Why Nobody Talks About Being a Caregiver at Work (& What It's Costing Us) with Jennifer Levin

In this deeply personal episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Jennifer Levin, television writer, journalist, and founder of Caregiver Collective, about her powerful book "Generation Care: The New Culture of Caregiving." While we're in meetings and hitting deadlines, millions of workers are simultaneously managing something most colleagues know nothing about—caring for aging or chronically ill family members. Jennifer became a caregiver at 32 when her father was diagnosed with a rare degenerative illness, and what she discovered changed everything about how we should think about work, support, and what it means to show up.

Episode Highlights:

• What makes millennial and Gen X caregiving different—and why "you don't have other responsibilities" is a dangerous assumption
• Why most young caregivers don't identify as caregivers—and what that silence costs them
• The role reversal nobody prepares you for: becoming your parent's parent
• Why our culture doesn't value family care as strong social capital—and the discrimination that follows
• The real cost to companies: employees leaving not because they want to, but because unpaid leave forces impossible choices
• Signs a team member might be struggling with caregiving (even if they haven't said anything)
• Ambiguous loss: grieving the person who's still here and the life you thought you'd have
• Why guilt is the one word every caregiver mentions, no matter what aspect of care they're discussing
• How to create a culture of care awareness without requiring people to sacrifice their careers
• The "waiting for the other shoe to drop" reality—and why caregiving emergencies don't follow a schedule

Quotable Moments:

"People will question your decisions all the time when you're a caregiver. But the person you're caring for wouldn't want you to give up on yourself either." - Jennifer Levin

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

Jennifer's Book: "Generation Care: The New Culture of Caregiving" by Jennifer Levin

Join the Caregiver Collective: A national online support group for caregivers who feel younger than expected in this role

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Zach Mercurio, author of "The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance." Despite billions invested in engagement programs and wellbeing initiatives, employees are more disengaged than ever—and the problem isn't what most leaders think. This conversation reveals why mattering can't be addressed through programs and perks, and what leaders must do differently at the interaction level to help people feel truly seen, valued, and significant.

Episode Highlights:

• Why engagement is at its lowest point in a decade despite $2 billion invested in programs
• The difference between mattering, belonging, and inclusion—and why mattering is what's missing
• How we've lost the skills to care for each other after 25 years of digital communication
• The "sprinkler issues" that silently kill motivation and create learned helplessness
• Why high performers and frontline workers are most at risk of feeling invisible
• The three practices that help people feel significant: noticing, affirming, and showing they're needed
• Why you can't give effective feedback to someone who doesn't first feel that they matter to you
• How showing others they matter actually regenerates your own sense of significance

Quotable Moment

Lyra Lens:

Sarah Haggerty, Clinical Psychologist and Neuroscientist at Lyra Health, explores the practical skills managers need to notice when someone's struggling and how to check in appropriately. She also breaks down the concept of "10% more depth" in workplace relationships.

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Mita Mallick, leadership expert and author of "The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses." Mita shares powerful stories from her own experiences with toxic leadership and reveals how she learned to recognize—and address—her own bad boss behaviors.

Episode Highlights:

• The origin story behind the provocative title and how a flooded childhood home led to discovering a "burn book" of bad bosses
• 13 types of toxic bosses including "The Sheriff" who refused to learn her name and renamed her "Mohammed," and "Medusa" who ruled through fear and public humiliation
• The three moments when bad boss behavior emerges: external marketplace stress, absorbing behaviors from your own bad boss, and personal life catastrophes
• Why bad bosses aren't born, they're made and how grief, trauma, and unprocessed emotions show up in leadership
• The midnight email phenomenon and why normalizing around-the-clock work expectations is unsustainable and counterproductive
• How fear-based leadership drives short-term results but destroys long-term productivity through turnover, disengagement, and organizational damage
• The shame and power dynamics that keep people trapped in toxic workplace relationships
• Self-reflection strategies for recognizing your own bad boss behaviors including career journaling and asking for coaching (not feedback)
• The importance of vulnerability in leadership and creating psychological safety for teams to discuss grief, personal struggles, and workplace challenges

Quotable Moments:

