20 Things to Say to Your Co-Worker Who’s Having a Hard Time

Offer this opener: “I can take the client update now so you can step away for 60 minutes” – immediate relief that protects team output and signals practical backing immediately.

Managers should reassign 20–40% of active tasks for 48 hours, log transfers in a shared tracker, and notify affected employees; that preserves the whole workflow and produces measurable results. источник: internal pulse data showed a 62% uptick in perceived support when reassignments were logged. Concrete metrics to track: completed tasks/day, average response time, and a daily mood score (1–5) from the team member.

Use this short email template for peers: “Subject: Quick cover request – need 60 minutes. Can you cover the 10:00 client call? I will return notes by 12:00 and handle follow-ups.” Keep it concise, include precise windows, and name a direct backup; those tipy speed replies and reduce friction when colleagues come to help. When support comes, confirm ownership so duties clearly přijďte back to the original owner later.

If a worker’s wont is to shoulder everything alone, avoid letting them ride a lone horse; invite one peer to join and schedule a 15-minute check-in. A powerful and focused 10–minute talk produces impressive short-term gains in mood and task completion, increases chance of long-term success, and helps the person feel skvělé about returning to full output.

Practical micro-actions: offer two concrete items to remove from the colleague’s list, commit one manager to review deadlines within 24 hours, and set a follow-up checkpoint at 72 hours. These steps change reasons for stress into actionable fixes, restore team spirit, ensure employees see fast results, and make it easier for anyone to talk and to come forward next time.

Acknowledge Their Feelings with a Short, Honest Statement

Name the emotion in one short sentence and offer a concrete next step: “You look overwhelmed – I can take this task now.”

Examples of concise, honest lines

• “You seem exhausted; tell me which deadline to shift.”
• “I hear frustration – would it help if I handled the next task?”
• “This problem sounds like a workload spike; let’s check priorities together.”
• “Facts show the queue grew by 40% this week; want help clearing it?”
• “When deadlines come fast, pause and ask for one specific handoff.”

Practical approach and next steps

1. Check facts first: review the task list and metrics before proposing solutions; document what changed before the conversation.
2. Approach someone privately; resist posting concerns on public channels or the companys board without consent.
3. Ask a permission question: “Can I help?” If theyve already flagged a fix, take action or escalate accordingly.
4. Treating feelings as data: separate feelings from blockers, list concrete impediments and assign ownership.
5. Offer to take one item: taking a single task reduces many small frictions and lowers cognitive load; combine effort with others where it works best.
6. If pattern repeats, check sources (источник) and follow up in a future meeting with manager or HR; escalate to policy review if needed.
7. Look for environmental causes – tools, hours, unclear scope – people work differently; adjust workflows so each person can be productive.
8. Keep language short, specific, and actionable rather than a line from a book; focus on immediate relief and realistic next steps.

Offer Immediate, Concrete Help You Can Provide Right Now

Cover the 2-hour client meeting at 3:00 PM: accept the calendar invite, present slides 3–6, and handle the Q&A so they can step away – actions I will finish in 90 minutes and send meeting notes afterward.

While I’m doing that I can pick up their childs from school at 4:15 PM or arrange a rideshare (estimate $12–18); tell me whether you want me to charge it to the department card or cover it personally.

Draft a short email to the client named “Jordan” that acknowledges delays, lists three concrete next steps, and proposes a new deadline – I’ll write it in 10 minutes, show you the version for edits, then send. This approach addresses the reasons for the backlog and prevents last-minute escalations.

Offer three local therapist options (names, phone, public intake hours) plus an EAP contact and an internal mentor in the same area; encourage them to talk with one of these people and offer to come with them if they’re not comfortable going alone. If youre unsure which to call first, I’ll start asking and make the introductions – thanks for telling me, though you don’t need to handle this alone.

Highlight a Specific Strength They Demonstrated Today

Identify one clear strength and attach a measurable outcome. Example: “Attention to detail – spotted 3 incorrect invoice codes in the 10:30 batch, preventing a $4,200 reconciliation error and saving ~3 hours of finance follow-up.” Include the person’s name, the task, the metric (numbers, minutes, dollars), and where it happened (office or channel).

