Mental illness in the workplace: recovery

Mettre en signet

• Taking a genuine interest in the person and his or her progress. This doesn’t mean being nosy; it means being a caring person. Make a point to stop by the individual’s desk each day to say hi and ask how things are going. 
• Paying attention to signs of distress. For example, if loud noises or harsh lights are problematic, you may be able to ease the person’s stress by reducing ambient office noise or dimming the lights. 
• Getting educated about mental illness and the recovery process. Your employee assistance program likely has a wealth of information about mental illness in the workplace. Another excellent resource includes the Canadian Mental Health Association.
• Being supportive and encouraging. Being a good listener and a friend can help the person in recovery to feel less isolated. 
• Reminding yourself of how you would want to be treated if the situation were reversed. While you can’t walk in someone else’s shoes, you can treat someone in recovery with respect and interact in an honest and encouraging manner.