"Names were given to us by someone who had big hopes and dreams for us. Let that sit in. That's who someone named you. And so think about the promise of what your life is to be. And someone can't respect you by saying your name correctly." - Mita Mallick

"Your culture becomes defined by the worst behavior you tolerate." - Mita Mallick

Resources:

• Book: Order "The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses" by Mita Mallick
• Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local independent bookstores

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher and special co-host Dr. Joe Grasso from Lyra Health speak with Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Professor in the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Brackett's bestselling book "Permission to Feel" has revolutionized how we think about emotions in schools and workplaces, and his new book "Dealing With Feeling" challenges us to stop running from our emotional lives and start actually living them.

Episode Highlights:

• Why there's no such thing as a "bad emotion" and how all feelings are simply data
• The difference between being an "emotion scientist" versus an "emotion judge"
• How toxic masculinity teaches men to disconnect from their emotions, perpetuating cycles of loneliness and isolation
• Why "being emotional" doesn't mean you're weak—it means you're human
• The Meta Moment: A four-step process for healthy emotion regulation in high-pressure situations
• How to have difficult conversations at work without avoiding or attacking
• Why bringing your whole self to work includes bringing your emotions
• Practical strategies for managers to create emotionally intelligent team cultures
• The importance of checking in with your emotions before they leak into unrelated situations

Quotable Moments:

"Emotional intelligence... is not emotional reactivity. Emotions are on a continuum. There's a little bit of anger, which is annoyance, and there's a lot of anger, which is enraged." - Dr. Marc Brackett

"Just because you're feeling strong emotions doesn't mean you're not capable. Doesn't mean you're not strong. Life is about emotions." - Dr. Marc Brackett

Resources:

Free app: "How We Feel" (available on iOS and Android) - A mood tracking tool developed by Dr. Brackett to help build emotional vocabulary

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

In this eye-opening episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher sits down with researcher Tamara Myles, who studied over 2,000 workers across 25 industries and discovered this: your job doesn't actually suck—you just haven't unlocked its potential yet.

Forget "follow your passion." Tamara reveals the real science behind work that matters, including why a hairstylist who sees herself as a "day maker" literally saved a client's life, and how a simple 40-second interaction can transform your entire workplace experience. Whether you're flipping burgers or running boardrooms, this conversation will change how you think about Monday mornings forever.

Episode Highlights:

• Debunking meaningful work myths: Why it's less about what you do and more about how you experience what you do
• The crucial difference between purpose and meaning: Why mission-driven nonprofits still struggle with burnout
• The Three C's framework: Community, Contribution, and Challenge as the building blocks of meaningful work
• The 40-second connection rule: How micro-moments build workplace belonging
• The power of recognition: Why one weekly "thank you" cuts burnout and disengagement in half
• On stage, backstage, and after the show: A framework for meaningful appreciation
• The goldfish principle: Why humans are "indeterminate growers" shaped by their environment
• Burnout vs. bore-out: The surprising ways people disengage from work

Quotable Moment:

Meet Your Mind’s Dysfunctional Family (And How to Make peace with Them) with Britt Frank

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Britt Frank, licensed neuropsychotherapist, keynote speaker, and author of "The Science of Stuck: Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward" and "Align Your Mind: Tame Your Inner Critic and Make Peace with Your Shadow Using the Power of Parts Work." Britt's research-based approach combines neuroscience, trauma therapy, and humor to help people understand why they do what they do—and more importantly, how to change it.

Episode Highlights:

• The difference between "gas pedal stuckness" (workaholism/burnout) and "brake pedal stuckness" (procrastination)
• How anxiety functions as your mind's "check engine light" signaling underlying problems
• Why there's no such thing as self-sabotage—and what's really happening instead
• Understanding "parts work" and how your mind contains multiple inner voices and characters
• How to transform your inner critic from enemy to ally through dialogue, not silence
• Why asking "why" keeps you stuck while asking "how" and "what" creates momentum
• Practical strategies for leaders to recognize which "parts" of their team members are activated
• The difference between professional success and professional fulfillment
• How to shift from reactive parts brain to your "inner CEO" in workplace situations

 Quotable Moment:

Lyra Lens:

In this segment, Dr. Joe Grasso, VP of Workforce Transformation at Lyra Health, explores how high achievers with their "foot always on the gas" can create (and reveal) systemic organizational problems. He discusses values-based working, moving from blame to curiosity when addressing performance issues, and how managers can shift from treating individual behavior problems to addressing systemic workplace challenges.

