15 Nov Work Depression. Here’s How You Can Curb It
Common symptoms of depression include feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, loss of interest in hobbies, and the persisting feeling of sadness, among others. There are many things that can cause it, but if you’re feeling depressed when working, you might be having what they call “work depression.”
Your job alone cannot cause depression, but a negative and toxic environment can affect how you function in a workplace setting.
Symptoms of work depression or job burnout include:
- Pessimism at work
- Lack of motivation to go to work
- Impatience with co-workers, clients, and customers
- Lacking satisfaction with own achievements
- Find it hard to concentrate
- Lack of energy to be consistently productive
- Self-medicating through food, alcohol, and drugs
- Making excessive errors in tasks
- Increased absences, coming in late and leaving early
- Trouble sleeping
- Lack of confidence while completing tasks
Is It Stress or Work Depression?
Work depression should not be confused with work stress. Work stress has symptoms such as:
- Stress that goes away when the cause of stress has already passed
- Occasional feelings of anxiety and irritability
- Muscle tension or headaches.
- Often about future outcomes or activities
Aside from the toxic and negative environment, there are other factors that can contribute to feeling work depression such as:
- A feeling of having no control over work issues
- Being overworked or underpaid
- Facing workplace harassment or discrimination
- Irregular work hours
- Lack of work-life balance
- A feeling of not furthering career goals
- Poor or unsafe working conditions
How To Address Work Depression
There are ways to feel better when you’re starting to experience increased feelings of anxiety or depression at your workplace.
If f you are starting to feel something off, you can improve your mental health’s state by:
- Getting out of the house to walk
- Separating your work area from other spaces in your home
- Practicing mindfulness meditation
- Calling a friend
- Step away from the screen or take screen breaks
- Take a mental health day
- Try deep breathing exercises throughout the day
You can also ask for help when it comes to addressing your work depression if some lifestyle changes or mindfulness practices fail to help you. You can get professional help in person or online.
SOURCE:
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/work-depression#bottom-line