Mental health has been one of the most talked-about subjects in the last couple of years. A person can suffer from mental health issues in any period of their life, which cannot be overlooked anymore.
Working makes a person productive, which is good for mental health. It distracts people from other problems in life as they are kept busy. However, with anything good, bad things also follow.
Working too much can also take a toll on your mental health. When a person is too focused on their career, they often fail to take a breather and look after themselves.
This article will discuss how work pressure can affect your mental health. So, keep reading.
Why is mental health awareness critical?
People should be made aware of mental health problems in the workplace not to fall prey to their fangs. Mental health issues all seem normal until you become too late to realize how bad it has affected you.
Take the case of Samantha Quick (who recently exposed the harsh environments of girlboss culture on her medium article) who first started working as a Resident Director just at the age of 21. She was a very young lady who was still going to college when she landed this job.
It was her first job, and she mixed up both work and college life, being career-oriented. She had waited for that opportunity for almost two years, and she couldn’t turn it down when she was offered the chance. As years passed, she learned that she was getting sucked into a life full of anxiety and self-doubt.
That’s what work pressure can do to someone who is not aware of the limits one should keep to remain mentally healthy. There are millions of people like Samantha in this world who have gone through the rough waters of mental health. This is why it is essential to have programs and seminars in workplaces to make workers aware of mental health issues.
Awareness will help people confront their fears or mental health issues earlier and might make people open up to their loved ones or psychiatrists.
There have been many cases in the corporate world, especially, where workers have taken their lives because of excessive work pressure. The demands of the corporate world are just too high and intense that the typical employee hardly has any time to look after their mental health.
Office environments can also be toxic and discriminatory for certain types of people. There have been instances where some employees have been socially excluded in the office by their colleagues, making them feel insecure. This increases their level of anxiety and also lowers work productivity.
What are some of the symptoms of bad mental health?
You might find yourself not as enthusiastic about work as when you first joined, or maybe you have sleepless nights, affecting your work productivity. Many symptoms point to bad mental health, and it is essential to know about them so that you do not go in too deep.
Your mental illness can depend on the situations and factors which can impact emotions, thoughts, and behavioral patterns.
- Low Productivity at Work
One of the most common symptoms is low productivity. When you feel you are not performing as well as you used to, you must reflect on what might be causing that problem.
There are various factors involved as to why you are facing this issue. It might be because of a sudden change in confidence because of some incidents where your mind subconsciously got impacted, or something personal happened at home or in your life outside work.
- Loss of Concentration
When your mind is filled with confusing thoughts other than work, you might be showing symptoms of mental illness. Those thoughts can lead to procrastination and affect your focus.
The human brain has multiple areas that help create and retrieve memories. The speed at which you process that information can signify depression.
There is a fine line between losing focus in normal circumstances and losing focus when you are depressed. When one is depressed, there will be more signs of a lack of concentration in your work-life.
This directly impacts your work as you will not be able to perform the work handed to you. Your comprehension becomes very minimal, and the loss of focus makes you ineffective in the task at hand.
- Regular Mood Swings
When you are depressed, you will feel annoyed at every little thing that seems inconvenient to you. When you find yourself snapping at your colleagues or customers for minor flaws, you should consider reflecting on your level of happiness.
One minute you will be normal, and the next minute you are completely out of control, throwing fits and angry expressions.
- Becoming Anti-Social
If you find yourself distancing from friends and colleagues regularly, you may be going through depression. People who are happy in life are usually more outgoing and friendly.
This can affect your work-life as withdrawing from office activities, colleagues, and friends are but symptoms of being insecure and distrustful.
How to tackle depression?
The best way to tackle depression is to open up about your problems to your loved ones. The more you open up, you will feel that some weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
Communication is vital when going through difficult periods in our lives, and there is none better than sharing it with a family member or loved ones. In the workplace, you can talk to anyone close to you.
If you feel that is not helping, the best option is to see an expert on mental health. They are the best people who can pinpoint exactly what is wrong with you.
The point about talking to a loved one also helps here as most people with depression find it difficult to approach professionals too. Communicating about your problems with people close to you will ensure that they will undoubtedly get all the help you need to recover from your depressed state, meaning they will even find the best mental health experts for you.
There are many types of depression caused by different circumstances and factors, meaning there are different formulas to treat those disorders. There is no single way to cure mental health illness. It takes time and a lot of effort and opening up.
So, if you are someone out there going through depression, don’t worry too much about it. Find all the help you need and get out of that state, as it will only hamper your health the more you keep things to yourselves.
Being happy is all that matters, and if your workplace is toxic, you should consider taking a break from work or changing companies. Do not compromise your happiness for a career that can destroy your whole life in seconds.
Remember that you are not alone, and many people and organizations are willing to help you become your best self.
