Mental health awareness at work

Your job is not to diagnose, treat or fix anyone. It is to notice, ask, listen and signpost.

That is a relief, because the four things you can do well are the four things that matter most to someone struggling:

• Someone noticed.
• Someone asked twice.
• Someone listened without rushing to solve it.
• Someone knew where help was.

Changes matter more than states. Look for a shift from that person's normal:

• Work that was reliable becoming late or uneven
• Withdrawal from the usual chat, or unusual irritability
• Turning up early and late, or never taking a break
• Small mistakes in familiar tasks
• Going quiet on camera, avoiding meetings

None of these prove anything. They are prompts to ask.

The instinct to solve is strong and usually unhelpful early on.

Try this order:

1. Ask twice. "Fine" is often a first draft.
2. Reflect back. "So the workload is the bit that feels unmanageable."
3. Ask what would help. Not what you would find helpful.
4. Offer something concrete. A shifted deadline, a covered session, a walk.
5. Signpost. Occupational health, an employee assistance programme, their GP, Samaritans on 116 123.
6. Come back. A follow-up three days later is worth more than the original conversation.