You’re tired and stressed and would rather not be at work. Depending on what you’re dealing with, be it family-related issues at home or your own personal mental health needs, if it’s interfering with your day-to-day ability to successfully complete your responsibilities at work, you have several decisions to make.
First and foremost is how you’re feeling compared with before and what strategies you’ve tried to reduce your problems’ impact on your work performance. Self-help options include reaching out to a trusted colleague or loved one for support and guidance.
Evidence-based practices such as mindfulness meditation guided through an online app or using a creative writing workbook that also includes breathing exercises and grounding strategies are both beneficial. Attention to your diet, including healthy meal choices; minimizing substance use the night before a workday; and adequate sleep are all critical, as a healthy body supports a healthy mind.
If stress, sadness, anxiety, or other symptoms aren’t improving, are persisting, or are worsening, consider reaching out to a professional mental health provider. A therapist will be able to assess, diagnose, and treat you; monitor your progress; and communicate any additional needs you may have. Connecting with a clinician can be done privately, through your insurance provider, or through your organization’s mental health offerings.
You are now less stressed and learning about yourself during this healing journey, but you may still not be at your top performance.
Be Prepared and Know Your Rights
Pay closer attention to your workplace culture, how leadership discusses mental health issues, and whether there’s an atmosphere of support and understanding. If, for example, your company celebrates mental health awareness events or provides education to managers about communicating and reducing stigma, you’ll likely have a more pleasant experience.
Regardless, each business exists for very specific reasons. For profit or not, there are a set of deliverables that must be met. Discussing your own mental health concerns with your boss will be in the context of the required laws they must follow, as well as the needs of the organization. Your personal needs are of tertiary concern at best.
Depending on the size and type of company you work for, there are federal protections, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), that prohibit discrimination due to mental illness, as well as protect your position if you need time off.
Explore what wellness tools your company offers—there may be an employee assistance program (EAP), coaching, childcare options, resources for retreats, and self-care apps. Take time to familiarize yourself with existing policies and procedures that HR must abide by and potential options you may have for reasonable accommodations.
Communicate Clearly and Document Everything
Reflect on your own mental health needs and how they’re impacting your work. Decide what you feel comfortable sharing with your boss. You aren’t required to share anything you don’t want to, and it’s critical to prioritize your own well-being and privacy.
Also consider role-playing or rehearsing what you’ll say and how you’ll advocate for yourself. Tailor the information so your boss can clearly understand your situation and direct you to appropriate resources.
If you’re working with a clinician, consider speaking with them for guidance based on your needs, as well as a note that outlines recommended workplace accommodations. Your needs may include flexible hours or meeting schedules to allow for appointments, hybrid work environments to reduce noise or other interruptions, being assigned to another department, or extra time to complete a project.
Be specific about what workplace accommodations you’ll need, how long they’ll be necessary, and what they’ll accomplish.
Lastly, keep a record of whom you spoke with in your organization, as well as e-mails and other communications. The purpose is to help you track your progress, what you’ve tried, barriers you encountered, and successes. Your inherent value to an organization is greater when you’re efficient, productive, and competent. It costs systems more to deal with allegations, discriminatory lawsuits, terminating an employee, recruiting, and retraining someone to replace you.
In so far as business, economic, and employee incentives are aligned, your best efforts to communicate your needs and the organization’s accommodating response will likely productively match up.
As an informed participant, when advocating for yourself, you’ll experience the support you’ve earned as an employee and a sense of calm and control at work while caring for your mental health needs.
Author and healthcare executive Yener Balan, MD, DFAPA, is a board-certified psychiatrist and bestselling author of Re-Write: A Trauma Workbook of Creative Writing and Recovery in Our New Normal and Big Book of Emergency Department Psychiatry. He is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and currently is the vice president of behavioral health and medical specialty services for a major healthcare organization. Balan has extensive years of experience working in high-volume emergency departments; is an expert in hospital operations, including work in the emergency room and healthcare business and management; and has given lectures and workshops worldwide. He was born and raised in New York City, and while he still misses the East Coast, he has made a home for himself in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his wife and 11-year-old son.
Duygu Balan, LPCC, an author and psychotherapist specializing in intergenerational trauma, developed her expertise while working as a clinical counselor in New York City treating patients on society’s margins. A licensed psychotherapist, she is the coauthor of Re-Write: A Trauma Workbook of Creative Writing and Recovery in Our New Normal and a contributor to the bestselling medical textbook Big Book of Emergency Department Psychiatry: A Guide to Patient Centered Operational Improvement. Born in Germany and raised in Istanbul, Balan’s upbringing provides her with a fresh perspective on how to navigate tension between cultures, adverse childhood experiences, and attachment wounding through hope and resilience. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.