What do you say to your doctor to get a stress leave? Stress is the leading cause of so many illnesses and disorders. Stress can make you less productive and tired.
How do you get your stress leave from work? It is important to know this or your mental and physical health could be in jeopardy. Let us begin by what a stress leave is.
What Is a Stress Leave?
This is a period of time an employee takes off work in order to deal and recover from stress and stress related illnesses. It can be stress related injuries as well.
These injuries and illnesses can make it difficult for you to perform and do your job properly. So, the best thing to do is to go to your doctor and report back to your employer.
Depending on the state or country you’re from, stress laws can vary. Some countries have stress laws that guarantee an employee unpaid leave for a period of time. In the United States it is known as the Family Medical Leave Act.
If you notice you have a situation which can’t be solved by taking a few days off due to stress, then a leave is just what you need. First you need to come to terms with the signs that you need a stress leave.
Some ways to identify this includes:
- Stress affecting your ability to perform your job/duties.
- Work related stress affecting both your family and personal life.
- Invading feelings of depression and anxiety due to stress.
- Stress affecting your level of productivity.
- Stress related injuries leaving you in so much pain and discomfort.
When you begin noticing these, it’s time to apply for a stress leave and these are some reasons why.
Why You Should Apply for A Stress Leave
Applying for a stress leave could be due to so many reasons with stress being the background factor. Some of the reasons include:
1. Poor Work-Life Balance
Having a work-life balance is very essential for the mental health of all employees. Without a work life balance, one tends to encroach into the other and causes a disruption.
When you notice you give more time to your work, check for work emails first thing in the morning, and last thing at night, then you might want to take a step back.
A work-life balance helps you to manage both your work life and personal life. If you notice that stress doesn’t allow you to enjoy your personal time, a stress leave might be what you need.
2. Work Overload
When an employee is overwhelmed by the work they have to do always, it can lead to regular stress, depression and anxiety. There’s no reason to always have too many things to do in a working environment.
Not only will it affect you, but also your productivity. It might be because you can’t say no to your fellow colleagues or you can’t say no to your boss.
This compounds a lot of work for you that you do not need. Too much work is a certain trigger for stress.
3. Problems In the Workplace
Stress can be as a result of issues going on in the workplace. It may be bullying from your colleagues or harassment. It may also be gossiping, office politics, and other forms of conflict.
When this happens often, it makes you stressed out and you never look forward to going to work. Stress might not be from your job per se, but the people you work with.
If you’re constantly having to deal with toxic people in the office, then you’ll be stressed out.
How To Get A Stress Leave From Work?
Your stress leave is a period of time to help you relieve stress and be more fit for work. Here are the ways to go about it.
1. Consult Your Doctor
The first thing you want to do is to see your doctor. This can be a challenge for a lot of people. If you need your leave, you can’t skip this step.
Tell your doctor what you’re experiencing at the workplace and how you’re not able to function properly. An appointment with your doctor may provide all the answers you need.
Do not hold back any information so that he can appropriately diagnose you and recommend ways to recover.
2. Get A Doctor’s Note
Again, employees find it difficult to ask their doctors for a leave as they feel it makes them look incapable. However, you have to remember that your doctor doesn’t think that. He just wants you to be better.
This is why you shouldn’t hold back any symptoms from him and you have to be honest about how you feel. Any detail you leave out may be detrimental and you need your doctor’s full attention.
Explain to him what triggers you and how you’ve been handling it so far. You will get a note to give to your employer
3. Meet With Your Employer
The next thing you should do is meet with your employer and tell him about your visit to the doctor. Remember to hand him the doctor’s note that makes you eligible for a work leave.
It might be difficult to tell your boss that you need time from work. However, do not hold back if you want to get better. It’s not the first time someone has asked them for a leave and it won’t be the last.
You can speak to HR or your manager directly. Let them know that you’ve been stressed and that you have a doctor’s recommendation to take time off.
You don’t have to go into everything but lay out the details for the ones you can. Communication is very important in a workplace and you don’t want to hold back or be misinterpreted.
How To Handle Stress Recovery
Once your stress leave has been approved, you have to go home and take care of yourself. Here are few ways you can do that:
1. Stay Off Work
Once your leave has been approved, do not answer any work emails or phone calls. Just stay completely off the grid. Stay home and get better.
If you must do any work-related activities, do it to a bare minimum so you aren’t stressed from home.
2. Take Care of Yourself
Get enough rest physically. Exercise, eat better, drink a lot of fluids, and most importantly, sleep. You need your body to get all the things it’s been missing.
If you don’t pay attention to your body, you will be frustrated and your leave will not make much of a difference.
3. Identify Causes of Your Burnout
Sometimes the reason you’re stressed is because you’re not getting something in particular. It may be more sleep, more food, more entertainment etc. You need to first identify it.
When you do, you can work on resolving them. Don’t just leave it to fate. You have to actively work on being better.
4. Don’t Rush
Do not think too much about getting better that you forget to get better. Recovering takes time. So, you have to be patient.
Just follow the doctor’s orders and avoid any form of stress whatsoever. In no time, you’ll be just fine. You have to keep in touch with your doctor often.
How To Deal with Returning To Work
Coming back to work after your leave may be overwhelming and you might find it difficult. Coming back to the place it all began might seem too much for you. But it’s better to start gradually.
You do not want to pick up your entire work schedule from where you stopped. It might be too much for you. You need a period to adapt. Most importantly, you need to find a way to deal with stress at work.
Managing Stress at Work
Stress at a workplace is inevitable but it shouldn’t be often. So, you have to learn how to manage it. You cannot completely eliminate it. However, you can minimize it significantly.
Here are a few ways to:
- Talk to HR and the manager on ways to improve working experiences.
- Adapt more relaxing lifestyle activities such as exercising, diet improvement, meditation, more time away from electronic device etc
- Rest with any time you’re given and don’t ignore your personal life.
- Ask your employer to reduce your workload to give you more time to do these things.
- If you can, consider working from home. Talk to your employer about these possibilities.
- Do not forget you will have your moments which might’ve rough but do not dwell on it or it’ll leave you completely burned out.
- Relax more, take deep breaths and try not to let your job get the best of you.
- If you can’t do all these under your employer, then consider getting a new and better job.
Conclusion
It is important to practice self care and self love no matter where you are. Yes, your job is important. However, your well-being matters too. Stress may lead to longer term casualties you’re better off without.
If you feel overwhelmed by work and you need to take a leave, then by all means do. Remember to consult your doctor and get a doctor’s note to aid you in this journey.
Talk to your employer and if they don’t understand, you probably need a new employer. If they do, even better. Take out time and focus on your recovery. Whenever you get back to work, do it gradually.
These are ways to help you get a stress leave and get the recovery you deserve.
