Spotting signs of struggle

Practitioners who are experiencing chronic and severe stress should inform their employer, but they are often reluctant to do so due to the stigma surrounding mental health difficulties. The checklist below can help leaders spot signs at an early stage and use supervision or one-to-one meetings to explore problems, identify potential solutions, agree an action plan and review progress.

Spotting signs of struggle when people are working remotely is more challenging, particularly for new recruits, so leaders should be vigilant for subtle behavioural cues. Any practitioners showing extreme signs of stress, however, should be referred for professional support.

Spotting signs of struggle

• Changes in behaviour and attitudes from their ‘normal’ self.

• Easily irritated and angry

• Emotional outbursts and dysregulated

• Intolerant and impatient

• Confused and lacking in focus

• De-sensitised and lacking empathy

• More rigid or resistant

• Negative and disengaged

• Quiet and withdrawn, disengaged and not contributing to video calls or team meetings.

• Deteriorating quality or quantity of work; missing meetings and deadlines.

• Regularly sending emails out of ‘usual’ working hours.

• Change in the tone of emails and in verbal and non-verbal communication online.

• Avoiding social contact – face to face or online

• Looking tired and ‘zoning out’.

This checklist was developed with input from practitioners and can be used to help identify when somebody needs support. The list could be discussed with teams and supplemented with any other signs people may have noticed. Wellness Action Plans can also be used to highlight individual signs of struggle and signpost the type of support that people might need from leaders and co-workers.