I need time off work for my mental health- how should I handle it?

[Authentic2020]

I’m feeling like I need to take some time off work for my mental wellbeing but unsure how to approach this with my line manager and HR.

Last year I had around 4 weeks off for breast cancer treatment (surgery, radiotherapy, all clear). That felt much easier to talk about at work because it was very clear-cut and physical. This feels much harder. Over the last few months the workload has increased a lot, plus I’m dealing with significant challenges at home (my 7yo daughter is awaiting an autism assessment.)

I’ve also realised that I never really gave myself time to mentally recover after my cancer treatment. I think I just pushed on and now everything has caught up with me.

One of the things making this harder is that there’s no one to directly replace me at work. and I feel a strong responsibility to close some things where possible. Realistically, I won’t be able to do all of that before my annual performance review, which is scheduled for this Monday.

Do I wait until the performance review and raise all of this then?
Or do I sign myself off this week (I can self-certify for the first week) and deal with handover and conversations afterwards?

I want to be fairly communicative and transparent with my line manager but unsure how much to share.

I’ve already spoken with my medical centre, and I was advised to self-certify for the first week and then follow up with my GP.
I dont think I want or need any medication

It sounds like you’ve been through a lot. Is your line manager likely to be supportive? I’d be inclined to self certify or get signed off, but that’s because I’ve gone with the honest and transparent approach first and been treated awfully.

For me there was no conversation with work before I was signed off for mental health reasons as I just broke down one morning. I was immediately signed off by my GP and was off for a few months. If you’re unwell, you just need to take the time. Work will sort itself out.

The employer is rather supportive, especially compared to other places I’ve worked.

Time off for mental health should be the same as time off for physical health ailments, "I'm not well enough to carry out my duties so am taking time off to recover in order to return as a productive employee" any employer who does not see the benefits of this is very short sighted.