Depression at Work: Reasons and Ways to Deal with it

1
Depression at Work Reasons and Ways to Deal with
it
Jul 21, 2023
Are you someone who struggles with boredom,
anxiety, or lack of focus at work? Loss of
concentration, exhaustion, and feeling
unproductive in addition to the above symptoms
might be some of the indications that you are
feeling depressed at work. But, you know what?
This is not uncommon. World Health Organization
(WHO) states that currently, more than half of
the world's population works, and 15 of
working-age persons have a mental
illness. Depression is a common mental health
illness that impacts more than 17 million adults
in America every year. But if left untreated it
can lead to severe depression which not only
impact your personal life but also society as a
whole. Are you puzzled as to how? Each year, the
world economy suffers a US 1 trillion loss due
to depression and anxiety, mainly due to lost
productivity. Read this article to know more
about what is depression, its triggers, and how
to deal with depression at work. Also, you will
find out what actions you have to take and how
depression therapy helps you to start feeling
better. What is Work Depression? Mental health
is important in all aspects of our life including
the workplace. Although, most of the time
your job may not be the direct reason for your
depression but it can worsen the symptoms of
depression if you are
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already experiencing the symptoms. The potential
cause of depression at the workplace depends upon
the level of stress and the support you get at
the workplace. According to World Health
Organization, work environments which include the
following factors can be harmful to your mental
health at the workplace. They are Indiscrimination
Inequality Job insecurity Poor
management Excessive workloads. Depression is a
common mental health condition with a wide range
of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can
affect anybody and everyone. When you think you
are experiencing depression at work, a number
of work and non-work-related factors may be at
play. It is always crucial to look for the signs
of depression as finding out early may help you
to take the quick, prompt, and necessary action
which will eventually speed up the process of
your recovery. Before knowing the symptoms of
depression and how to deal with it we will make a
quick view of how stress vs depression at work
differ from each other. Difference between work
stress and work depression Stress at work is not
uncommon, but feeling depressed is a crucial
thing to take care of. Sometimes you may wonder
why I feel sad for no reason. Knowing the
difference between work stress and work
depression helps you to find the solution to
this doubt and how to deal with depression at
work. Work Stress You will occasionally feel
anxious and have a sense of irritability,
Headaches and muscle tensions, Once the stressor
passes, the intensity of stress will
decrease. Work Depression Persistent anxiety or
nervousness, Loss of interest at work, Lack of
focus and not interest in the job, Feeling sad
most of the time and crying. Work stress can be
managed with positive changes in the workplace,
but depression can affect both your mind and
body. That is why you should know how to find a
therapist in the process of healing. Remote Work
and its Impact on Depression Working remotely
may look convenient for some time, but it does
also have some drawbacks. While working remotely
you should maintain a correct line between your
professional and personal life. If not, that line
will fade out slowly and impacts dramatically on
your daily routine. You should have a structured
routine or else you might feel a lack of
interest, which affects your emotions and
thoughts. The major reason for depression at
remote work is increased screen time. You have to
rely on online meetings, chats, or phone calls
to connect with your friends and colleagues,
which results in increased screen time. Also,
there is a chance you may feel lonely as there is
no social atmosphere in work from home setup.
This loss of social connection prevents you from
understanding what is depression and how to deal
with it. According to the National Institutes of
Health, Due to balancing more duties, women who
work from home have a higher risk of developing
depression than males.
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Feeling depressed at work is not just confined to
remote work. Read on to know what might be
several reasons and factors that are responsible
for your depression at work. Why you might be
feeling depressed at work? There can be a number
of reasons why you are feeling depressed at work.
When analyzing the origins or triggers of the
symptoms of depression at work, several similar
elements seem to emerge even though no two
people or circumstances are the same. The
following situations may be the reason for
depression at work
Feeling helpless in work-related problems Fear
of job insecurity, working in an unfriendly or
toxic environment, Being overworked or
underpaid, Facing harassment or discrimination at
work, Working in an environment that doesn't
align with your personal ideals, Working on
projects that don't have a scope in your career
advancements, Unsafe and poor working
conditions, Lack of work-life balance,
Nepotism, Lack of appreciation, Having colleagues
with different perspectives or philosophies. Somet
imes you may also develop depression at work if
you are a person who thinks your work doesnt
contribute anything to society. The signs of
depression in women arise because of mom guilt as
she thinks she cannot take care of the child
properly. Now, lets see what are the common
symptoms of depression at work. Symptoms
indicate that you are depressed at the
workplace Depression at work is not just
confined to a specific individual. According to
research, it can have a financially disastrous
effect on an organization. World Health
Organization (WHO) states that an estimated 12
billion working days are lost worldwide each year
due to depression and anxiety, costing US 1
trillion in lost productivity annually. Although
symptoms of general depression and depression at
work look similar, some symptoms appear to be
more specific to the workplace environment. If
you are one among the working population who is
experiencing this depression it will affect your
functionality both at work and at home.
