If you have been feeling or dealt with it in the past, you would know how overwhelming stress can be. Work stress can be good if it motivates you to perform better but can be equally bad if it hinders your ability to perform. While a lot of factors contribute to the work stress you experience on a daily basis, the way it affects your body can show up in the form of physical, mental, and emotional health.
Depression on the other hand is a rather serious mental condition that is long-lasting and not temporary, unlike work stress. Both Depression and Stress can affect you in a similar way, but there are a couple of key differences between Stress and Depression.
– With stress you are likely to have trouble concentrating on anything you do on a daily basis- like troubled sleep, loss or gain of appetite, feeling overwhelmed all the time.
– Depression shows more intense symptoms as compared to stress which could be withdrawal from gatherings or meeting people, lack of motivation to perform even a daily task, Disturbed sleep patterns, feeling restless all the time, and feeling bad about oneself all the time, and most importantly feeling suicidal.
It’s normal to go through work stress for everyone. However, once you start feeling bad about yourself or have trouble functioning even in your personal life, here’s something you can do to overcome work-related depression…
Seek Help
The most difficult part is to accept and acknowledge depression for oneself. Once you have done that, know that you’ll be well soon and your treatment has begun. Talk to a friend or someone close. If that doesn’t seem ok, take therapy, or go for a Helpline number. You can be as open as you wish considering the person on the other side is a complete stranger and you don’t have to think about him/her judging you.
Set Goals
Depression, work-related, or not makes you lose focus. In order to keep your lifestyle as normal as possible set daily goals for yourself. Create a list for the day and make the most of the time and energy you have to accomplish those goals. Break down big projects into small steps and give yourself the much-needed break.
Don’t be a Self-critic
Be patient, and wait for the right opportunity to impress your Boss. There’s no harm analyzing a situation for yourself. Meanwhile, avoid judging yourself for any success or failure you’ve had recently at work. Comparing yourself to what any of your colleague’s accomplishments is going to do no good, because Depression or not, everybody has their own way of performing and success doesn’t come to all at the same time. Remind yourself of that and stop forcing yourself to do better.
Physical Element for Desk
There is a reason why people spruce up their work desk with greens and lights. You see, a bright green or a small lightbox simulates serotonin in your body, which results in uplifting your mood. Sit by the window and try to get as much sun rays as possible. A growing Green is a symbol of hope, hope that tomorrow there will be some growth in the plant which may not be visible usually but when looked at after a week or ten days, you’d easily notice how silently it has grown.
One of the basics of success is prioritizing what matters the most at the moment. And honestly, there’s nothing that replaces health at the top. Your mental and physical wellbeing are equally important, and aren’t they the greatest asset you possess?