Anxiety and mental health issues can stop us in our tracks at any time.  If there is one thing which this year’s Olympics has taught us is that even the most invincible of athletes can cripple under the huge amounts of stress, severely affecting their mental health.

There are many signs which can be overlooked as mental health but it’s important to familiarise yourself with them so you will be able to identify if any of your colleagues are experiencing any of the symptoms.

Most people are familiar with the common signs of mental health such as:

• Depression
• Lack of interest
• Mood changes
• Confusion

All these signs are pretty easy to spot but what about the uncommon signs which are easily undetected.

Reassurance

Are your colleagues regularly asking you if they’re doing a good job or if you are happy with their work? It may seem like they want to go the extra mile and impress you, however reassurance is a common trait in OCD and is compulsion seeking, so it is important to note how often they are asking for reassurance. If it is a one off or very rarely then it’s not anything to be concerned about. If it’s more than a few times a week, then you would need to bring it to your colleague’s attention and address the situation.

Constant checking

Are your colleagues constantly checking over their work before sign off?  While it’s good to check your work for mistakes, constant checking is a sign of uncertainty and another common trait in OCD and anxiety disorders. If your colleagues are uncertain of their work on a regular basis, it may be a sign that they are experiencing anxiety. Again, bring it to their attention and see if there are ways you can work with them to help them through.

Falling short of deadlines

While falling short of deadlines is often due to poor work performance, it could also be another sign of anxiety and your colleague struggling. If your colleague has performed previously but all of a sudden is failing to meet deadlines, then they may be going through a difficult time. Many people who suffer with mental health find it challenging when starting a new job and it can be hard not to measure performance based on task deadlines. However, if a new starter is failing to meet deadlines, it is important to approach them on the issue and see if there are ways you can support and help them through their probation period. Once people are more settled in a job, their nerves tend to calm down.

Not wanting to progress

There are many reasons why people don’t want to progress within a job with mental health being one of them. People who may suffer with mental health may feel that they are not good enough for a promotion or they may not be able to cope with the extra responsibilities of the job.   

People pleasing

Do you have a person in the office who will always say yes? While it is great that there is someone who will always pick up the slack without hesitation, even if they are carrying a greater workload than others, it is important not to take advantage of this situation as that person could be suffering from people pleasing syndrome. While people pleasing isn’t a direct sign of mental health, it can contribute to huge amounts of stress and anxiety. Many people pleasers fear disapproval. Therefore, if they say no to something, they are afraid that people will stop liking them. This feeds into that person’s anxiety and creates a vicious cycle of people pleasing.

It is important to understand and learn the uncommon signs of mental health. To learn more about mental health in the workplace or different coping strategies fill in the form below to sign up to our newsletter