Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month at Wise

We sat down with two leaders at Wise to understand how they navigate the pressures of leadership and what advice they have for managing mental health.

Meet the Leads

Chisa Nwabara  Senior Continuous Improvement Lead, Financial Crime Operations, based in Budapest. Chisa has been at Wise since 2024 and has over 14 years of experience in operations. She is deeply passionate about building psychologically safe environments where teams can thrive—not just survive.

Phil Thomas  Finance Director based in London. Has been a Wiser for 3 years now and has more than 15 years of experience as a lead. For him, mental health is about balance: understanding that you can’t be everything to everyone, all the time. 

Let’s start with the basics—what does mental health mean to you personally?

Chisa: For me, it’s about being mentally and emotionally capable of doing the job I was hired for while effectively supporting those around me. It’s a balance of meeting my basic physiological needs and prioritising self-care so I can genuinely thrive in the workplace, rather than just getting through the day.

Phil: I see it as mental wellbeing—specifically, how I react to my thoughts and whether they allow me to live the way I want to. It’s that feeling of having a clear mind so I can act without constant worry or anxiety. It’s just like physical health: if physical health allows for movement, mental health allows for clear function.

Generally how do you maintain your mental wellbeing alongside the requirements of your role?

Chisa: I focus on setting clear boundaries and being honest about my personal capacity. I start by determining my actual bandwidth, prioritizing tasks within that space, and then actively advocating for and protecting that time.

I find it helpful to use a baking analogy to explain this: If you have the ingredients for cookies, you shouldn't commit to making a cake. It is much better to provide what you are genuinely capable of—the cookies—than to overextend and fail at the unrealistic task. I also make sure to model this for my team. If I don’t walk the walk, I create a contradiction in expectations that makes a sustainable pace impossible for the team.

Phil: I rely heavily on compartmentalising. I create physical and digital barriers so I’m not taking the office home with me. For example, I don't have work notifications like Slack or email on my personal phone. This way, engaging with work requires a conscious, deliberate decision rather than a reactive one triggered by a buzz in my pocket.

I also established a commute ritual. Even when working from home, I’ll walk around the block before I start work and once I finish to create a mental break. If I have to take care of some personal stuff in the office, I might walk up to the roof terrace and back down to physically switch gears between my personal and professional life.

When you find yourself facing an especially demanding period, what is the first adjustment you make to your routine to support your mental energy?

Chisa: The very first thing I do is pause. I need to gain full clarity on the request to understand if it's feasible and what I need in order to be successful. This is something I would try to do before I would commit to a demanding task.

If I know that I am facing an intense period I also adjust my home life—like asking my partner to pick up more of the slack as I know I will not be able to commit as much time. This helps me to shift my focus to where it needs to be. Crucially, I always identify an end date for the intensity and ensure a recovery break is scheduled immediately afterward. You can't run a marathon at a sprint pace indefinitely.

Phil: I usually focus on three small but high-impact adjustments:

Hydration: Dehydration is a silent mood-killer for me.

Breathing: I do 30-second breathing exercises four times a day. It pulls me back into the present.

Journaling: Getting thoughts out of my head and onto paper stops them from looping.

If I’m feeling a physical surge of emotion—like frustration—I’ll head to the gym for a quick 20-minute session. It’s about relieving that immediate physical pressure before it turns into mental burnout.

How do you start a conversation when you want to check in on how someone is doing but don't want to say the wrong thing? 

Chisa: It starts long before the check-in. I believe you have to build social capital first. I build that trust by modeling vulnerability—admitting my own mistakes so others feel safe doing the same. When checking in, I give people space to share when they’re ready. If I have to intervene because of a performance impact, I lead with empathy. I acknowledge when a deadline is tough and then work on future mitigations—either fixing the process or being transparent if a change is out of my hands—so my team can make the best decisions for themselves.

Phil: For me it’s all about the environment. I find it’s best to create a safe space away from the desk, like grabbing a coffee or going for lunch. My go-to is a simple but effective technique: I’ll ask an open-ended question like, "How’s it going?" and then follow up with, "Yeah, but how’s it really going?" Often, people give an autopilot answer first. That second question gives them explicit permission to drop the mask and share what’s actually on their mind without feeling forced.

What advice would you give to someone earlier in their professional journey about balancing growth with mental health? 

Chisa: My main advice is to ensure your situation is an intentional choice. It feels different to be in a high-pressure or difficult period, when you have consciously chosen it for your growth. The spiral usually happens when we haven't paused to confirm if the situation is what you wanted. Own your decisions, but remember: protecting your peace isn't just a nice-to-have—it results in a greater capacity to give and produces better long-term results.

Phil: Truly take the time to understand yourself and your underlying motivations. If you don’t know what you actually want out of your life and career, you might find yourself climbing a ladder that leads somewhere that makes you miserable. You have to define what balance looks like for you early on—ensuring you leave genuine, non-negotiable room for family, friends, and the hobbies that recharge your batteries.

Is there something you used to think was necessary for success that you’ve since realized isn't sustainable?

Chisa: I used to think I had to push through challenges in silence. I’ve since learned that not speaking up when something needs to be said is entirely unsustainable. Now, I rely on my peers to brainstorm ideas and gain outside perspectives; it’s much healthier than self-editing in isolation. This peer-reflection is a two-way street: it helps me recognise feelings I might have suppressed, while also providing my colleagues a space to feel heard and supported.

Phil: For me, it was Presentism. I used to think that being physically visible at my desk for long hours was a prerequisite for success. I’ve realised that’s not only unsustainable but mentally draining. What actually drives results is effectiveness and efficiency—not the number of hours people see you sitting in a chair. Moving the focus from hours worked to value created has been a game-changer for my mental clarity.

What support at Wise do you find useful?

Chisa: My peer relationships are the most essential support system I have here. Because our work is so dependent on cross-functional relationships, having a network of people who understand the unique dynamics of the Wiser experience is key. I find immense value in being around others who share those lived experiences; they can offer honest feedback or simply a safe space to vent when things get complicated. It’s that shared understanding that keeps me grounded.

Phil: The employee benefits, like our access to counseling sessions, were incredibly helpful to me during difficult personal periods. Beyond that, being a Mental Wellbeing Champion and going through the Mental Health First Aid training have been vital—they gave me the technical tools to support both myself and my team effectively. Ultimately, the environment here is phenomenal. Being able to be my true self with my manager and peers means we don't have to tread on eggshells, and that honesty allows everyone to be their best.

We advocate for mental health through our global Mental Wellbeing Champions and mental health community—a vital part of our DEI approach that provides our team with a consistent, dedicated space for connection and support.