Brené Brown warns American workers are not neurologically wired for this level of rapid change and instability: ‘People are not okay’

American workers are clocking into their jobs in incredibly uncertain times: Economists fear a recession is on the horizon; the government seemingly imposes new policies every day; and AI continues to automate more human roles. 

This constant change has thrown many lives out of balance—and author, researcher, and professor Brené Brown told Fortune instability wreaks havoc on workers’ mental health.

“If you’re leading people, you probably know people are not okay,” Brown said onstage during Fortune‘s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., in October 2025.

“Folks are still going into Costco with an automatic weapon because they’re out of Cheese Whiz,” she stressed. “People are emotionally dysregulated, distrustful, and disconnected.”

Gen Z and young millennials are missing a day of work every week owing to mental health concerns

Employees are under intense emotional and financial strain; the typical worker in the U.K. feels unable to work for almost 50 days a year, owing to their mental health struggles. And staffers are even willing to make big sacrifices to feel like they’re in a good place—half of American Gen Zers and millennials said they would take a pay cut if their........

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