Struggling With Depression? This Is How to Stay Motivated at Work
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Struggling With Depression? This Is How to Stay Motivated at Work
Did you know that around 17.3 million Americans suffer from a major depressive disorder?
Depression affects both disabled and able-bodied people and can even be viewed as a disability in its own right. It's a mental health disorder that is incredibly difficult to live with - but it can be done! If you suffer from depression, life doesn't have to be immediately out of bounds.
You can have relationships, you can have children, and you can have fun! You just need the right help and support to make sure you get there. One of the toughest challenges you face might be holding down a job, but with some expert advice and personal tips, you can do it.
Take a look at our guide on how to stay motivated at work when you have depression and start taking back control of your life.
Be Open About Your Depression
There's nothing more demotivating than having to hide the illness you're suffering from. If you're having a bad day, knowing you have to go to work and act okay can be enough to stop you from going in at all. Hopefully, you are not alone. You have your support person or people. Someone you can connect with before work to let them know how you are doing on that particular day. Someone who can give you an emotional boost. Sometimes just knowing you have the person or people will make your day easier.
Depending on how you feel about it, when you start a job, you may want to be honest with your boss about your depression. Of course, that is entirely up to you. If you decide to do so, discuss what you might need to do if you're having a bad day, such as leaving for a walk or ringing your therapist in the middle of a workday, and make sure your boss on board with it. You may be surprised with how understanding he/she!
It could also be good to point out to your boss that you'll be happy to make up time lost when you're off on a walk or a phone call. Make sure they know you're determined and willing, you just may have to be a little more flexible with your hours.
Keep a To-Do List
When it comes to staying motivated, keeping a daily to-do list is essential! Create your to-do list with all of your work tasks and when they're due, and keep this on your desk. Know that for every task you tick off, you're one step closer to getting everything you need to do done on a day you're not feeling good, and that's a massive achievement.
If you struggle to stick to your own to-do lists, maybe enlist a co-worker to share it with him/her . You could even swap to-do lists and check in with each other throughout the day to tick tasks off and hold each other accountable. You do not need to disclose to your co-worker anything about depression, just enlist them for accountability purposes. Remember to reward yourself when you get things done, too.
Start Your Day Right
When it comes to work motivation, starting your morning positively can have a huge impact on the rest of your day. Some people with depression find meditation useful, for example. By taking that moment of quiet and repeating some affirmations to yourself, you can help create a more positive mindset for the day and rid yourself of negative thoughts.
Or, perhaps starting your day off with some light exercise could be what you need. Consider taking time for a quick job or buy an exercise bike so that you can have a 10-minute cycle in the morning. Exercise has been proven to increase serotonin and can help you feel happier and less stressed.
Practice Grounding Techniques
When it comes to how to be motivated at work when you're starting to feel low, grounding techniques are very helpful. These are especially good if you have anxiety alongside your depression.
Grounding techniques are different for everyone, and you may have some you already use. If not, speak to your therapist about some good grounding techniques, or try some of these examples:
- Touch something textured - like a cushion - and say positive affirmations
- Close your eyes and repeat I am here, I am safe
- Look around and spot everything in a certain group, like everything that's red
These can help bring your back to the present, help get your feelings under control, and help you feel more motivated even when you're having a tough day.
Get Outside
Staying in a dark office all day definitely isn't good for your mental health and can really impact your motivation. So, try and get outside on your lunch break for a little walk. Find a peaceful spot, like a park, or somewhere that's full of people if that's something that makes you feel more grounded, and just get out and away from your work for a little.
Keep Working Through
When it comes to motivational tips when you have depression, keeping stress to a minimum is a must. Stress can be a huge trigger for depression, causing feelings of low self-worth and other negative thought patterns. But, stress at work is unavoidable, right?
In some ways it is, and you have to learn to mitigate and cope with it. The best way to do this is by simply carrying on. If your work is piling up or you've had negative feedback, affirm to yourself that you can do this. That you just need to keep going and know that you can work through this.
Once you start doing this, you can use it in the future to reduce stress and stay motivated. When a stressful situation occurs, you can say to yourself Do you remember when you felt this way before and you managed to get through it? and know you can do it again. While stress is unavoidable sometimes, how you deal with it can have a huge effect on your motivation.
Learning How to Stay Motivated at Work is Hard
There's no denying that working on how to stay motivated at work when you have depression is tough, but it can be done. Of those 17.3 million people in America with depression, you can guarantee that a huge chunk of them will be working! Just remember these tips and keep going, even when you feel like you can't.
If you have depression or a disability, finding a job that's suitable is a great way to give you a head start on your journey. Be sure to check out the jobs on our board to find one that's perfect for you.