Use brief, personal language that names actions. Example phrasing to deliver in person or chat: “I admire how you flagged the invoice codes and stayed until the fix was verified – that dedication kept the week on track.” Avoid vague praise; link the compliment to the concrete result so managers and peers understand impact.

For follow-up, give one small gesture within 48 hours: a written compliment copied to relevant managers, a calendar note recognizing the person in the next standup, or a micro-bonus if policy allows. Frequent, specific compliments make recognition meaningful over time and encourage repeat behavior.

When explaining the behavior to others, show the sequence: what they did, how the problem came up, who was helped, and the final outcome. In cases where someone is coming down after stress, pair recognition with an offer to redistribute tasks – giving a short respite helps healing and signals personal support.

Prepare two short templates for recurring scenarios: one for individual chat, one for the team channel. Keep names, dates, and numbers. That makes communication faster, treats recognition as a workplace routine, and makes it easier to track dedication across the whole office. Bonus: attach the example to internal article or report so the improvement shows up in performance discussions.

Suggest a Brief Break or Quiet Moment to Reset

Offer a 5–10 minute quiet break now: step away from the desk, mute notifications and avoid email, sit in a low-traffic spot, and practice three cycles of paced breathing (inhale 4s, hold 4s, exhale 6s); sometimes a single controlled breath sequence reduces acute tension enough to continue work smoothly.

If youve worked 50–90 minutes straight, propose this pause; then check if someone wants water or a short walk. Evidence from workplace time-management methods shows microbreaks during long blocks help restore focus and reduce distraction, supporting the brain in refocusing on complex tasks. When hearing that a task is impacting productivity, offer specific timing: 5 minutes for a cognitive reset, 10–15 minutes for emotional regrouping, 20–30 minutes if they need to step outside or make a brief call.

How to offer it so people accept

Phrase options that respect agency: “Would 5 minutes away help?” or “Do you want a quiet moment together before we continue?” Avoid directing orders; being pragmatic and brief increases uptake. If theres resistance, propose a single objective for the break – no email, no Slack – then follow up at a fixed checkpoint so both of you can resume work smoothly.

If they decline or need more

If someone says no, respect that and offer to re-open the offer in a few hours or in a day; youve signaled support. If the pattern repeats across weeks and is impacting output, map recent events (examples from last 2–4 weeks) and propose concrete adjustments: shift deadlines, redistribute subtasks to coworkers, or arrange a 30-minute check-in with a manager. A writer on the team can help document task swaps so transitions work smoothly.

Practical checklist to leave with them: set timer, silence email and chat, choose one restorative action, agree on a 5-minute recheck. These small protocols make it possible for people to take resets differently without disrupting workflow, helping their focus and collective productivity. If youve tried this and it hasnt worked, schedule a slightly longer break or an offsite conversation to identify root causes – sometimes external factors from weeks назад are still impacting someone’s capacity and need a different approach.

Plan a Quick Follow-Up Check-In to Show Ongoing Support

Schedule a 10-minute check-in 48 hours after the initial conversation; send a calendar invite with a one-line agenda so that they know you are following up, not evaluating, and cap the meeting at 10 minutes to prevent running over.

Use three focused prompts: ask them which task makes them feel most behind, where a single adjustment would reduce friction, and which resource or mentor would help immediately; capture answers in two bullet points and confirm one measurable action each person owns.

Set a cadence: initial check at 48 hours, then weekly check-ins for two weeks, then a lighter sync every four weeks within an eight-week window; if absence extends past the last scheduled touchpoint, explain the documented timeline to HR or the board and involve a mentor or team lead to avoid leaving them alone.

Frame language to reinforce team culture and spirit: name specific accommodations that would make the role a perfect fit (for example, fixed remote days or shifted deadlines), outline exactly how that change comes into effect, and assign who keeps track; weve documented three common ways managers offer flexibility, and those examples help them and the wider group feel supported.

Keep notes in a private shared folder, list objective success indicators (task completion rate, response time, error reduction) so theres measurable progress, and if someone declines offers or unfortunately requires extended leave, explain next steps, believe escalation to HR or a dedicated mentor is appropriate only when safety or performance risk appears, and identify where the team can be lucky enough to provide recovery-focused coverage.