Opening up to your manager about your health takes real courage. What happens when that honesty seems to work against you, with the interesting projects quietly going to everyone else?

This question was answered by Tammi Miller, Mental Health Expert, whose experience helping people navigate sensitive workplace situations made her perfectly placed to address the emotional and practical layers here; Dan Ingham, Industry Leader, who offered a manager's-eye view of what signals help shift the dynamic; and Andy Wright, host of Asking For A Friend on Never Not Creative, who guided the conversation.

First, acknowledge what you did right

Tammi was clear on this: well done for having that first conversation. It is not easy, and the fact that it was hard does not mean it was wrong. The discomfort happening now is not a sign you should have stayed quiet.

Name the pattern in a follow-up conversation

Tammi's main advice is to have a second conversation and name what you are noticing. Your manager may not even realise they are doing it. In many cases, she explains, a manager thinks they are being kind by reducing your workload or shielding you from pressure. What they are actually doing is limiting your growth. A calm, direct conversation where you say something like, "I notice I'm not being considered for certain opportunities, and I'd really like to be," can reframe the whole dynamic.

It also helps to reassure your manager of your capability. Share what you have been doing to support your health, whether that is accessing an employee assistance programme, speaking with a professional, or other steps you have taken. This signals that you are managing things proactively, not that you are a risk.

If you need support going into that conversation, Tammi reminds you that you are allowed to bring a peer or trusted colleague with you.

Show your hunger for the work

Dan's addition is straightforward: make your ambition visible. If your manager can see that you are genuinely excited about opportunities and actively want to be involved, that enthusiasm does a lot of the heavy lifting. Managers, he says, want to know their team is keen. Showing that appetite is a way of signalling readiness without having to spell it all out.

Your health and your ambition are not in conflict. The goal is helping your manager see that too.