How Managers Can Support
Stress and Anxiety at Work – Article 5
Managers have a powerful influence on how safe, supported and able to cope an employee feels at work. They cannot remove every difficulty, but the way they communicate, respond to pressure and handle disclosure can either reduce anxiety or intensify it.
In this article, I explore how managers can support employees experiencing stress and anxiety without being expected to become therapists. Support begins with noticing changes, listening without judgement, protecting confidentiality and helping the person identify practical workplace needs.
The resource considers how to begin a sensitive conversation, what language may feel supportive and why it is important not to make promises that cannot be kept. It also looks at professional boundaries, reasonable adjustments, workload and signposting to appropriate services.
I have written this for managers who care about their staff but may feel uncertain about saying the wrong thing. You do not need to have every answer. A calm, respectful response and a willingness to listen can prevent someone from feeling that they must hide until they reach breaking point.
The article encourages managers to look beyond visible performance. Increased mistakes, irritability, withdrawal or reduced confidence may be signs of distress rather than a lack of commitment. Curiosity creates more useful conversations than criticism.
My hope is that this resource helps managers respond before difficulties become a crisis. Regular check-ins, clear expectations, realistic priorities and genuine psychological safety can have a significant effect when they are consistent.
A supportive manager is not responsible for fixing another person’s mental health. Their role is to create a working relationship in which concerns can be raised, barriers can be discussed and appropriate support can be accessed without shame.
By Maggie Learoyd
Psychotherapist | ADHD, Autism & ARFID Specialist
Founder of Space to Breathe Therapy
