Five Tips for Coping with Depressing Jobs by Ellen Golding Psychologist

Ellen Golding, MA MFT (http://www.ellengolding.com), a Los Angeles based psychologist, uses different coping mechanisms for clients dealing with job-related depression. Health magazine recently published a study of “10 Careers with High Rates of Depression,” which ranks jobs based on how many full-time workers are likely to report an episode of major depression. While most people focus on the physical aspects of making their work place better, the mental health consequences and remedies are just as important.

Is this what you feel your job is like?

The 10 Most Depression Jobs are as follows –

• Nursing Home/child-care workers

• Food Service Staff

• Social Workers

• Health-care workers

• Artists, Entertainers, Writers

• Teachers

• Administrative Support Staff

• Maintenance & Ground Workers

• Financial advisors and accountants

• Salespeople

“Someone’s employment is one of the most personal and interconnected aspects of a person’s life – you have to deal with it daily, rely on it for income, and have to put up with office politics. It can be very hard emotionally, physically and mentally on a person’s psyche and can lead to depression,” says Golding. She added that, “Counseling can often ease the depression by giving one a venting opportunity on a regular basis and by creating personal coping techniques.” Some therapeutic tips for coping with depression in the workforce include:

• Exhaustion - Depression at your job can contribute to exhaustion. It is important to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Depression will be infinitely harder to fight if you are suffering from fatigue as well.

• Alienation - When someone is suffering from depression in the workforce, it can become easy to alienate yourself from work activities and socializing, skipping a meeting, eating lunch alone, or not attending holiday parties. It is important to understand that including yourself will help you cope with depression.

• Anxiety – Depression is often linked with anxiety. You might be anxious about a boss or a looming deadline and that anxiety is manifesting as depression. Try to isolate what is making you anxious and figure out a way to cope with it that will lessen the pain. Therapy can also help you reduce anxiety.

• Assertiveness Training – Often times depression can come from stipulations or policies set by executives or bosses at your employment that you feel are unfair. Assertiveness training can teach you the proper way to stand up for yourself and communicate forcefully without derailing your career.

• Deep Breathing, Meditation Relaxation, Exercise – Getting into an exercise routine has been found to help with depression and anxiety. Yoga and meditative breathing techniques can also help you relax before a big meeting or other stressful events.

For more information, visit www.ellengolding.com.
Ellen Golding is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has a private practice in West Los Angeles. In her practice, she provides treatment in individual and group settings for adults and adolescents using psychodynamic, ego psychotherapies and cognitive/behavioral therapy. She is also a Behavior Intervention Specialist for the Compton Unified School District, where she specializes in individual and in-group therapy for a diverse body of students. In addition, she is a part-time National University core professor and an adjunct professor at Argosy University and Ryokan College