Millions of people working full-time in the United States are currently struggling with a mental illness, making it difficult for them to feel good and do their best work. In some cases, these illnesses are debilitating – and may even help you qualify for disability benefits. In other cases, they’re simply annoying, preventing you from doing your best work.
In any case, there are steps you can take to reduce the effects of your mental illness while keeping your main focus on developing your career.
Work to Understand Your Illness
First, do everything you can to better understand your illness. Mental health is still an area where we have limited understanding. Our collective knowledge and awareness of issues like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are still in their infancy and changing all the time – so there’s always a lot to learn.
Learning about the root causes, signs, symptoms, and management strategies for your illness can help you gain control over it. You may get a better understanding of your own emotional responses to stimuli in your environment, or you may learn management tactics that help you remain focused and productive even when your mind is getting in your way. Additionally, doing more research on your condition will help you describe it to other people and communicate about your needs.
Talk to a Qualified Therapist
Almost anyone can benefit from talking to a qualified therapist, even if you’re not currently struggling with a mental illness. Talking to a therapist gives you the time and emotional space necessary to open up about the issues that are bothering you most. This is also a chance to hear an external perspective on the relative normalcy of what you’re experiencing – and get advice for how to better manage your own symptoms.
Be Willing to Take Breaks When Necessary
One of the best things you can do for your mental health is take breaks when you need them. If you feel anxious or overwhelmed, or if your symptoms are becoming hard to manage, it may be time to walk away and take a few minutes for yourself. Sometimes getting some fresh air or a bit of exercise with a walk around the block is exactly what you need to come back feeling refreshed. Additionally, as your stress from day-to-day work begins to accumulate, it’s important to take occasional vacations.
Disclose the Realities of Your Illness
If you feel comfortable doing so, consider disclosing your illness with other people in your workplace environment and explaining the steps they can take to make the environment more hospitable to you. For example, you might explain to your boss that it’s much easier to stay productive when you’re in an environment with no distractions. They may or may not comply with your requests, but when your colleagues have a better understanding of how you best work, you all can work together more productively.
Thanks to the protections under the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and subsequent modifications, it’s illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of their mental health or existing disabilities.
Go Easy on Yourself
If you’re struggling with a mental health affliction, you’re likely going to slip up from time to time. You might feel overwhelmed, or do a poor job on an important task, or make a mistake that hurts your coworkers. If and when this happens, try not to be too hard on yourself. Accepting your mistakes, learning from them, and moving on are important parts of the process.
Be Willing to Leave
Finally, be willing to leave your job if it can’t accommodate you living a healthy, productive life.
For example:
– Inflexible schedules. Are you able to take breaks if and when you need them? Can you find time to get to therapy appointments? Do you take vacations periodically? An inflexible schedule can make it hard to get the things you need.
– Lack of understanding or support. Have you talked to your boss or your coworkers about what you need for a healthy, productive environment? If you’re met with a lack of understanding or a lack of support, it can take its toll on you.
– Poor communication. How is the communication in this organization? Is everything upfront, straightforward, and clear? Or does poor communication make everything worse?
– Toxic or unsafe environments. Of course, if your work environment is utterly unsafe or if it’s toxic or abusive, it’s probably in your best interest to leave immediately.
With enough awareness and the right approach, it’s possible for almost anyone with a mild to moderate mental illness to maintain a consistent full-time job. Follow these strategies and remain as adaptable as possible to live your best life in this area.
