I'm Maura Aronsmaley and this is The Anxious Achiever.

We look at stories from business leaders who have dealt with anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges,

how they fell down, how they pick themselves up and how they hope workplaces can change in the future.

You know, it's always amazing to me when I talk to people who are struggling at work, especially right now, that they don't feel entitled to ask for what they want. I think a lot of us feel

that we are not deserving of being treated with respect and courtesy in the workplace. I think a lot of

us are used to our personal boundaries just being trampled over and over again.

For example, I can't tell you how many introverts I've spoken with over the years

who have just pretended to be extroverted, you know, going out to endless networking events

or letting coworkers lean into their cubicle or desk because they just feel like they

can't say, hey, get out of my space or, hey, I need some quiet. Okay, maybe they can't say that.

But they can ask for what they need. So that's what we're going to talk about today, some of the nitty

gritty things about work. The things that you may think shouldn't bother you.

But actually, they should bother you, and they are so much harder to deal with when you're

stressed, anxious, depressed, or going through anything else.

Part of my mission on this show is to normalize mental health struggles and to recognize

that trying to ignore them during the workday

is next to impossible.

So later in the show, you'll hear from Bob Posen, co-author of the book Remote Inc.,

how to thrive at work wherever you are, about time management, remote work, managing

expectations with your boss so that your boss isn't

anxious and nor are you, this is gold, and how to thrive despite internal and external

struggles. First, we'll hear from Roxanne Gay. For those not familiar with her work,

...