How to Fight Through Depression at Work
Going to work can do wonders for your depression in that it will give you something to do every week that you will enjoy and feel rewarded by the end of your shift. Work can also worsen your depression from the sense of having no control or if you do not like your job. Since you spend more time at work than you do at home, you need to do whatever it takes to make your job work for you or find another job that makes you happy.
People with depression can have their symptoms worsen when they are at work as they have no control of the fate of their job position. You do not know how long you will have to keep it, whether there will be big changes occurring that you may not be ready for, and feel powerless to change the way the company is. You could be experiencing a variety of symptoms such as feeling like you are not valuable to the company, not communicating with your co-workers, decreased work performance, frustration, and having a low self-esteem.
This depression can be the result of feeling like you are working the wrong job. For example, you may have had artistic ambitions but you are working in law instead. You feel out of place there but you feel like you have to stick with the position as you will make more money this way to pay your bills. You may feel like you do not agree with the ethics that your company stands for. For example, maybe your company has told you before that it is okay to bend the truth a little to your clients and you do not agree.
Working full-time means not spending a whole lot of time with your spouse or children and they may have no problem constantly telling you how much they miss you. Maybe you do not like your co-workers and you have to see the same ones every shift. You feel like you want to leave this job but you cannot as searching for a job will be a real struggle for you. You might have tried before to make your job work by complaining to HR about your co-workers or your boss but it is sometimes beyond their control.
You should first ask yourself why you picked this job in the first place. It could be because of job security, benefits, or feel like this is all you have and are not in a financial position to go back to school. Think if whether this job will be worth it in the end. If you are working in the lowest position possible but you feel like there is a chance that you will move up with the company, it is possible that all of your struggles will be worth it. If there is no room for growth in your company, maybe it is not worth experiencing those intense feelings of depression arising every shift. If you want to stick with this company but feel like there needs to be changes in work ethics, speak to the Human Resources department as they may be able to help you listen to things that your boss may not care to hear.
Remember that your mental health will always be more important than any amount of money you make. If you cannot mentally be present at work, it will not matter about the money you earn as they can fire you if you do not perform well. You may need to take a day or two of a mental health day. Spend the day thinking of what matters to you and what you want out of life. Also, use those couple of days to have fun and be with your family. Maybe after those two days, you will feel better and realize that you were just under a lot of stress and will feel better when you get back to work. Sometimes, we all need to take a breather and clear our heads. Plus, you might be able to return to work and have a better job performance after being able to recharge your batteries.
If you need to make your job work for you, do whatever you can in your power to make it happen. Try to control what is in your grasp. Speak to your managers and your co-workers about what you can and cannot handle about the position. Maybe they can have another co-worker fill in on the task that you are not confident you can do or go slow with how they teach you. Maybe your boss can give you a new task that you will excel at better. When all else fails, let HR know how you are feeling.
If you feel overwhelmed like you cannot handle these big projects alone, plan your strategy better. Break down your projects and make daily goals on what needs to get done. Continue to take breaks so that you can allow yourself to breathe. Some projects are too big to handle by yourself. If that is the case, ask your boss if you can recruit some co-workers to help you get the job done faster. Because we spend more of our time at the office than at home, put your mental health first before anything so that you can go to work feeling confident and in control of your life.
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