How did you use sick leave for stress/anxiety to heal?

[arachne123]

I've been signed off work and I'm not sure I'm using my sick leave the best way I can. If I was physically ill, I'd just rest while waiting for my body to recover but I feel like to improve mental health I need to be more proactive.

So, I've been doing things like CBT, counselling and mindfulness, plus trying to do more exercise and get on top of jobs round the house. Then some time has been spent liaising with HR/the union about the issues that resulted in me going off sick.

I was doing quite well in week 1 - it was such a relief to be signed off - but as time goes on I'm getting weepier (although I'm not depressed) and worrying that I'm not using my sick leave in the best way to recover before I have to go back. I don't want it to just be a period of avoidance.

How did others use their mental health sick leave and did you feel worse before you felt better?

Work out what impacted your mental health in the first place and change that. Without doing that you'll be back where you started.

In my case it was my job. I left and got a new one. I also did CBT but as my GP put it succinctly 'you just need a new job' as I had no previous history of depression or anxiety.

I also went on a doctor suggested 3 day sun holiday which bizarrely helped (it was January at the time and I'm in the UK!)

That's really helpful thanks.

I had planned on using the time to upskill/hunt but haven't felt up to it. Hard to know what will help and what's just putting more pressure on myself but you're right that identifying the problem first is the key thing - I needed to hear that!

Hope you're doing better now.

I am thank you. New job and a small gap between them really was what I needed.

Be kind to yourself too. Do whatever relaxes you. I discovered walking in the countryside!

I am currently in your situation OP. I try to do a meditation, progressive muscle relaxation and go for a walk most days, but I found that I was putting too much pressure on myself to do gardening/jobs around the house when I didn’t want to do it or to think about what I am going to do next with respect to my job. So, I am trying to take time for my hobbies and listen to what my mind/body want to do and to try to be kind to myself. I am also trying not to look at my phone too often during the day, not always successfully!

In the same boat - 25 years of working and 8 weeks on 1 project with 1 senior partner has reduced me to an anxious wreck.

I’m going to the gym for a couple of classes every morning, lots of reading, trying to avoid my work phone , visits to garden centres and working my way through my sky+ backlog.

have also reached the bottom of my laundry basket!

Thanks both. Sounds like we're all doing similar things. I think I'm the sort of person that whatever I'm doing, I think I should be doing something else.

I very much identify with the frustration of decades of no issues with mental health at work and then being broken by one situation being handled incompetently @eve and also of spending too much of my sick leave on my phone @workanxiety23