Navigating the world of work with a mental illness

Having a mental illness is exhausting and draining as is, but trying to navigate the working world while you deal with it can make it much worse. Time pressures, meetings, and assignments can suddenly become unbearable. Your ability to concentrate and your stamina diminishes. Here’s how to deal with pressures of working life when you have a mental illness.

Be up front

Telling your new employers when you’re negotiating a contract that you will need some leeway in hours to have a doctor or therapy appointment is best. If the appointments you have are on a regular basis, then it is best to set up a working structure that accommodates this. It can be difficult going into work post-session, so arranging it so you can either have the afternoon off regularly or work from home is a better solution. As soon as you have an appointment scheduled, let your employer know. Even if it’s a month in advance. The goal is to make sure everything is open and accounted for, without necessarily having to disclose anything, which brings us to the next point.

Keep it bottled up

You don’t have to tell them anything you don’t want to. This point varies a bit from country to country, so it’s always best to double check what your rights are, but generally when calling in sick, your employer has to take it at face value. You are entitled to your days off, whatever the reason may be, mental or physical. If they insist on a reason for having a sick day, this violates your medical privacy, and you’re within your right to contact someone from HR to have the matter settled.

On the job

Having a trusted work colleague that you can chat to whenever you’re struggling is ideal, but not always possible. Talking openly about work to your friends, family, and therapist can alleviate some of the stress.

Burn outs

When you get a burnout, it’s time to stop working. Completely. It’s a sign that you need a break. Some burnouts can be mediated with taking a couple of weeks off and recharging, Be it through spas, tennis, mountain climbing – it’s up to you. But make sure to severe all contact. No emails, no calls. Just you, a beach, and a pina colada.

Other burnouts, however, may need an extended period of leave. If you think you can’t go on with work, it’s best to call in sick and let your employers know why you need the time off and how long you think you’ll be gone. And then you go from there. Asking for time off due to burnouts and breakdowns often means disclosing your mental illness to your employer, but often, and particularly in situations like these, it can be beneficial letting them know.

But burnouts can also be a sign of a much more deep seated problem. If your work is causing you undue stress, it may also be time for a job change.

planning your return

If you’ve been gone on sick leave for a long time, it may be difficult to return – but not impossible. It is best to start reaching out to your manager when you feel as though you are ready for work. You can decide with them what works best for you. It is also worth checking in good time with your employer how long a job will be left open for you, just to bear in mind. It is also worth letting your boss know if you want to receive visits, emails, and phone calls from colleagues while you are absent and put your boundaries down first.

Staying at work can help provide some structure, financial stability, and it can help with your sense of purpose and meaning. But staying when you really shouldn’t can only have long term, damaging effects. In today’s gig economy, it’s easy for workers to feel replaceable and uncertain. There is now more pressure than ever on workers to be the best they can be, and compelled to give their all to a job so they stay in it. But at the end of the day, the company will still be there and so will the work. The most important thing here is you and your health.

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