizations to adopt practices to create a space where employees feel supported. It’s important to make sure a range of perspectives are put forward in the workplace. If an employee seems to be sitting back without speaking, make sure to ask them for their input. 
 
Mental Health as a DEI Issue: Mental health is often overlooked as a DEI issue. Marginalized employees who experience work environments full of microaggressions and inequities can develop burnout. It can be important to request cultural competence training from your HR department or EAP. 
 
Innovation versus Compliance: Use storytelling and team building to show diverse perspectives. Mentoring programs, community engagement and employee led resources can serve to promote DEI.
 
Additionally, a holiday potluck can be an opportunity to tell your cultural story via a presentation about your food and the meaning. 
 
Partner with Experts: Sometimes external consultants need to be brought on to address biases, tensions and employee needs. How can management support all employees while maintaining the mission of the company?
 
Moving Forward: Navigating political and social challenges can be daunting, but at this time in history, our values matter most. By staying committed to DEI principles, we create healthier workspaces and position ourselves as ethical leaders in our industry. 

Kay Gimmestad, LCSW-C is a business coach and clinician in New York City with 20 years of experience working in the profit and not for profit sectors of Human Resources, Health and Human Services. She has built a reputation for being highly skilled in facilitating behavior change while working with employees, both individually and in groups, on matters relating to performance management, substance abuse, crisis intervention, and stress/wellness. ​​​​​​

For several years, a friend has told me that she notices significant mood changes in the summer.
 
Summertime SAD is a growing problem that people are reporting to their healthcare providers. We associate SAD with the winter, but it has become a counterpoint to the summer for some. SAD is triggered by higher temperatures, longer days and extreme humidity. Some may have lower melatonin levels according to research. Melatonin is a hormone that impacts the sleep-wake cycle. 
 
Summer’s high temperatures and humidity can induce physiological changes in the body such as increased heart rate, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. These factors may contribute to fatigue, irritability and mood swings. Additionally, heightened pollen levels can exacerbate allergies and asthma, which contributes to exhaustion and mood changes. 
 
Seasonal changes disrupt the routine of certain occupations, for instance school employees who have less structure in the summer months. Even minor schedule changes can impact mental health. For office workers, staff vacations and requests for time off can add more to the workload. Families experience change emotionally and financially when childcare must be arranged as kids are off from school. 
 
High summer temperatures disrupt sleep patterns. For instance, extended daylight can throw off sleeping schedules leading to heightened stress levels, irritability and mood fluctuation. Moreover, sleep issues contribute to fatigue, impaired cognitive function and weakened immune response. 
 
Other triggers include physical reactions to heat, sensory sensitivities to light, color, and noise. Additional triggers could include longer daylight patterns, seasonal allergies, chemical changes in the brain and disruptions to the circadian rhythm.  
 
Engaging in heat-safe activities indoors and drinking plenty of water while reducing alcohol and caffeine intake will positively impact health. 
 
Despite these challenges, summer can bring opportunities for rest, rejuvenation and promote overall well-being. Try to prioritize self-care to make the most of the summer season. 

Kay Gimmestad, LCSW-C is a business coach and clinician in New York City with 20 years of experience working in the profit and not for profit sectors of Human Resources, Health and Human Services. She has built a reputation for being highly skilled in facilitating behavior change while working with employees, both individually and in groups, on matters relating to performance management, substance abuse, crisis intervention, and stress/wellness. ​​​​​​