There are more people dealing with depression and anxiety at work than you may think. If you’re suffering from depression, it can impact many aspects of your life, your career is one of them.
When you go past the point of just ‘having a bad day’ and you begin to experience frequent negative thoughts combined with a low self-esteem, you could be suffering from clinical depression.
Despite the stigma which still surrounds depression, it is an extremely debilitating condition which can leave you struggling to function in your everyday life.
The effects of clinical depression can leave you finding it very difficult to perform tasks which are necessary for your job. Of course, depression can also make it feel almost impossible to get up and go to work in the first place. It’s important to remember that you’re not the only one who feels this way, although it can feel like you are sometimes. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) announced that in 2018, mental health conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety were the fourth most common reason for people to be absent from work in the UK. Thus, highlighting the prevalence of mental health issues and the demand for these conditions to be spoken about, showing others how to manage depression in the workplace.
What Is Depression?
The term depression seems to be used across a wide spectrum from small moments of sadness to severe and frequent misery. When we speak about clinical depression, we’re referring to a serious, life-changing condition which requires immediate professional support. Those who suffer from clinical depression will all experience varying symptoms of varying severity, but most people are likely to face low self-esteem, loss of interest in activities or socialisation, lack of interest in personal hygiene, poor sleeping patterns, and a poor diet. If you feel as though you or a loved one could be suffering from clinical depression then it’s vital that you seek support from a professional rehabilitation centre. Initially, you can visit your GP to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition. From there, you can discuss a range of treatment options and create an effective treatment programme to help alleviate your clinical depression.
What is Work Depression?
On the whole, work is a place that can drive positive mental health. It gives us purpose, motivation and satisfaction when we achieve something we’ve worked for. On the flip side, work can also be a place of heightened stress and anxiety and can therefore have a negative effect on your mental health. Your job might not be the direct cause of depression, but a negative or toxic work environment can make your depression symptoms worse. The World Health Organisation says that work depression can lead to physical and mental health problems, and leads to a loss of $1 billion to the economy per year in lost productivity. Behind that figure are millions of people whose workplace contributes to their struggles with depression.
How To Deal With Depression While Working:
Depression tends to give you a negative outlook on life, you may struggle to find pleasure in anything you do, have low energy levels, lose your ability to focus, and experience a lack of appetite, all of which can significantly effect your performance at work. When you’re suffering with clinical depression, your hormone levels change, as does your brain structure and your sleep cycles making life very challenging. A common reaction when trying to manage depression and anxiety at work is to isolate yourself from others, you may begin to obsess over feeling guilty about letting your team down or feel too embarrassed to share your feelings with anyone else.
There are some work-related triggers which can intensify your depression by increasing your stress levels. These include a sudden change in your familiar environment, feeling under pressure with a high workload, being asked to perform tasks which are outside of your competency level, or experiencing conflict with colleagues.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression at Work
There are symptoms of depression that can affect your ability to work. These can include:
•Finding it hard to remain motivated
•Struggling to concentrate
•Difficulty sleeping
•Losing interest in activities you previously enjoyed
Depression can also cause people to isolate themselves, worry excessively about getting work done and feel guilty about letting other people down. They can also find it difficult to talk about how they feel at work, because they feel ashamed that they may be judged.
How to Know if It’s Depression?
Most people will feel down or sad in the workplace at some stage – these feelings are entirely normal. What’s important is that you’re aware of the symptoms of depression, so you can recognise when your feelings are moving into more damaging territory and act if you need to. It’s also important to recognise when your feelings might be workplace stress, rather than depression. Typically, you should be able to identify the cause of your workplace stress; it might be an upcoming presentation, a tight deadline or particularly long workday. When that trigger passes, your feelings of stress should pass too. Depression, on the other hand, is characterised more by an increased feeling of sadness and guilt, often seemingly without any explanation. You might also lack motivation and focus in your role. The relationship between work and depression is one that can work both ways. Depression can impact your ability to perform your job well, and stress at work can also contribute to a person becoming depressed.
Some work-related triggers that can cause major depression or stress include:
•A high workload
•Being asked to do things outside your competency level
•Sudden changes or difficulties with colleagues
•Inflexible working hours
•Poor management processes and/or communication
•Unclear objectives and a lack of support for your work
Working from home, either permanently or partially each week, is becoming a reality for more and more people. While the added flexibility and home comforts can be beneficial to your mental health, it is not without its drawbacks.
Feelings of isolation can arise for those working from home – especially if you also live on your own. A lack or physical communication with other human beings can quickly lead to feelings of sadness and depression. If you are working from home regularly, it’s really important to remain in contact with colleagues, both professionally and socially. Try to block out some time in your diary on a daily or weekly basis to have a chat over video conferencing – the social aspects of human interaction can do wonders for your mental health
Self-Care Tips if You’re Feeling Depressed at Work- On a day-to-day basis, there are small but significant measures you can put in place to help keep a positive mind set every time you return to your desk:
•Get out of the office (or the house if you’re working from home) at lunchtime for some fresh air
•Have a healthy, nutritious lunch and try to avoid heavy or stodgy meals
•Take regular breaks to get away from your desk and stretch your legs
•If you’re working from home, don’t work from your bedroom
•Practise some mindfulness activities each day
•When you can, learn to say “no” to one thing that will make your day less stressful
•Remember, this is not a weakness. It’s a medical condition which requires professional treatment.
•Confide your feelings in someone you trust. Opening up can truly take a weight off your shoulders.
•If you can, go outside for a walk in the fresh air to help clear you mind and take a break from your workload; meditation or mindfulness apps can also be very useful.
•Ensure you’re supporting your physical health with a nutritious lunch and plenty of water.