How to deal with anxiety and depression at work?

Workplace is an equally important part of life as home, if not emotionally then at least in very practical terms. A person spends considerable share of one’s time at workplace or working from home. It occupies your mind sometimes throughout the day and one thinks of work even after leaving the workplace or the working desk. Talking about depression or counselling for dealing with relationships has gained popularity among common people; consulting a psychologist or taking treatment for emotional turmoil is not shied away much. However, it is not well understood how to deal with anxiety and depression at work. Also, sometimes, anxiety at workplace is not even recognized which needs to be dealt with separately.

Is work affecting your emotional health?

It is very easy that one would completely detach oneself emotionally from workplace. Those people who don’t feel peaceful at workplace try to settle on it as a harsh reality. They would wait for the whole day for end of working hours and rush home feeling freedom. Such feelings could be helpful for few days to pass through. But such feeling starts affecting your mood throughout the day and even after working hours. In the long run, this escape route can be harmful as it starts affecting you in all things you do, even in hobby activities or spending time with friends and family after office. It is important to learn how to deal with anxiety and depression at work and not escape it. There could be multiple reasons why you feel anxiety at work or why work can lead to depression in the long term:

• • dislike the work

• • not satisfied with peers

• • afraid of superiors

• • your work is undervalued

• • not able to communicate properly
  • overworked

You are skilled and stressed!!

Stress, inferiority complex, incompatibility of skills and tasks or inability to communicate or assert your opinions could be major reasons which can lead to detachment of work and emotional investment. Most common symptom is stress. It is important to understand that excess work might not lead give rise to stress in all cases. Stress or internal friction can also rise even when you are well equipped to do the work assigned. Reasons of stress could be friction in your relationship with your peers, juniors and superiors. One can recognize these reasons by noticing one-selves through the working day. Reasons of stress or friction can arise from despising work or people. When one feels to avoid something, they try to escape it by various means:

• • playing games on mobile

• • listening to music

• • eating excessively

• • taking frequent toilet breaks
  • taking multiple tea/coffee breaks

Sometimes one rushes to the washroom, pantry or documents area in situations when one finds himself or herself anxious. Most of the times one is aware of reasons of anxiety at workplace. Sometimes, it is easy to figure out the corrective measures which can be easily followed. Most of the times, one would try to escape from any kind of confrontation or dealing with the situation. If there is no self-awareness on how to deal with anxiety or eventual depression at work, it could be a better to consult a psychologist or consider therapy for anxiety and depression. A person knows himself or herself best, but therapy or consultation is important when there are situations one is not equipped to deal with. It takes no harm or esteem to ask for help. It is important for oneself to consider helping themselves.

Workplace restricts self-expression…

Lack of communication can be an important factor which keeps you divided in your mind from your work. It is a common misconception that an employee has no voice in front of his/her superiors. With the evolving culture in society and at workplace, it has become important to express oneself and keep clear communications. Infact, the overall health of an individual, a group or a team is best determined by quality of communication within the team. Efficiency at workplace also relates directly to the quality of communication among peers and across hierarchy at workplace. One who is often anxious at workplace can learn how to deal with anxiety and depression at work if one learns to communicate effectively. Any communication need not be a direct confrontation or a conflict. There are effective ways to communicate, which can be learnt to convey. It is important that one decides on the best treatment for anxiety and depression for oneself, and in need consult for therapy.

Who knows the problems best?

Friends at workplace are the most immediate remedy for any stress or anxiety as they act as our mirrors for changes in our behavior or as a communication channel for one’s problems. Friends could be very close at a workplace, but dynamics of profession might limit or restrict the strengthening of friendship. In such cases, if one is concerned on how to deal with anxiety and depression at work and not able to share with anyone; the best suggestion if to be one’s own best friend and figure out the best way. Consulting for therapy can be the best solution in some cases, it is important to reach out and ask for help.

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