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Following are some of the common symptoms of
depression at work
Increased anxiety especially if you are feeling
difficult or stressful situations, Worrying
about work all time, Overall dissatisfaction and
discomfort with your job, Lack of interest at
work, particularly those that used to interest
and satisfy you, Emotions of powerlessness,
worthlessness, and hopelessness, Persistent
feelings of sadness, Lack of concentration, Lack
of motivation to do things, Inability to remember
the tasks assigned, Not willing to stay updated
or learn new things, Loss of appetite, in some
case, it would be reversed, Increased or
decreased weight gain, Frequent irritation,
anger, frustration, Crying or feeling sad for no
reasons, Insomnia or too much sleeping,
Substance abuse, Poor decision making, Physical
health deterioration. These are the kind of
symptoms you can mask from others. But some of
the signs of depression are more likely to be
noticed by your colleagues. Arriving late to the
office or going early, Maintaining poor
self-hygiene, Taking so many leaves, Not
attending official meetings properly, Appearing
to be tired most of the time, Isolating yourself
from others, Getting angry or frustrated even
during casual conversations, Lack of confidence
to take up the work. Along with this, missing
deadlines, and sudden changes in quality of work
can also be a sign of depression at work. We
spend a significant time of our lives at work,
and for some people, job and depression are
closely related. How to deal with depression at
work? Irrespective of your working environment,
managing depression symptoms is quite
challenging. But, you can take some relevant
steps and actions to lessen the symptoms of your
depression and heal it.
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Treat work depression with counseling Depression
counseling focuses more on your current thoughts,
feelings, and actions and how they are impacting
your life right now. In counseling, the therapist
will use talk therapy to assist you in
understanding and resolving the problems that
are negatively affecting your life. While taking
treatment for depression your therapist will
listen, give you feedback, and help you come up
with coping mechanisms. Additionally, they will
check your progress and modify the sessions of
counseling according to your needs. You'll be
given homework in addition to what you learned in
counseling sessions. This is frequently done for
tracking emotions and moods. Say yes to
therapy Depression is a mental health problem
that probably won't disappear on its own. Thats
why learning how to cure depression and finding
the right therapist with whom you can
communicate, relate and feel comfortable is
crucial. World Health Organization (WHO) states
that more than 75 of individuals in low- and
middle-income nations do not receive therapy
although effective treatments are available. This
can be overcome by breaking the social stigma
about mental disorders and increasing awareness
about the therapy techniques available, and why
the mindful approach to mental health is
crucial. Let's see some of the therapy methods
to treat depression due to work. Therapy methods
to treat depression at work
The type of therapy you are going to choose
depends on a number of factors. As no single
strategy or therapy works for everyone, it would
be better to understand the types of treatment.
