Chronic strain is the slow, persistent accumulation of mental and cognitive pressure that builds when demands never fully let up. According to Headspace's 8th annual Workforce State of Mind report, 92% of workers are experiencing it right now. It's showing up in how employees sleep, focus, make decisions, and engage with their work. And most benefits programs still aren't designed to address it.
Join Headspace Chief People Officer Lisa Mulrooney Gross and Psychiatry Lead Dr. Neeru Bakshi, alongside HR and benefits leaders from Edward Jones and Advocate Health, for a candid conversation about what the latest data on workplace mental health and resilience reveals — and what leading organizations are doing differently to help their people build lasting resilience before they reach a breaking point.
In this session, you'll learn:
- What chronic strain is, why it's become the defining workforce mental health challenge of 2026, and how AI-driven change is accelerating it
- How the gap between what employers think they're offering and what employees actually experience translates into real costs — and how to start closing it
- Practical strategies for building population-level resilience into your benefits program, drawn from the organizations getting it right
Meet the Presenters
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Lisa Mulrooney Gross
Lisa Mulrooney Gross is the Chief People Officer at Headspace, leading the company’s People and Talent strategy to foster a culture of performance, innovation, and wellbeing. With over 25 years of HR leadership at organizations like Fitbit (acquired by Google), ChargePoint, Bayer, and GE, Gross is a three-time CPO recognized for driving transformation and building world-class HR functions. She is passionate about leveraging AI and data to enhance organizational effectiveness and enable growth. She holds a Master’s in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from UCLA. She serves on the Board of Girls Inc. of Alameda County and frequently speaks on the future of work, wellness, and leadership.
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Dr. Neeru Bakshi
Dr. Neeru Bakshi is a Psychiatry Lead at Headspace, where she has worked since 2022. Dr. Bakshi has extensive experience and expertise in the field of eating disorders and anti-racist mental health care, having worked in a variety of care settings. She has served in various leadership roles in professional, non-profit, and care organizations. She frequently presents on topics related to eating disorders and equitable mental health care.
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Joelle Myszka
Joelle Myszka is Senior Director and Head of Well-being at Edward Jones, leading the firm’s strategy to support over 54,000 associates across mental, emotional, physical, financial, and social well-being. Drawing on a diverse career and collaborative leadership approach, she bridges silos to drive cultural transformation, operational excellence, and meaningful employee and client experiences. Grounded in a deep belief that thriving people create thriving systems, Myszka integrates empathy with strategy to embed well-being into daily life and long-term growth. Her work focuses on delivering practical tools and support that foster sustainable habits and lasting impact across the organization.
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Seth Christopher
Seth Christopher is Director of Benefits Health Outcomes at Advocate Health, where he leads strategy and performance across mental health and other high-impact benefit programs supporting more than 170,000 teammates. His work focuses on improving access to care, strengthening the employee experience, and shaping benefit strategies that address evolving workforce needs. Christopher supports a workforce delivering care every day and works closely with clinical teams and partners to evolve benefit strategies that are practical, accessible, and relevant for teammates and their families.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.