Published March 2026 with NewsCanada
Open, honest conversations about mental health are becoming more common, which is helping a lot of people get the support they need. One place where mental health struggles may begin, but where they’re less often discussed, is at work.
Work can be overwhelming. That feeling can be difficult to internalize, especially in workplace cultures that focus on “high performance” as their main value. Even in fully supportive workplaces, people reach their limits, and at times, your job can impact your mental health and wellness. When it does, it’s important to be kind to yourself and focus less on what you feel you’re not accomplishing, and more on getting better so that you can show up for yourself and your team.
There’s help available. An occupational therapist can support your mental well-being in the workplace by working with you to develop strategies for managing anxiety, stress, work-life balance and building coping skills.
They can also help individuals with mental health issues to re-integrate into the workplace. There are several ways that working together with one can help you increase your resilience, build or regain capacity and support your mental health, at home or at work.
In Ontario, there are professional standards that occupational therapists must follow. They also have to be licensed by the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, which is a public resource that exists for clients as well as their caregivers.
You can verify that an occupational therapist is licensed and learn more about how they can help at coto.org/ot.