Behind the Hardhat: 5 Powerful Mental Health Tools
Life changing ways to find courage, inspiration, success, and happiness.
👋 Hey, Kyle here! Welcome to The Influential Project Manager, a weekly newsletter covering the essentials of successful project leadership.
Today’s Overview:
May is Mental Health Awareness Month - an important time to address the mental health challenges faced by millions, including those in the construction industry.
Today’s newsletter explores 5 powerful mindset "tools" from the life-changing book - "The Tools" by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels.
These 5 techniques - (1) The Reversal of Desire, (2) Active Love, (3) Inner Authority, (4) The Grateful Flow, & (5) Jeopardy - are designed to help tackle anxiety, improve relationships, find purpose, and unlock your full potential.
5 Powerful Mental Health Tools
Filed under: Frameworks & Tools, Learning & Growth
Hello, my friend,
Let's talk about something that impacts all of us - mental health. Working long hours in a high-stress environment takes its toll.
In the construction industry, mental health remains a largely unaddressed yet critical safety risk.
The numbers don't lie - construction workers are among the most at-risk for mental health issues like depression, anxiety and substance abuse.
According to the CDC, 53.3 construction workers out of every 100,000 workers commit suicide. The highest suicide rate out of any industry. A 2020 survey of construction workers found that 14.3% of workers struggled with anxiety and nearly 6% struggled with depression.
I get it, we're a tough bunch. But even the strongest of us need to protect our minds just like we do our bodies with hard hats, safety glasses, and steel-toed boots.
That's why, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm sharing 5 simple tools to safeguard your mental health.
Please consider sharing this information with a colleague or friend. Together, we can break the silence on this important issue.
Why Construction?
You may be wondering - why is mental health such a big issue for the construction industry?
When I think about the problem, the reasons are multifaceted and varied. There are a few major factors at play that we have to deal with more than other industries:
Tough Working Conditions: Our jobsites are not exactly a walk in the park. Long hours in all kinds of weather, deafening noise, physical labor - it really takes a toll after a while. Throw in dangers like working at heights or around heavy equipment and you've got a recipe for chronic stress.
Schedule-Driven Pressures: Unrealistic deadlines and demanding expectations run rampant in our line of work. Poor planning, productivity issues, and lack of communication breed unstable schedules that create immense pressure on the people involved.
Low Trust & Collaboration: With everyone (owners, architects, contractors, subcontractors, etc.) having their own interests, it can be difficult to build trust and work as a true team. Opposing incentives get baked into the system, which can make collaboration feel impossible.
Machismo Culture: There's still a "suck it up" mentality in construction that stigmatizes talking about mental health issues. We're supposed to be the tough guys who can handle anything, right? Wrong - that mindset is hurting our people.
Isolation & Loneliness: Frequent separation from family and friends is normal, with many workers spending weeks away from home. That isolation breeds depression and anxiety.
Hectic Travel & Commutes: We have to chase the work, which often means long-distance commutes or being a traveling worker far from home for extended stretches.
Lack of Mental Health Support: Most companies simply don't have resources to address suicide prevention, substance abuse, anger management, and other mental health challenges we face daily.
Low Barrier to Entry: It's easy for those already struggling with mental health issues to get an entry-level construction job without much vetting. If you can get there and swing a hammer, you're hired - no questions about personal stability.
So in a lot of ways, the deck is stacked against us when it comes to prioritizing mental wellness. But that's exactly why we need to get tools and resources in place to protect our most valuable asset - our people.
🛠️ The Tools: 5 Techniques to Unlock Your Potential
A while back, I discovered a book that changed my life - "The Tools" by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels.
It features five “tools” that effectively tackle mental challenges like anxiety, improving relationships, and finding purpose.
I revisit this book often because it offers some of the most useful advice I’ve found on the topic.
And I'm not the only one who swears by these techniques either. Folks who use them consistently report becoming better leaders, better parents, better team members, and more confident in all areas of life.
