Depression: Impact on Work-Life and How to Overcome
Depression: Just hearing or reading this word brings negative emotions in us. Sadness, fear, anxiety, etc…
If there’s a dangerous, unseen enemy that derails us at our work (overall life too), Depression is one of them. Clearly differentiating the CAUSE and the EFFECT of depression, is very crucial.
It’s a disease that affects our attitude, energy, confidence, relationships, work, etc…, and more importantly, our ability to enjoy life.
The possible causes of depression comprise either one or a combination of psychological, social, and biological sources. E.g., failed relationships, loss of a loved one, poor work-culture, lack of social-support, low self-esteem or confidence, one’s own chronic ill-health or that of a loved one, etc…
Depression affects your sleep, concentration, appetite, behavior, energy levels, ability to concentrate at work and make good decisions. If you are feeling down and blue, stressed and having a hard time coping with the workload, then you may be suffering from depression.
It’s more prevalent across all strata and sections of societies than is socially recognized. It’s a pandemic. Herein lies a huge problem.
Covid-19 affected the body and there was global panic while Depression affects the mind and there’s no panic. That’s unfair.
Impact on Work
Feeling continuously down with routine or dreary job? Lack of challenging assignments brining your effectiveness down? Living a mundane existence or an inactive lifestyle? Beware. Depression may have set in or is just around the corner.
It leads to Disengagement@Work. This is extremely dangerous. Global researches have shown that employee disengagement leads to lower employee productivity, and thereby negatively impacts Organization’s growth — it’s revenue and profits, and thereby national growth.
Then why aren’t corporates and other employers doing enough to identify their employees who may be suffering, to help them overcome this?
Key reasons:
First, it is not being recognized in the workplace as one of the biggest threats to an individual’s productivity (and life) due to lack of awareness, policies, will, empathy, etc…. Secondly, it is a social stigma to be diagnosed with having it. So, employees themselves don’t open up about it.
How to Overcome?
Bad Mood is to Depression as Weather is to Climate
Understand this key difference and act accordingly. Depression and Climate are longer term aspects. Moods change over shorter periods of time, like the weather for the day or week. Depression stays for a longer period of time, like the Climate of a place or region.
Let’s see how an individual can work this out one-self.
- Talk Yourself Out
Talk to your family and friends, or supervisor, colleagues or your boss. Most often, they will be able to guide you in the right direction of treatment. It may involve work-break, a sabbatical, therapy or medicines or some other. SEEK HELP. Don’t hesitate. Don’t keep quiet.
2. Hold a Positive Attitude
Be POSITIVE. This will help you to be less self-critical and more optimistic. Try out many ways to retain positivity, like:
a) Keep reminding of the good times, events, achievements of the past, etc… Smile and feel good about yourself. And that you can do it again…and again…and again.
b) Keep repeating positive ‘mantras’ or Auto-Suggestions as they are called.
- ‘I am feeling great today’
- ‘I am like everyone else’
- ‘I am always happy’
- ‘I have total faith in myself and my creator’
- ‘I am born to struggle and yet do good things, happily’
- ‘I am born to help others live well and that makes me happy’
- ‘I am more than my body and mind’
- etc…
Positive attitude affects your body and mind positively too, and you can take up tougher challenges at work and life, without being stressed out.
3. Don’t Go Hard on Yourself
Take control of your work-life rather than the other way around. Spend time with your family, soothe yourself with what you enjoy doing more, and avail yourself with much-needed breaks and sighs of comfort. It will not only help you feel calm but also assist you to overcome your depression.
The onus to get this addressed, is on the individual, one’s family, friends, and employers. And the government too, on the national level. It’s a collective effort.
The best ways to overcome depression, lie within us. Seek help, find one’s true selves, be selfless, be constructive, help others more, live in the moment, reward ourselves, spend some time with nature, spend more time with one’s friends or family, travel alone or with friends, explore places, think of what you have (which most in the World don’t have) and be grateful, sleep well, and kick off the negativity and depressing voices out of our minds. One needs to take charge of one’s own life.
‘Life is beautiful even to a jellyfish’ — Charlie Chaplin
