As part of the Mental Health Matters 2026 Poster Campaign, Dermot Flatley Recovery Education Facilitator with REGARI Recovery College was named the winner of the workplace category for his entry, More Than an Employee (The Balancing Act). Dermot reflects on the inspiration behind his winning entry, the importance of creating mentally healthy workplaces, and why making space for conversations about mental health matters.
More Than an Employee: (The Balancing Act)
A conversation with Dermot about the person behind the role.
REGARI: Dermot, what inspired you to create “More Than an Employee”?
Dermot: I wanted to capture something I think many of us experience but don’t always talk about: we rarely arrive at work as just an employee. We might also be a parent, partner,friend, son or daughter, carer, provider, or simply someone trying to keep our own lives together.We can walk through the workplace door carrying worries about finances, relationships, family,health, or the future, even when none of those things are visible to the people around us. The poster is really about recognising the person behind the job title.
REGARI: Why did you create the image of someone wearing different hats?
Dermot: The hats represent some of the many different roles we occupy throughout our lives. Each role can be meaningful and rewarding, but each can also bring expectations and responsibilities. Sometimes we move between those roles almost without noticing it. We can be a colleague at 9am, a parent or partner in the evening, a friend who someone needs to lean on, and the person responsible for keeping the household running. There can be a lot of pressure in trying to do all of those things well.
REGARI: And what do the balls being juggled represent?
Dermot: They’re a visual representation of the balancing act many people are experiencing. Some of which may include: Family, Finances, Time, Home, Work and Relationships while managing our wellbeing. It can seem that we are always striving for that elusive work- life balance.
We’re often encouraged to become better at managing everything — better organised, more productive, more resilient. But sometimes the more important question is whether we’re expecting ourselves to keep too many things in the air at once. Perhaps dropping a ball occasionally isn’t failure. “After all we are human beings, not human doings. Our worth extends far beyond what we do, what we achieve or the roles we fulfil.”
REGARI: The poster also features a line of masks. What does that represent for you?
Dermot: The masks represent the different faces we can present to the world. We might smile when we’re struggling. Appear confident when we’re overwhelmed or say “I’m fine” when we’re anything but fine.
In the workplace, there can sometimes be an unspoken expectation that we should leave our personal difficulties at the door. But people don’t work that way, we are not robots! We bring ourselves into work which includes the parts of ourselves that may be struggling.
REGARI: Why do you think it’s sometimes difficult for people to say that they’re not okay?
Dermot: There can be a fear of being judged, appearing weak, being seen as unable to cope, or being treated differently. For some people, saying “I’m struggling” can feel much harder than continuing to struggle silently. And there is something important here: asking for support isn’t necessarily a sign that we’re failing to cope. Sometimes it’s actually an act of self-awareness, recognising that something needs attention before it becomes overwhelming.
REGARI: What does mental health mean to you in the context of the workplace?
Dermot: For me, mental health isn’t simply about what happens when somebody reaches crisis point. It’s also about creating environments where people can talk about how they’re doing before they reach that point. A healthy workplace doesn’t mean that everyone is happy all of the time. It means there is space for people to be human and to acknowledge pressure, uncertainty and difficulty without feeling that they have to hide those experiences.
REGARI: Why is the idea of being “more than an employee” important?
Dermot: Because a job is something we do. It isn’t everything we are.When our identity becomes too closely tied to our work, difficulties at work can begin to feel like difficulties with our sense of self. Remembering that we’re more than our job title can create a little psychological space. We can be struggling at work and still be a loving partner, a good friend, a valued family member, or someone with hopes and interests outside of work.
REGARI: What would you hope someone takes away from this poster?
Dermot: I’d hope they pause for a moment and recognise themselves in it. Maybe they’re the person juggling everything. Maybe they’re wearing one of the masks.Maybe they’ve noticed someone else who seems to be carrying a lot. Most importantly, I’d like the poster to give people permission to have conversations. A simple “How are you really doing?”can sometimes open a door.
REGARI: What does “taking off the mask” look like in life?
Dermot: I think finding that space where you can be yourself and don’t have to perform. You don’t have to convince someone that you’re coping, that everything is fine, or that you have all the answers. You can bring the parts of yourself that might feel messy,uncertain, conflicted or difficult to talk about to that safe space.
REGARI: And ultimately, what would you like people to remember?
Dermot: That none of us are just one thing. We’re human beings navigating relationships, responsibilities, hopes, disappointments, pressures and change. Sometimes we’re coping well; sometimes we’re barely keeping the balls in the air. And that’s okay. We don’t have to wait until everything falls apart before we ask for support. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply take off the mask, put down one of the balls we’re trying to juggle, and say: “Actually, I’m finding things difficult at the moment.” That’s not weakness, it’s being human.
