A Guide to Workplace Depression: What is it & How to Deal With it

Workplace depression is more common than you might think and if you’re feeling depressed at work, you aren’t alone. Depression at work can impact your daily life and can create a negative mindset in every aspect of your life. On top of this, it can decrease your motivation for your job role and create anxiety every day.

Discover what it is and how you can deal with it, as well as how businesses can help, in this informative guide to workplace depression. Find out how your job can affect your mental health and wellbeing and how you can help get out of this negative mind frame.

What is workplace depression?

Your job is a huge and important part of your life and can bring lots of positive impacts on your health and wellbeing. Jobs can give you a sense of purpose, a regular daily routine, broaden your social connections, allow you to challenge yourself, and give you financial security.

However, work can also be a stressful place which can negatively impact your mental health. If you have depression, it can be difficult to perform your tasks and it can feel hard to turn up for work. This is known as workplace depression where you can feel dread every day and feel upset about the thought of working and going into the workplace.

 The signs of depression at work

There are many signs of workplace depression that can impact your daily life. These signs can make you struggle to concentrate, find it difficult to make decisions or make you become more irritable with colleagues and customers.

• Feeling withdrawn
• Feeling negative about work
• Can’t stop thinking about work
• Low energy
• Feeling like you don’t want to go to work
• Increase absence and sick days
• Crying at work
• Loss of interest in tasks
• Loss of concentration
• Headaches, fatigue & upset stomach
• Feeling hopeless
• Boredom
• Can’t sleep.

Why are you depressed at work?

There are multiple reasons why you may be depressed at work, and these can vary for different people. However, there are a few common themes that can cause and trigger workplace depression. These are:

• Feeling like your job is in jeopardy
• Being overworked or underpaid
• Working irregular hours
• Experiencing poor or unsafe working conditions
• Having no control over issues at work
• Being in a toxic environment
• Not having the chance to grow your career
• Experiencing discrimination or harassment.

How to cope if you are experiencing workplace depression

Having workplace depression can be difficult but it is imperative that you let your employer know if you are suffering from it. Doing this allows your employer to support you and make changes so you can work well and improve your mental health. As well as this, it can be ideal to open up to your colleagues as depression isn’t a visible condition. This will help them understand how it affects you and they can support you when signs are showing.

• Research tools to help you and if you are still struggling, seek guidance from a counsellor or therapist. Some activities you can do to help you when signs are prevalent are:
  
  Have a lunch break and go outside
• Practice a few minutes of mindfulness meditation
• Take a 10-minute break away from your desk or office
• Take a mental health day
• Go for a quick walk during a break
• Say no to one little task to reduce stress in your day
• Watch a funny video
• Try some deep breathing exercises in your day.

How businesses can help employees with depression

Businesses can aid employees who are struggling with depression in various ways. It is ideal to find out about someone’s struggles early on to avoid adding to their negative emotions through investigations of the employee’s work performance. It is best to set a work environment where employees feel safe and empowered to report their mental health struggles, feeling like they can be open and honest with their employer. They need to know that they will be supported and there will be reasonable accommodations for them to help them work to their full potential while reducing their stress and mental state.

There are multiple options to be able to do this for your employees such as:

Learn about the disorder:

Usually, an employee will come to you, or their colleagues will come to you, to notify you that they are struggling with depression, instead of going to HR. Because of this, it is best to be prepared beforehand for this situation. Research about depression and workplace depression and learn the signs so you can spot them in case an employee doesn’t come forward. Knowing about the disorder and the signs allows you to foresee the kind of work performance issues that will arise and what you can do to help them.

Give a flexible work schedule:

Mostly, a normal work schedule requires employees to come into the workplace every day and work nine to five. But if an employee has depression, it may be difficult for them to meet this requirement. Give the employee some leeway and allow them to come into the office later in the day or give them a hybrid working option. This is because depression can involve oversleeping as they can struggle to fall asleep.

Figure out their needs:

Have a conversation with the employee who is suffering from depression about how work makes them feel and what they need. Work could be stressing them out as there’s too much to do or they may feel like their pay isn’t reflective of their time and effort. Simple measurements such as reducing workloads, simplifying tasks and allowing for a pay review can help to combat these types of issues. You can lighten their load and reward them for their efforts to help reduce their negative headspace.

Be more positive and less critical

Those who suffer from depression can be very self-critical and hard on themselves. Instead of constantly highlighting their failures, try supporting them and celebrating those moments of achievement, no matter how small they are. Give them verbal praise when due and take a nicer approach to criticism when needed, thinking of different ways to word your criticism. Doing this helps to boost motivation for employees with depression and can help to take them out of that critical mind frame.

Ensure to avoid making it worse by knowing the employee’s strengths and allowing them to work to their strengths in the tasks they do. If they feel like the tasks are made for them, they will be more inclined to view the task as important, do them quicker and feel a sense of validation in the workplace.

Experiencing workplace depression can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. Spotting the crucial signs within yourself or others is the first step to getting help and changing negative emotions. If you are feeling depressed at work, reach out to your employee and seek assistance to help you, otherwise, it will only get worse. Remember that you are not alone and there is professional help you can get if needed through doctors or a mental health professional.