If you're serious about taking care of your mental health, you'll want to keep revisiting these 5 powerful tools.
Tool #1: The Reversal of Desire
Challenge: The Comfort Zone
We've all been there - avoiding that difficult conversation, putting off a overwhelming task, or steering clear of anything that might cause anxiety or embarrassment. It's easy to get stuck in the "comfort zone" and play it safe.
It’s a way of life that avoids anything that might be painful. Whatever your Comfort Zone consists of, you pay a huge price for it.
The Comfort Zone is supposed to keep your life safe, but what it really does is keep your life small.
Successful people drive straight through the pain - rejections, failures, criticism, you name it. Because they avoid nothing, they can pursue their highest aspirations.
A sense of purpose doesn’t come from thinking about it. It comes from taking action that moves you toward the future. The moment you do this, you activate a force more powerful than the desire to avoid pain. This is called the “Force of Forward Motion.”
Here’s how you do it:
Pick a situation you’re avoiding - some kind of emotional pain; a phone call you’re putting off, a project that seems overwhelming, or getting to the gym.
Visualize the pain you're trying to avoid as a dark cloud.
Scream silently "BRING IT ON!" Demand and desire that pain, because it's the only way to move forward.
Scream "I LOVE PAIN!" as you charge straight into the cloud. Become one with the pain.
Feel the cloud spit you out the other side, propelled into a new realm. Declare "PAIN SETS ME FREE!"
Repeat this process over and over. The more you move towards the pain instead of avoiding it, the smaller it becomes. Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's taking action despite it.
There's no more putting things off or playing it safe. It's time to embrace the discomfort and difficulties so you can keep driving your life and projects forward at full speed.
Tool #2: Active Love
Challenge: The Maze
Someone in your life drops the ball, says something to offend you, or just plain screws something up. Next thing you know, you're obsessively replaying what went wrong and fantasizing about giving that person an earful.
You're stuck in what Phil Stutz calls "The Maze" - trapped in a cycle of anger, unable to see anything but their mistake. The Maze is a threat to all relationships, because it warps your view of people. It's like they've taken up permanent residence in your head, preventing you from moving forward.
When you’re in the Maze, life passes you by.
“Active Love” is the mindset shift to break free from The Maze. When you feel that rage building:
Visualize being surrounded by a warm, infinitely loving light. Breathe it into your heart.
Then, consciously send that pure love from your heart to the person who wronged you. Hold nothing back.
Imagine and feel the love penetrating them. Sense a profound connection and oneness with them in that moment.
The love will circle back, re-energizing you with a renewed sense of acceptance and power.
With Active Love, you create "Outflow" - a state of simply accepting people and circumstances as they are, without letting anything derail you. The obsession dissolves, and you can give your all to people without reservation.
No more runaway conflicts, grudges or distractions. You become an unstoppable force who can defuse any situation and keep your life moving forward.
Tool #3: Inner Authority
Challenge: The Shadow
We've all experienced moments where we want to make a good impression, but something holds us back from truly expressing ourselves. We freeze up, get dry mouth, go blank, or struggle to form coherent sentences.
That something is your "Shadow" - the insecure voice inside telling you you're not good enough, that you'll be judged or rejected if you open up. This Shadow represents your deepest insecurities and fears of vulnerability.
When we try to suppress this Shadow self, it actually creates more challenges. It causes us to act stiff, unnatural, and disconnected from the very people we need to connect with.
It looks like this:
People who show up confidently speak with “Inner Authority” - a powerful, genuine form of self-expression that comes from making peace with your Shadow.
Here's how to unleash your “Inner Authority” in any high-pressure situation:
Visualize your Shadow self facing you. This represents your insecurities and fears.
Instead of hiding it, embrace your Shadow. Feel an unbreakable bond and fearlessness as you face it head on.
Then, you and your Shadow turn towards your audience as a unified force.
Channel that unified energy to silently command "LISTEN!" to your audience.
