Is your colleague ok?

Normally we know when our colleagues are not well. They'll come down with a sniffle and go home lunchtime, or phone in early saying they've been up all night with a tummy bug. 

But do we know whether our colleague is mentally ok? They could be stressed, depressed, or hide a more serious mental concern such as bipolar disease, ADHD or anxiety. 

While issues such as divorce, substance abuse, crime, feelings of inadequacy and psychological trauma can cause mental health problems, we may not know the signs. 

Look for these:

 Having difficulty working and cooperating with colleagues

 Problems with memory, decision-making and concentration

 Frequent late arrival or absence from work

 Tiredness and general malaise

 Anger and blame directed at co-workers

 Decreased productivity/poor performance

 Inaccuracy and lack of attention to safety

 Lack of interest in work

 Working a lot of extra hours

 Confused logic and expressing strange ideas

The good news is, there's always help, even if it doesn't come from your company. 

Image credit: Spiders are scary, it’s ok to be afraid. From Hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com