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Supporting a colleague experiencing any kind of mental health condition is a key part of creating a safe and supportive culture; one in which colleagues feel they can bring their full selves to work. But every mental health condition, and every person experiencing a mental health condition, is different and may need a different approach and level of support.
Anxiety is often disparaged and thought of as a minor experience, but anxiety disorders can be extremely debilitating, interrupting someone’s ability to work, socialise and even leave the house.
During our Mental Health Training for Managers, we work with groups on how to support a colleague experiencing anxiety and panic attacks, both long-term and in the moment.
Pulling from this mental health training for managers, we have created a practical ‘how to guide’ to help you provide the right kind of support to your team members and create a culture that encourages positive mental health.
Anxiety is a natural part of human existence; it helps keep us safe and is a key part of our human survival instinct. In and of itself, it is not a bad thing, but it has the potential to spiral into a disorder, to a place where an individual experiences excessive worry, fear, or apprehension about everyday situations, often disproportionate to the actual danger posed.
Anxiety disorders are common mental health conditions. They include conditions such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias, and Social Anxiety Disorder.
Anxiety disorders are generally categorised by severe and long-lasting anxiety but other common symptoms can include:
Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear that trigger severe physical reactions, even when there is no real danger. They can be incredibly debilitating and very frightening for the person involved. Symptoms of a panic attack can include:
Over recent years, the ideal version of leadership has shifted away from a more dictatorial style of management to a more compassionate and collaborative style of leadership — something we explore in our Mental Health Training for Managers. This style of leadership is much more likely to create the conditions in which an employee feels they can be open about any challenges they are experiencing (wellbeing related or otherwise) and seek support from their organisation, which — in the long term — is less likely to result in an anxious individual being signed off from work.
Compassionate leadership is not about a lack of accountability or avoiding difficult conversations. Instead, it emphasises empathy, understanding and prioritising the wellbeing of team members, whilst encouraging high performance through clear goals, joint accountability and consistent support. It also acknowledges that we can’t always separate our lives outside of work from our working lives and that sometimes, we all may need a little support.
For someone experiencing high levels of anxiety, compassionate leadership will be key. As managers, we want to avoid triggering further fear and anxiety through our management style, as this will not help to get the best from the individual. Communicating clearly and empathetically will help colleagues know what to expect from us, what we expect from them, and should help alleviate some of the anxieties they may experience around work.
Reasonable adjustments are workplace modifications (changes to the environment, patterns of working and tasks carried out) made to accommodate the needs of employees with disabilities or health conditions.
Learn more about reasonable adjustments in our blog: Mental Health at Work: The Lowdown on Legislation
These adjustments enable disabled employees to perform their roles effectively and can be transformative in helping an individual manage their anxiety disorder.
Reasonable adjustments for those with an anxiety disorder might include:
It is so, so important to work closely with the individual on reasonable adjustments as each person will need different modifications, based on their condition, triggers and needs.
How to support someone having a Panic AttackIf a colleague is having a panic attack, it can feel very alarming. Many people report not knowing what to do in the moment. So, here are some simple steps to help support someone experiencing panic:
1- Try and stay calm yourself: Your calm demeanour can help reassure them and won’t exacerbate their sense of panic
2- Offer a quiet space: Guide them to a quiet, private area to sit down, if possible. Avoid touching them and, if you do, let them know what is going on i.e. “I am just going to guide you by the arm to this seat.”
3- Reassure them that you are there with them and that the panic attack will pass.
4- Don’t try to do too much (there is no need to guide them on breathing or give them exercises to do), just stay quietly with them knowing the panic attack will eventually pass. They usually last no more than a few minutes.
5- Be supportive: offer to stay with them until they feel better and when the panic attack passes ask them whether they would like to go home or take a break.
Panic attacks can cause shortness of breath, chest pain and/or discomfort. If you are not sure whether the individual is experiencing physical health complications, you can always ask them whether they think they are experiencing a panic attack (as this may be familiar to them), but if there is any doubt on this issue, do not hesitate to involve emergency services.
By making some simple changes to working practices, we can help colleagues who may be experiencing anxiety manage it with a little more ease. We want to create a sense of predictability and stability (where possible). Here are three tips to do this:
Ensure meetings are structured; provide agendas in advance and stick to them to help colleagues feel prepared and reduce anxiety. Provide context for any ad-hoc meetings to avoid further anxiety about what the meeting is about.
Set clear objectives; set clear expectations and realistic deadlines to avoid the stress of uncertainty or unrealistic goals.
Hold regular check-ins; managers should have regular, one-to-one check-ins with their team members to discuss any concerns and adjust support as needed.
Communicate clearly and consistently; this is particularly important when there are any changes taking place in the organisation. You may not have all the answers, but your clear and consistent communication can go a long way in alleviating further anxieties around the change.
It’s important to remember that you alone may not be able to provide the entirety of the support that your colleague needs. It is also imperative to be aware of the fact that we are not mental health professionals and therefore there will be a (healthy and appropriate) limit to the support we can offer.
During our Mental Health Training for Managers, we emphasise how important boundaries are when supporting team members with mental health conditions. It can be incredibly demanding so we must protect our own wellbeing during this process.
Make yourself familiar with your company’s wellbeing resources and other charities or organisations that can help (we have collated some helplines on our Crisis Resources page) that you can signpost the individual to. Don’t hesitate to collaborate with your HR or people team to deal with complex cases of poor mental health.
Supporting colleagues with anxiety or panic attacks is about creating a compassionate and understanding workplace. By making reasonable adjustments and providing ongoing support, we can help our colleagues manage their anxiety and thrive in their roles.
Enquire about our Mental Health Training for Managers to understand how we can further support your managers in creating healthy workplace environments, by giving them the skills and confidence to recognise the signs of poor mental health and initiate those all-important conversations.
