From the Magazine: The hidden mental health struggles in Canada’s auto shops
In an industry where admitting vulnerability is a challenge, offering a space to be honest can reduce stigma and increase performance
He sat across from me during our coaching session, shoulders tense, jaw tight. Then, finally, he let himself cry. For a newly promoted shop supervisor, juggling a new team, a recent separation and shift work that left him running on fumes, this was the first time he’d felt safe enough to show what he had been holding in for weeks.
Behind that release were pressures most of his crew, and many of those in auto shops, never see: The silent weight of mental strain, responsibility and worry.
This private moment reveals a reality many in the automotive service industry face: Mental health challenges are often hidden, silent and deeply intertwined with both personal and workplace stressors.
Behind the hum of tools and the rhythm of routine work, technicians and supervisors navigate pressures that affect not only their well-being, but also safety, morale and performance.
The culture of silence
For many in the trades, admitting vulnerability is challenging. There is an unspoken rule to “tough it out.” Struggling silently is seen as a mark of strength; asking for help is a weakness. The supervisor in our story wrestled with this every day. Despite his manager’s open invitation to seek support, he felt he couldn’t ask for help. He had to figure it all out himself.
The costs of this culture are profound. Men in Canada die by suicide at roughly three times the rate of women, and workplace stress can amplify these risks. Micro-behaviors like irritability, withdrawal, or a “short fuse” are often dismissed as personality quirks or signs of fatigue, rather than potential warning signs of psychological strain.
Toxic masculinity in auto shops can also affect relationships on the floor. Crew members may hide mistakes, avoid asking questions or push themselves to the brink to appear capable. In contrast, a healthy, supportive shop culture normalizes asking for help, acknowledging errors as learning opportunities, and showing that strength includes both competence and humanity.
When teams feel safe to be honest about challenges, trust builds and performance improves.
For many in the trades, admitting vulnerability is challenging. There is an unspoken rule to “tough it out.” Struggling silently is seen as a mark of strength; asking for help is a weakness.
Routine tasks amplify stress
Auto shops are built on repetition, precision and procedural memory. Technicians perform familiar tasks — inspection, assembly, diagnostics — over and over. While this makes work efficient, it also frees the mind to wander.
For someone already under stress, like our shop supervisor, autopilot work can become a breeding ground for rumination. Thoughts about home life, unresolved problems or mistakes replay silently while the body goes through the motions. Research shows that 30-50 per cent of our daily thoughts wander from the task at hand, a phenomenon known as stimulus-independent thinking. In high-stakes environments like auto repair shops, these wandering thoughts can escalate risk, affecting decision-making, reaction time and overall safety.
Fatigue, stress and cognitive overload make this worse. The supervisor reported moments of dissociation on the floor, performing tasks without clear focus, feeling mentally foggy and inability to think straight. These are not signs of incompetence — they are signals of the cognitive toll of juggling multiple pressures without sufficient support.
Leaders can help mitigate these risks by recognizing that distraction often reflects mental strain, not disengagement. Approaching slips in focus with curiosity, promoting brief mental resets and checking in regularly about workload and well-being supports both safety and psychological health.
When efficiency creates hidden pressure
Auto shops constantly adopt new tools, systems, and procedures aimed at improving efficiency. Yet poorly managed change can create more stress than it resolves.
In our story, the supervisor had to enforce a new overhead lifting protocol that slowed the team’s workflow. He had minimal rapport with his crew, and multiple new reporting systems were rolled out with a “click here then here” approach that left him feeling confused and behind. The cognitive and emotional load of enforcing change while struggling to understand the systems himself intensified his stress and sense of isolation.
Many workers silently battle these pressures. Cultural norms in the trades discourage asking questions or admitting uncertainty. When new software or procedures are imposed without consultation, workers may resist — not out of laziness, but as a way to reclaim a sense of control. Inclusive practices, such as involving technicians early in testing new tools, pairing employees with buddies for hands-on learning and maintaining open check-ins, can reduce hidden stress and improve adoption.