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

Mind the (Future) Gap: Preparing for What's Next in Mental Health 

Special Live Episode from Lyra Breakthrough 2025

In this special live episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, recorded at the Lyra Breakthrough Conference, Jen Fisher hosts a dynamic panel discussion exploring how AI, shifting demographics, and evolving expectations are reshaping mental health support in the workplace.

Panel Experts:

• Dr. Tom Insel - Former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and visionary behind the bold statement that "AI is to mental health what DNA was to cancer"
• Briana Duffy - Market President at Carelon Behavioral Health, witnessing mental health become a mainstream conversation across generations
• Dr. Alethea Varra - Senior Vice President of Clinical Care at Lyra Health, pioneering the integration of technology and clinical excellence in modern mental healthcare delivery

Episode Highlights:

• Why AI represents a transformational force in mental healthcare, offering precision in diagnosis and treatment like never before
• The critical difference between AI as a "GPS system" versus autonomous "Waymo" therapy - and why we're not ready for the latter
• How predictive algorithms can identify individuals at risk for self-harm up to five months in advance
• The challenge of responsible AI implementation: why human oversight is essential to prevent dangerous "drift" in AI responses
• Young people now listing "been in therapy" as a requirement on dating profiles - and what this means for workplace expectations
• Why 70% of students prefer community-based care over traditional one-on-one therapy
• The generational divide: younger workers prioritizing mental health support versus older workers' "tough it out" mentality - and how to leverage both perspectives
• The shift from "mental health" to "mental fitness" - expanding the conversation beyond crisis care to preventative wellness
• Value-based care revolution: paying for outcomes and results rather than time spent
• Real ROI data: 30% reduction in overall healthcare spend for engaged members in sophisticated care programs

Quotable Moments:

Resources:

This special live episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution trusted by leading companies like Starbucks, Morgan Stanley, Lululemon, and Zoom. Lyra provides personalized care to over 17 million people with fast access to evidence-based providers and tools that deliver proven results.

Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

The TikTok-ification of Self-Care (And How to Fix It) with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin
In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, psychiatrist, mental health advocate, and author of "Real Self Care." Together they unpack the commercialization of wellness and explore why so many women feel caught between achieving everything and finding time for authentic self-care. They navigate the complexities of caregiving, adult friendships, and finding hope in challenging times.

Episode Highlights:

• The four principles of real self-care: boundaries, compassion, values, and power
• Why the "pause" is the true boundary - not simply saying no
• The invisible burden of elder caregiving and why it's so difficult to discuss at work
• How to maintain meaningful adult friendships when life gets overwhelming
• Understanding hope as an active practice rather than wishful thinking
• The importance of finding small moments of joy and connection in daily life

Quotable Moment:

Lyra Lens:
In this edition, Dr. Kendall Browne, Clinical Psychologist and Director at Lyra Health, unpacks the concept of "the pause" that Dr. Lakshmin identified as crucial for boundary-setting. She explains that while pausing seems simple, implementing it proves challenging—especially for women who feel pressure to respond instantly. Dr. Browne offers practical strategies for habitualizing this pause and distinguishes between different boundary types: porous (saying yes too often), inflexible (saying no reflexively), and purposefully permeable (thoughtful decisions about when to engage).

Resources:
This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

That Difficult Coworker is Just a Character in Your Success Story with Tessa West

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Tessa West, Professor of Psychology at New York University and author of "Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them" and "Job Therapy: A Psychologist's Guide to Finding Your Most Fulfilling Job Yet." Her research reveals surprising patterns about difficult workplace relationships and career satisfaction.

