How to deal with work depression

Read this interesting article about dealing with work depression, and I thought I would share some of it with you.

The word ‘depression’ especially when associated with work is often considered something of a taboo subject – you don’t even want to admit to being depressed in case it impacts on your future job prospects.

Here are some suggested techniques to manage that depression about your work:

• Consider if you really need to leave your job, without a new job to go to, or whether you can use the power of your mind and the hints below to overcome your depression. Why? Not working may add to your depression because of the acute anxiety you feel when you think about how you are going to pay off your next phone, electric, and mortgage bill without a regular salary.
• Relaxation techniques? When you feel yourself getting stressed at work, or the amount of work you have left to do threatens to overwhelm you, make sure you relax your shoulders to relieve some of that tension. Take deep breaths: counting to four as you inhale and to four again as you exhale.
• Commit to some time (at the very least the weekends) where you don’t check your emails. In a recent survey commissioned by Support.com 40 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds said they couldn’t cope without their cell phone, yet the same students reported less stress when they stopped using them for three days.
•  Consider making your office environment, whether it is at home or in the office, a nicer place  to work. If at all possible, it is important to have access to natural light. You could also try putting a nice plant on your desk, or some personal photos (a recent study says that looking at pictures of loved ones reduced pain).  And I know it is easier said than done, but keeping your desk clean and tidy will really help too
• Make sure you take holidays from work. Now that is a good recommendation! And it doesn’t mean you need to take expensive holidays abroad, you can even just stay at home and enjoy pottering in the garden or going for walks in the countryside. The important thing is to have that break from work. Vacations protect us from job burnout. Often times we emerge from a break with a new perspective that can help us navigate through the maze of impending deadlines. At the Mind Clinic, we can help you use the power of your mind, your own willpower, to overcome depression. Here at the Mind Clinic we say, you should not feel worried or guilty for feeling depressed about work. Depression is a normal cycle in human nature.

   Rather than worry about the label ‘depression at work’ you should understand it. We teach about depression through a combination of guidance and counselling. Unlike what it is perceived to be, depression is not a mental illness. Depression is a situation where balance needs to be restored to your emotions.

   So we would say that if you are feeling depressed at work, the first thing is to understand what your depression is, and why you are feeling it. Then you can use the power of your mind, and the steps above, to overcome it.

Tags: conditions, depresssion, MindClinic, power of the mind, relaxation techniques, understanding depression, willpower, work depression