Small, visible wins can help, too. A supervisor might acknowledge, “I know this slows things down, but let’s try it this way and see if it improves safety.” Demonstrating progress, soliciting feedback and looping that feedback to management ensures changes feel human-centered, rather than top-down mandates.
Toxic masculinity in auto shops can also affect relationships on the floor. Crew members may hide mistakes, avoid asking questions or push themselves to the brink to appear capable.
The human side of leadership in auto shops
Promotion to a supervisory role often comes because of technical skill, not people-leadership experience. This can create role strain, especially when coupled with personal life stress. Leaders are expected to manage processes, enforce rules and keep the team productive, all while maintaining their own well-being.
Leaders who understand their own mental states can make better decisions under pressure. Remaining calm and self-aware allows the crew to function smoothly and safely. When leaders show they care about people and not just productivity, they build loyalty and trust. Employees notice when they are valued as humans, not just as cogs in the workflow.
Psychological health and safety frameworks, such as the CSA Z1003 standard, provide tools for leaders to identify and mitigate psychosocial hazards. Employers are expected to incorporate psychosocial hazards into their occupational hazard assessments, recognizing that mental well-being is as critical to safety as any physical protection. Resources like the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) provide primers and checklists for implementing these practices.
Practical solutions for a safer, healthier shop floor
While systemic pressures are real, there are actionable strategies that owners, supervisors, and co-workers can implement to improve mental health and safety on the shop floor.
1. Normalize brief check-ins
Start daily huddles with a simple question: “On a scale of 1 to 5, how’s your headspace today?” Leaders can model openness by sharing small personal challenges. These low-stakes conversations normalize honesty and signal that it’s safe to speak up.
2. Spot and act on early signs
Look for subtle changes: Concentration lapses, near-misses, irritability. Approach these with curiosity, not punishment. Offer support, such as pairing a technician with a buddy or providing a quiet moment to reset. For our supervisor, simply knowing someone had his back could have alleviated some of the self-imposed isolation.
3. Roll out changes human-centered
Involve employees early in testing new systems or procedures. Pilot programs, feedback loops and buddy systems make transitions smoother. Gradual adoption reduces frustration and hidden stress, fostering a sense of ownership and competence.
4. Make it easy to get help
Ensure employees have clear, low-barrier access to support, whether through internal assistance programs, employee wellness services, or external counselling resources. Remove steps that make it feel difficult to ask for help. Leaders can encourage workers to use these resources proactively, emphasizing that seeking support is normal, responsible, and valued, not a sign of weakness.
5. Don’t run on empty
Encourage rotation coverage so supervisors and parents can attend appointments, work out, or decompress. Physical activity, mental resets, and time for family are not luxuries, they make employees sharper, safer, and more effective.
Auto shops constantly adopt new tools, systems, and procedures aimed at improving efficiency. Yet poorly managed change can create more stress than it resolves.
A hopeful vision for shops
Returning to our Calgary supervisor, imagine if his shop had routinely offered even a two-minute check-in at the start of each shift. What if brief, honest conversations about workload, stress or frustration were part of the culture, not exceptions?
Perhaps he wouldn’t have felt he had to carry everything alone. Perhaps moments of tension, errors or disengagement could have been mitigated before they escalated.
Small steps can transform a shop. Encourage open dialogue, normalize vulnerability, involve employees in change, and prioritize self-care. Mental health isn’t a personal problem, it’s a workplace issue. By lifting the hood on hidden struggles, auto shops can protect their workers, improve retention, and create safer more efficient workplaces.
The hum of the shop doesn’t just carry the sound of turning wrenches — it carries the weight of human lives. By recognizing, addressing, and supporting mental health, every shop can ensure that what happens behind the doors is as strong, safe, and resilient as the vehicles they repair.
Darrah Wolfe is a performance and leadership Coach at One Life Counselling & Coaching. She empowers her clients to discover clarity, meaningful purpose, and a deep well of inner vitality, enabling them to live according to their own definition of a life well lived.
This article originally appeared in the December issue of CARS magazine
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