Episode Highlights:

• The five types of workplace jerks: Kiss Up/Kick Downers, Credit Stealers, Free Riders, Bulldozers, and Gaslighters
• Why gaslighters are the most psychologically damaging but also the rarest type of workplace jerk
• How to strategically document and address problematic workplace behavior without making it personal
• Why confronting office jerks alone is often the biggest mistake people make
• The surprising truth about "toxic rockstars" and whether you really have to put up with them
• The five sources of career frustration: identity crisis, drifted apart, stretched too thin, runner-up, and underappreciated star
• Why "follow your passion" is terrible career advice and what to focus on instead
• How to use the Working Week Audit to identify your true workplace stressors
• A fresh perspective on work-life balance as psychological integration rather than time management

Quotable Moment:

Lyra Lens:
In this edition, Keren Wasserman, Senior Manager of Organizational Development at Lyra Health, explores how workplace jerks thrive by manipulating systems - and how understanding those systems is key to overcoming them. She highlights that when we take back our power through actions like building connections and amplifying other voices, "we not only shift the power dynamics, but also improve the quality of the work itself." Keren also connects Tessa's job-person fit framework with burnout research, offering a workplace version of the Serenity Prayer to help us recognize "our needs and what we can change about our environment.

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

Stop Saying 'Hope Is Not a Strategy' (Science Proves You Wrong) with Kathryn Goetzke

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering for some listeners. If you're experiencing thoughts of suicide, please know you're not alone - you can reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by calling or texting 988.

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher opens with a powerful personal reflection on her own journey with hope, challenging the dismissive phrase "hope is not a strategy" and reframing hope as both a comfort and a challenge—not just something we feel, but something we do. She then speaks with Kathryn Goetzke, CEO and Chief Hope Officer of The Shine Hope Company, whose evidence-based work proves that hope is a measurable, teachable skill with profound implications for workplace wellbeing, productivity, and retention.

Episode Highlights:

• How Kathryn's personal experiences with loss and recovery led to her mission of teaching hope as a skill
• The SHINE Hope Framework: Stress skills, Happiness habits, Inspired actions, Nourishing networks, and Eliminating challenges
• Why hopelessness is the single consistent predictor of suicide and a primary symptom of depression
• Evidence that as hope increases, anxiety and depressive symptoms decrease
• How hope scores directly correlate with workplace engagement, productivity, and retention
• The business case for hope: 53% of parents miss a day of work each month due to their children's mental health
• Practical ways leaders can model and foster hope in workplace settings
• The distinction between hope as a wish versus hope as an evidence-based strategy

Quotable Moment:
"Hope is a strategy. We've done the research to prove that the higher in hope your workforce is, the more likely they are to show up to work, be engaged, achieve goals, and overcome obstacles." - Kathryn Goetzke

The Economy of Ease (& Why It's Making Us Miserable) with Caroline Chubb Calderon

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast, Jen Fisher speaks with Caroline Chubb Calderon, futurist, humanist, and founder and CEO of Hello Humanity, a company dedicated to reimagining humanity in the age of machines. Caroline works with leaders worldwide to create a future where technology enhances rather than diminishes our human experience.

Episode Highlights:

• How to unlock human flourishing in the age of artificial intelligence
• Why our current economic model leads to mental health issues and disconnection
• The difference between an "economy of ease" and an "ecology of meaning"
• Why synthetic relationships through AI can never replace real human connection
• The dangers of deploying AI for mental health support versus clinical analysis
• How courage and vulnerability are essential for transforming our systems
• The eight principles of life that can guide our relationship with technology
• Practical steps organizations can take to prioritize human intelligence alongside AI

Quotable Moments:

"We've been creating a world of ease where we live in an economy where everything is driven to improving the ease of life. What would it look like to move from an ease economy to a regenerative and meaning ecology?" - Caroline Chubb Calderon

Resources:

Learn more about Caroline’s work at Hello Humanity

Watch Caroline’s TEDx Talk 

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

Come As You Are' at Work (Terms & Conditions Apply) with Farah Harris

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Farah Harris, licensed psychotherapist, workplace wellbeing expert, and CEO of Working Well Daily. Her book "The Color of Emotional Intelligence" challenges us to rethink what authenticity and emotional intelligence really mean across different cultures and identities in the workplace.

