“Mental illness is also not easy to understand, like, ‘I fell, I broke my wrist, I’ve been in a cast for six weeks, so I need these adjustments at work.’”
We all know how it feels when you have too many deadlines, too many reports, too many clients. Your job has burned you out and you need a day or two to relax. This is what we call “Mental Health Day”, a day to take a break from work and mentally rest from the stresses of work and life in general.
Some may need a day like this a few times a year. However, if you have a mental illness, you may need to rest frequently for your mental health. But for many people who work a lot, it can be difficult to bring up mental illness in the workplace. why is this?
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To find out I spoke with Jennifer Robb, head space. Negative stigma about mental illness in the workplace, Jennifer points out, is partly due to the unique relationship one has with work and employers.
“The workplace is built on business relationships,” says Jennifer. “You produce goods and services in exchange for your time. You don’t have to give or receive at
Because of this relationship and the fact that work is based on performance and productivity, it can feel difficult to take time off. In addition, people you work with may react negatively when your job performance declines.
Mental illness is so individualized that what one person needs may be very different from what another person needs. it is getting harder to do.
“Mental illness, too, is not easy to understand, like, ‘I fell, I broke my wrist, I’ve been in a cast for six weeks, so I need these adjustments at work.’ For physical injuries, there is a time frame for what caused it and when to recover. And your employer can better understand how to support your condition.
Being open about mental health is also a big hurdle for young people entering the workforce. There seems to be a culture of “earning your stripes” where you don’t make demands or raise concerns until you have proven your work ethic and are considered more senior in your company.
What can you do as a regular employee?
First of all, know your rights and responsibilities. T.you’re the only one here Have If you’re not comfortable giving all the details to your manager, disclose them.
“In fact, you don’t always have to tell your employer why you need to take time off. For example, it depends on whether you’ve actively decided to take time off later in the week, or whether you’ve called in the morning to tell them you won’t be coming to work. It comes down to knowing the procedure. Depending on where you work, you may have to prove the reason for your absence,” explains Jennifer.
Ultimately, it’s up to the employer to create a safe space. As Jennifer told me, their job is to make employees feel at ease and make them feel comfortable raising their personal and professional concerns first. has some nice features). means on how to do this).
“All of this affects how safe employees feel in fostering mental health in the workplace. If they feel supported and know their problems will be taken seriously and with compassion, it will create the landscape in which you work,” she says.
As an employee, it’s up to you to decide what kind of conversation you want to have with your manager. Jennifer tells meIt’s about assessing where you are, then what you can do in your workplace, and having those thoughts conversations. ”
Maybe you need to take a few weeks off, or every two weeks at your discretion. You may want to grow it.
Think about what you can and can do outside of work to support your mental health and wellbeing. so work to help. Have that conversation with yourself and then come up with some ideas to bring to management.
“You might put it like this: ‘I’m going through a tough time. Here’s what’s happening to me (if you need or want to disclose this).’ I want to do my best at , so I’d like to discuss ways to adjust my work for a period/indefinite period so that I can continue to contribute effectively,” Jennifer suggests.
A workplace that not only supports staff on an individual level, but also supports staff health, Absenteeism is a third lower than in less supportive workplaces. T.Talk about a win-win.
Of course, some workplaces are less cooperative than this. Maybe you’re doing the right thing as an employee, but your boss just doesn’t want to hear it. This speaks to the larger sociocultural issues around mental illness dismissal and the emphasis on productivity and profit over people.
how do you change this?
Regular, open, honest, and unapologetic conversations about mental health can make a difference. Employees and employers alike must prioritize mental health education and awareness and reject the stigma that mental illness brings.
As you become more open with yourself about mental health issues and share them with people you trust, you’ll start to realize that it’s much more common than you think.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact Lifeline at 13 11 14.
