Annastasia Lambert
Annastasia Lambert, registered nurse and manager of wellness services at Great-West Life, offers these tips for opening a respectful dialogue with a co-worker.
Do:
Ask directly if you suspect a co-worker is having trouble. In private, say, "I've noticed that you [seem quieter than usual / have been keeping to yourself, etc.]. Is everything okay?"
Listen without interrupting, offering specific advice or talking about yourself.
Learn about available resources in your workplace, your community (such as drop-in crisis centres and emergency phone lines) or online. Visit
workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/wti and try the Working Through It video series.
Reinforce the message that their illness is real and can be treated; suggest they access help.
Encourage your colleague to take regular breaks from their workstation to help with focus and stamina, and to talk to their leader, human resources, or occupational health contact person about the situation.
Seek professional help if you are worried about their safety or the safety of those close to them.
Don't:
Minimize or trivialize what your colleague is saying or feeling: this could shut down their attempts to reach out.
Offer false assurances that "things will get better" with time – they might not without treatment and appropriate care.
Give specific advice. A solution that worked for you might not work for your colleague, and there could be unintended consequences. Instead, if you feel able to, try to help your colleague to problem-solve and focus on what they need.
Offering empathetic, non-judgmental support can make all the difference in helping a co-worker feel truly supported during a difficult time. While it's important to provide support to people in your life who are experiencing a mental health issue, it's also important to take care of yourself in the process. You can't support someone else if you are struggling. You may need to set limits on your involvement, and if you start to feel overwhelmed, it's okay to reach out to other people for information and support.
This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.