How Does Depression Impact A Person's Job Performance
Depression has a nasty way of impacting every area of our lives. Suddenly, you have no motivation to participate in activities or hobbies you once enjoyed. You also have little motivation to complete household responsibilities that you know need to be done. In fact, doing the bare minimum is often all you might be able to accomplish on any given day.
Unfortunately, depression dramatically impacts somebody's ability to do any of that and so much more. It's a common mental health disorder that makes everything feel hard to get through, including a person's ability to perform well in their job.
The Impact of Depression On Careers
Being Present
Depression can impact a person's ability to be actively engaged in their work day. Physically, they are present, but mentally, they are checked out. They can get through the most important things throughout their day, but that might be it. However, they might find that they daydream quite a bit or become zoned out easily. This is known as presenteeism.
Alternatively, absenteeism is at the other end of the spectrum. Depression symptoms can be so severe that someone is physically unable to make it to work. They may call off quite frequently or go home sick regularly.
Missed Deadlines
Depression has a profound ability to impact somebody's time management skills. Depression symptoms often include a reduced ability to focus throughout the day on their tasks. Maybe they get things done, but it might take them longer to do so. Over time, being unable to focus on work results in things falling behind schedule.
Increased Mistakes
Battling depression almost always means that sleep patterns are disturbed. Sleep patterns can change by either sleeping too much or not enough. Even when you sleep too much, more mistakes will likely be made. Sleeping more than you should doesn't mean that someone is well rested. In fact, someone with depression who slept for 10 hours is likely to be just as fatigued as another person who only slept for 5.
This can further decrease a person's ability to focus and increase the chances of mistakes. While small mistakes are inevitable, over time, they will dramatically decrease someone's performance at work.
Other Ways Depression Impacts Work Performance
While those might be some of the main ways depression impacts work performance, there are many others. Someone might also experience:
Indecisiveness
Showing up late to work
Lack of confidence
Not seeming to care/indifferent
Changes in appearance
Isolating away from coworkers
How To Deal With Depression
If you are the person who is dealing with depression, know that none of this is your fault. It can be easy to blame yourself for things you see as shortcomings, especially regarding work. Depression has a horrible way of making you feel even lousier about yourself.
Take It One Day At A Time
Work isn't the only area that is likely to be affected by depression. No matter what area is impacted by depression, take it one day at a time. If you are finding that you are already overwhelmed by the amount of projects you have, set a boundary with yourself that you can't take on anything else until you get caught up. When you go to work each morning, try to tackle the most important deadlines or projects first. Then, as time allows, try to tackle some smaller tasks.
Remind yourself that you are doing your best, even if it doesn't feel like it. When depression rears its ugly head, it can make you feel as if you aren't doing enough.
Counseling
Many helpful tips for dealing with depression are holistic. They are definitely helpful, but the most natural method for dealing with depression is to reach out for support. When left untreated, depression symptoms will only worsen over time. You deserve to find happiness again at work, in your personal life, and your relationships. Reach out to learn more about depression therapy.