Speak your truth from that place of confidence and authority. Don't care about approval.
With Inner Authority, you stop hiding your true self and speak with conviction. You connect with others on a deeper level because you're showing your genuine colors without filter.
No more going silent, seeming unnatural, or failing to make your impact felt. You become a force of authentic self-expression that inspires and rallies people behind you.
Tool #4: The Grateful Flow
Challenge: The Black Cloud
It's easy to get consumed by the stresses and negativity that comes with life. Looming deadlines, money issues, difficult people, personal hardships - the worries can cast a metaphorical "Black Cloud" over everything.
But operating under that cloud of negativity is a brutal way to live and work. It saps your energy, kills productivity, and prevents you from ever finding real peace of mind on or off the jobsite.
Above the black cloud is the sun, the universal symbol for the positive. Here, it would represent all that is right in the world. You access it by tapping into the powerful force of gratefulness.
When you feel worry, self-hatred, or any other form of negativity creeping in:
Start silently stating very specific things you're grateful for - big and small. Things you normally take for granted.
Don't just list them off. Go slowly and feel the depth of gratitude for each item.
After 30 seconds, stop thinking and focus on the physical sensation of gratefulness radiating from your heart.
Breathe it in. You'll feel an overwhelming presence of infinite giving and nurturing surrounding you.
This "Grateful Flow" is a profound source of peace, strength and energy. The more you practice it, the more it becomes a constant, grounding companion in your daily life.
No more obsessing over stresses or living under the black cloud. Gratefulness gives you an unshakable foundation to operate from your highest mental and emotional state every single day.
Tool #5: Jeopardy
Challenge: Lack of Willpower
A meaningful life and career requires an incredible amount of willpower and determination. Whether it's powering through a tough schedules, grinding on your business, or staying disciplined with safety and quality standards - giving up is never an option.
But we all have moments where the willpower tank runs low. Maybe you've been slacking on your exercise routine. Or you find yourself procrastinating on a crucial task. Whatever it is, you need a way to instantly summon a surge of motivation from within.
That's where the “Jeopardy” tool comes in. When you find yourself quitting on your positive habits:
Visualize yourself lying on your deathbed. Having run out of time, this older self screams at you not to waste the present moment. You feel a deep, hidden fear that you’ve been squandering your life.
This creates an urgent desire to use whichever basic tool you need at the moment.
This tool allows us to literally create willpower out of nothing. The fear of looking back without pride will recharge your willpower reserves to an unstoppable level.
With this tool, you become fearless. The future may be uncertain, but nothing can shake your ability to rise up and create your own light when needed.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the health of our industry depends on the efforts of each individual. Every time one of us becomes happier and healthier, all of us benefit.
That places a special responsibility on those who know how to use the tools.
I wake up every morning grateful that these "higher forces" are available to us. They never stop revealing themselves in new ways.
But reading about the tools isn't enough. Real growth requires real action. Pick one tool from this newsletter and commit to applying it over the next week.
Will it be easy? Of course not. Everything you want in life is uphill. But I guarantee you'll start to feel positive shifts in your mindset and outlook.
Until next week,
Kyle Nitchen
* Did you miss last week’s issue? Click here to view them all.
When you're ready, here’s how I can help:
Upgrade your PM software. Project financials, management, and construction admin. Switch to INGENIOUS.BUILD to evolve from an administrative project manager to strategic project leader.
Get my full toolbox (free). It contains 30+ software and hardware tools I’m using today.
Hold your schedule accountable. Gain stability and flow in your schedules with this Takt Planning & Control online course. Use code “Influentialpmtakt” for 30% off!
Advertise in this newsletter. Put your brand in front of 2,800+ construction project managers, leaders, and execs. (Booked out 5 weeks)
Support this Newsletter. The Influential Project Manager articles will remain free, but if you find this work valuable, I encourage you to become a paid subscriber. As a paid subscriber, you’ll help support this work.