How to Accommodate Yourself in an Office Environment
If you have mental or physical health issues and work in an office like me, you may not want to disclose your health issues for personal reasons. That doesn't mean there are no accommodations you can use - just that you aren't formally requesting them. Below are some examples:
(1) Take your lunch break. I mean it.
If you work in an office, you almost certainly get a lunch break and you are entitled to take it. If you're not sure, it doesn't hurt to confirm with your manager before you start taking your lunch break.
First of all, taking care of yourself is important and is essentially the point of a lunch break. You should always be eating a real lunch and staying hydrated, and taking an actual lunch break helps immensely with this.
It's also a chance to step away from work, people, etc. It gives you and your brain a break and you can add your choice of (reasonable) activity to help with this. I like to watch TikToks during my lunch break because they're quite brainless, but I know some people prefer to stimulate their brain with something non-work related like reading a book. If you don't want to talk to people, make sure you have headphones on even if you aren't listening to anything.
In most offices, you are allowed to leave for lunch. A lot of people go somewhere to buy lunch and eat there, but you can also pack a lunch and eat it elsewhere. I work a couple of blocks from my city's main park, so I often walk down there and eat outside. This is a wonderful reset for me at lunch.
I find that eating lunch doesn't usually take me my whole hour-long break, so I often will get up and do something else after I eat. I love to take a short walk or run a small errand like going to the post office. My building also has a gym, and I know that some of my coworkers opt to go their at lunchtime.
If your office is like me and a lot of people choose not to take their lunch break, it's still okay to take it. I've had great success telling people something like "I find that around lunchtime my brain gets a little fuzzy, and I really need the break to replenish so I can be at my most productive all afternoon" or even just "I find eating lunch a bit distracting and I'd rather be fully focused while I'm working."
(2) Use headphones as a tool.
At nearly every office, earbud-style headphones are allowed and are widely used. Again, if you're not sure, ask your manager.
You don't have to listen to music. You could listen to anything - white noise, podcasts, audiobooks, meditations, etc. You could even listen to nothing if you just want to dull the sound and keep people from talking to you.
If you struggle with the office noise, invest in good-quality, comfortable, noise-cancelling earbuds. If you use them every day, it's worth the cost.
If you want to wear over-ear headphones, I would recommend asking your manager first. Let them know that you find them more conducive to your working environment and wanted to see if they were okay with you using them. These aren't standardly used in office environments, but you may be able to use them if your manager allows you to.
Good quality over-ear headphones can work a lot like ear defenders, but without looking like ear defenders. But again, ask your manager first!
Note: You don't have to tell your manager details when you ask them stuff - you can be vague and just let them know it would make it easier for you to get your work done. For example, if you want to wear over-ear headphones, you could let them know that you like working in silence and haven't found any earbuds that block enough noise for you. Reasonable managers should not take issue with reasonable requests, even if they ultimately deny them.
(3) Your systems are for you. They are meant to accommodate you.
You do not have to use the same systems as your coworkers. You can set up your organisational systems and processes to work for and accommodate you and how you work.
Don't feel pressured to use a system that other people use if it doesn't work for you. You can always say "I've actually tried that and it just didn't work for me. I'm glad it works for you, though!"
A few notes here: (1) Anything you use should be understandable by someone else if necessary, even if they find it a bit odd. (2) Anything you share with other people should be set up as a team or in a standard way. (3) Don't break procedures to do this - work within the bounds of your company's existing setup.
(4) Bathroom breaks are your friend.
In an office setting, people are unlikely to be paying attention to your bathroom breaks. If you feel overwhelmed or ill or just need a minute, go to the bathroom. It's a place to be alone and take a moment to gather yourself.
Try not to be overly excessive with bathroom breaks (so you don't get in trouble), but you can always use an upset stomach as an excuse once in a while if needed.
(5) Minor headaches can be an excuse.
Most people get minor headaches every now and then for simple reasons such as dehydration or a too-tight hairstyle. As long as you don't have a "headache" so often that you will get yourself in trouble, they're a reasonable excuse for when you're really struggling and can't hide it. For example:
Brain fog or dissociating - sorry, my head hurts and it's making it really hard to focus.
Some other pain - it's still pain, just elsewhere.
And other similar excuses.
Depending on your office environment, you may also be able to use a headache as an excuse to go get some fresh air if you're desperate.
(6) If you get sick days, you are allowed to use them.
(7) Most people have some sort of quirks or issues - and so do you.
"Sorry, I'm a little weird about [thing]. Do you mind if [other thing]?" goes a long way towards getting what you need. An easy example is "Sorry, I'm a little weird with hugs. Do you mind if we shake hands instead? Thanks!"
Also, even people without illnesses experience things sometimes. For example, if something makes you anxious, just let people know you're nervous in the situation. "Sorry, I'm just a little nervous right now." or "Sorry, I'm not a good public speaker." goes a long way. Or if you have a GI condition, it's okay to let people know you have "a sensitive stomach" - some of them will probably understand and it's a normal enough thing to not come off strange. One of my favourites is "Apologies, I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Give me a few seconds to collect my thoughts, and I'll get right back to you."
(8) If you have a trusted friend/coworker, confide in them.
You don't have to tell them everything, but it's good to have someone on your side and who will check in with you if needed. My best work friend will also back me up on requests like over-ear headphones by pointing out that she would love the option as well, even if she doesn't actually care.
(9) Take note of what days/times are worse for you and schedule easier tasks during those times if possible.
(10) Learn to politely ask for clarification.
This is a fine line - a lot of people really don't like being asked for clarification. A best practice to avoid pissing people off is to put the blame for needing clarification on you.
"Apologies, let me make sure I heard you correctly. [Repeat back what you think they said]."
"Sorry, my brain's not working well today! Do you mind repeating that so I can make sure I got it?"
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What was that last part?"
All in all, many accommodations are things you can do for yourself or without disclosing a diagnosis, especially if you have a good manager. Please also take care not to misrepresent yourself as having a disability you don't have. Take care of yourself and set yourself up for success! 🖤