Episode Highlights:

•  The hidden costs of "bringing your whole self to work"
•  Why emotional intelligence looks different across cultures and backgrounds
•  How our family dynamics shape our workplace emotional expression
• The real price of fitting into "professional" culture
• What looks like "high EQ" might actually be a survival strategy
• Why declaring "safe spaces" doesn't make them safe
• The problem with one-size-fits-all approaches to emotional intelligence
• How power dynamics affect workplace authenticity
• The importance of having "safe people" to process workplace experiences

 Quotable Moment:
"If you can't take what you're learning outside of the four walls of the workplace, then is it truly applicable? Is it truly authentic?"
- Farah Harris

Lyra Lens:
We're excited to introduce Lyra Lens, a new segment with our friends from Lyra Health. "The beauty of inclusion and diversity at work is shifting from 'why do you do it like that?' to 'what can I learn from someone who does it differently?'" Andrea Holman shares this and other insights in today's Lyra Lens segment, where she joins Jen Fisher to discuss cultural humility in the workplace.

Resources:
This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

'Reading' Emotion in Emails & Other Ways Our Brains Mislead Us with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and author of "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain."

Episode Highlights:

• Why we can't actually "read" emotions in faces, voices, or body language
• The science behind your brain's "body budget" and how it affects workplace performance
• How social stress can impact your metabolism by up to 104 calories
• Why trust in coworkers and management significantly affects productivity
• The truth about psychological safety and why some discomfort is necessary for growth
• How to handle emotions in virtual environments and email communications
• Understanding the difference between guessing and reading emotions in workplace interactions
• Practical strategies for making yourself more predictable to reduce others' stress

Quotable Moment:

Resources:

Learn more about Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett's groundbreaking research on emotions and the brain at her website

Books: "How Emotions Are Made" and "Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain"

Your Brain On Goals: The Surprising Science of Motivation with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher and special co-host Keren Wasserman from Lyra Health speak with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and author of "Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation."

Episode Highlights:

• Common motivation strategies that can backfire, including rigid goal-setting and misaligned incentives
• How to overcome the "middle problem" in long-term goals by breaking them into shorter segments
• The connection between emotions and motivation as a feedback system
• When to focus on progress made vs. progress needed based on where you are in your journey
• Why experts tend to look ahead while novices benefit from looking back at progress
• The importance of social support and working with others to maintain motivation
• How failure can provide valuable information and novel insights for learning
• Leadership strategies for maintaining team trust and motivation during challenging times

Quotable Moment:

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution.
Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy and author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong. In a wide-ranging conversation, Stephanie discusses her science-backed approach to happiness, and explains how accessing our unique gifts and giving back to the community can lead to joy and fulfillment.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with speaker, workplace mental health consultant, and executive Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower to discuss how to manage the anxiety that comes with succeeding and leading.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with climate psychologist Renée Lertzman to discuss the emotional effects of climate change and how we can become more resilient. Lertzman, the author of Environmental Melancholia: Psychoanalytic dimensions of engagement, offers suggestions about how individuals, organizations, and leaders can work together to alleviate climate anxiety, as well as finding ways to give back and have a positive impact. 

 In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with user researcher, writer, illustrator, and consultant Ximena Vengoechea, author of Rest Easy: Discover Calm and Abundance through the Radical Power of Rest. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Ximena talk about the importance of resting and recharging in order to lead a fulfilling and productive life. Ximena offers guidance on how to get the deep rest we need for our well-being, and explains how rest helps us reconnect with ourselves and improves every aspect of our lives, from work to relationships.  

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with grief expert Rebecca Soffer, author, co-founder, and CEO of Modern Loss. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Rebecca discuss loss and resilience, and how to overcome the stigma of grief. 

In this WorkWell podcast by Deloitte, Jen Fisher, editor-at-large for Thrive and Deloitte’s  Human Sustainability Hub, sits down with Dr. Vanessa Patrick , Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of Research at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, and the author of The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jen and Vanessa discuss why it can be so hard to say no, and Vanessa shares techniques for saying no that lead to clearer decision making, stronger boundaries, and better time management.