Your preferences and the intensity of your
symptoms, among other things, may influence the
sort of treatment you select. For this, first
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you have to know how to find the best depression
therapist and the therapy techniques they are
familiar with. To help you choose the sort of
therapy that could be best for you, have a look
at some of the following often-used forms of
therapy for depression. Dialectical Behavior
Therapy According to a report in the American
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Dialectical
Behavior Therapy for depression is found to be
effective in lessening the symptoms of
depression. DBT helps to reduce your depression
at work with its comprehensive approach. DBT is
an acceptance-based therapy that is effective in
treating emotional and behavioral challenges
including depression at work. Benefits of DBT
for Depression at Work Teach new life skills It
helps to increase your interpersonal skills,
tolerates emotional distress, and develops
mindfulness which is essential to handle your
depression at work. Makes you feel motivated By
lessening unhealthy thoughts, learning new life
skills and motivation from your therapist will
lead you towards a depression-free life and
work. Interpersonal Therapy With the help of
interpersonal therapy, you will learn how to
develop social skills and accept
unwanted incidents in life which helps in
lessening the symptoms of depression and
understanding the causes for depression. This
therapy makes you realize the importance of
mental health in the workplace and also in your
daily lives. According to the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), Interpersonal therapy
significantly influences overall work
performance, employees confidence to return to
work, insomnia, and depression symptoms. Benefits
of IPT for Depression at Work Teaches
strategies Work-related Interpersonal therapy
identifies and teaches the coping strategies for
work- related stress, teaches mindfulness, and
helps to practice social communication
skills. Address social and inter-personal
issues IPT addresses social and inter-personal
issues at work like identifying work-related
issues, interpersonal conflicts, less social
support, burnout, etc., by applying strategies
like finding out work-related stress through
individual stress, role-play exercise,
etc., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT is a
type of psychotherapy that helps to change
unwanted behavioral patterns and reduce the
symptoms of mental health illness which also
makes it an effective morning depression
treatment. It is achieved by identifying and
altering the negative thought patterns about the
self and the world. In every session of CBT, you
come to know how your thought process is
affecting your happiness and your therapist
might give you homework to keep a log of your
feelings and thoughts. Benefits of CBT for
Depression at Work Increases confidence By
keeping a diary or log, you can able to identify
negative thought patterns and isolate them. It
helps you to replace them with more positive
ones. This process of self-realization increases
confidence at work. Stronger workplace
relationships Isolating negative thought
patterns helps in reducing anxiety and stress
which eventually makes you happy and productive
at the workplace. Your way of communication with
your colleagues takes a positive turn and
strengthens your relationships at
work. Psychodynamic Therapy
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It is a form of Psychotherapy that not only helps
to understand what causes depression at work but
also helps to treat various mental illnesses
such as eating disorders, substance abuse, and
many more. Psychodynamic therapy mainly focuses
on exploring unconscious thoughts and feelings.
By doing so you can be aware of the thoughts
which cause issues such as depression or
stress. Benefits of Psychodynamic Therapy for
Depression at Work Increased self-awareness and
Resilience Psychodynamic therapy helps in
increasing self-awareness by making you
understand your thought patterns and behaviors.
This understanding helps you to make better
decisions and face challenges in the
future. Improves Relationships When you know
the underlying causes for depression using
psychodynamic therapy it will give you a
positive insight into relationship dynamics and
overall mental health both at life and at
work. Now, you know how to deal with depression
at work with the help of therapy. Read on to find
how mindfulness and practicing self-care help in
lessening the symptoms of depression. Practice
Mindfulness The National Institutes of
Health(NIH) research suggests that mindfulness
meditation in the workplace helps to improve
employees' mental health, and performance.
Engaging in mindfulness practices not only
enhances your workplace functioning but also
helps in overcoming chronic stress and burnout to
a happier life. You can practice mindful
meditation either by sitting simply and focusing
on your breath which is usually called
traditional meditation. You can also practice it
by focusing your attention while doing activities
like walking or cleaning chores which is called
activity meditation. Practice self-care Taking
care of yourself can help you to manage your
depression at work and helps to rejuvenate
yourself. Walking, jogging, or engaging yourself
in activities like arts, dance or yoga can help
you to lessen the symptoms of depression.
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Our experts help you learn the signs, symptoms,
and treatments for depression. Browse licensed
therapists near you, or talk to us to find the
one who meets your needs. Find Your Therapist
Final thoughts Mental Health America (MHA)
states that most of the employees experiencing
depression are not seeking professional help as
they fear that it would impact their job and also
they worry about their confidentiality. If you
experience any depression symptoms or any other
mental health issues such as anxiety or stress,
don't hesitate to take your first step towards
healing. It can either be online or in person,
seeking professional help through therapy help
you to overcome depression at work and resume
where you left off. At LifeBulbs Depression
Therapy in Alexandria, we believe everyone
deserves better mental health, and that's why we
make reaching out to our therapist or counselor
simple and quick anytime if you need assistance.
You can connect with us either online or
in-person and we help you to match with the right
therapist based on your needs and goals. Book
your therapy session whether it can be online
therapy or in- person therapy, our therapist
helps you to defeat depression at work and start
your healing journey. Frequently Asked
Questions What is the best therapy for
depression? There are different therapy
techniques are available to treat depression at
work. However, seeking the help of a depression
therapist is important to find out which therapy
suits you based on your needs and goals.
Following are some of the therapy techniques
commonly used for depression treatment. Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy(CBT) Dialectical Behavior
Therapy(DBT)
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Psychodynamic Therapy Interpersonal Therapy Your depression therapist conducts an assessment and makes recommendations about the course of treatments to help you in the coping process.
Give some tips to deal with depression due to stress at work.
What are the effects of depression at work?
Why is the working population facing depression?
How do depression therapy centers help in recovery?
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