fbpx
Home / Work Life  / The biggest causes of workplace depression – and how you can prevent it

The biggest causes of workplace depression – and how you can prevent it

Causes of workplace depression

Not being suited to the role you’re in

Sure, a job may look good on paper, or perhaps it pays well, but if the individual filling that job isn’t properly suited for the role they’re assuming, it can lead to depression.

“Perhaps they have one idea of how they’d like to be living their life or a dream job they would like to pursue, but they are tied into their current role that is not fulfilling their personal needs,” says Ileana Greene, a Recruiting Manager at Australian Help.

Company and personal values don’t match up

If your own personal values clash with those of the company you work for, there could be some frustration and depression creeping in on you while you’re holding that position. There may be feelings that you’re stuck in a job, working for a company whose values you do not agree with.

Parental guilt

It may be necessary to work in order to make ends meet, while being forced to put your children in daycare and spend time away from them. The guilt associated with this can lead to depression, because many working parents feel that they should be spending more time with their children and focusing less on work.

Imbalance between work and life

Workaholics are a real thing, and many times those who are addicted to working have to miss out on many things going on in their lives. They are essentially living to work, and that’s no way to live a truly fulfilling life. Perhaps they are working long hours not because they want to necessarily, but because they are being asked to. Natasha Stenhouse, an HR Manager at Essayroo, comments: “There needs to be a balance met between work time and down time, and time allowed for individuals to pursue their own interests and hobbies.”

Feelings of being trapped

Whether it’s for financial reasons or another, some people feel that they are trapped in their current job, regardless of how stressed or depressed it is making them. They feel that, no matter how bad staying in the job makes them feel, they are tied into staying.

*****

Preventing workplace depression

It’s only when you are able to recognize that you’ve got an issue with workplace depression that you’ll be able to deal with it. Living with workplace depression is unhealthy for yourself and does nothing to help your employer and fellow employees, so the best thing to do is seek out treatment.

Mental health breaks

Sometimes what you’ve got to do is remove yourself from the workplace situation altogether. If you recognize that you are teetering on the brink of a mental health breakdown, it’s probably time to take some time off to reset yourself.

Get treatment

When you’re physically ill, chances are you go to the doctor for treatment. The same should apply to your mental health, where you are able to get the treatment you need in order to stabilize yourself and work through the issues you’re dealing with.

Getting through one day at a time

If you aren’t in a position to take some time off to recuperate, you’ll need to work through your depression while remaining in your position that’s causing this depression. “In this case, you’ll need to work through each day as it comes, setting clear short-term goals and keeping your priorities in view” – comments Timothy Baillieu, a Human Resource Psychologist at Big Assignments.

Care for your body and mind

Physical health is incredibly important to a healthy mind. Getting a good night’s sleep, eating well and staying active all play a vital role in the mental health of a person. When someone does not look after the physical needs of their body, their mind will inevitably suffer.

Taking workplace depression seriously and recognizing the signs of it are the first steps towards dealing with and overcoming it. Each job can bring with it its own related stresses, but the additional stress of feeling depressed in a job is something that no one should have to deal with.

Gloria Kopp is a digital marketing consultant and a social media manager at Academized. She regularly writes case studies for her columns at Huffingtonpost, Microsoft, Paper Fellows. Besides, Gloria is an author of Studydemic blog where she writes her educational guides for students.
Review overview