Is your office the culprit behind your depression?

Does your boss keep digging at you? Do you feel your peers hate you or abuse you? Are you boycotted at your workplace? If the answer is a yes to all the questions, breathe and analyse what's happening around.

Aishwarya Iyer | Updated: July 24, 2018 2:44 pm

We are living in an age where our office is our second home. We spend about a quarter of our life, staring at the screen or looking at our colleagues. There is much scope for disagreement, arguments or even a complete lack of communication. In what seems like an unfortunate turn, depression at workplace is a reality today.

Depression at workplace caused due to the stress in office or favouritism isn’t a very new concept. Most of us, have heard of it or experienced it. However, in recent times, with depression and harassment being discussed openly, we must understand how to safeguard mental peace at work.

What is depression?

Depression, also called clinical depression or major depressive disorder is more than just “feeling down” or “having the blues”. It is a feeling of persistent and pervasive sadness, which affects how you think, feel, and act. No, it is not a feeling of being lazy or uninterested. Depression is the feeling of being left out, even when there are nearly 300 people in the room. It is the feeling of emptiness inside you, so much so that you break down for no definite reason.

Is depression in the workplace a real problem?

Believe it or not, dealing with about a 100 employees almost every day for about 10-12 hours is not an easy task. Not to forget that nobody wakes up with the sole intention of harassing you. Also, everybody likes to go home and sleep in peace.

What causes depression at workplace?

“We meet a lot of people who are suffering from depression, on a daily basis. And almost half of them say they have suffered due to stress and pressure at the workplace. Deadlines, targets, the inhuman attitude among bosses or abusive seniors could be the trigger to their depression. But one should understand that their depression is caused by some other pent-up emotion while it is triggered due to conditions at the workplace,” says Dr Sagar Karia, secretary of Bombay Psychiatric Society.

But what we must understand is that depression is caused due to your fears and not the stress caused from the external circles. Here are 5 top reasons that might bother you the most:

1) Internal politics.

2) Abusive environment.

3) Sexual harassment.

4) Favouritism.

5) Bullying.

“I believe that depression setting in the workplace is due to long working hours. I meet resident doctors who work endlessly only to realize that the work is not acknowledged. One cannot work in places that lack work ethics. Time boundary is a part of ethics,” explained Dr Heena Merchant Pandit, Associate professor, Department of Psychiatry, Sion Hospital.

How could you solve this issue?

There is no denying that the above problems exist. Here are certain solutions that could help solve the depression at workplace:

Keep the lines of communication open

“One of the most important things that one must do to overcome depression is to communicate,” explained Dr Heena. Talk to your peers about what’s bothering you. A lot of times, when you sit down and talk to those working at par with you, you will realize that you are taking things in a wrong light. Break the ice with your boss or senior and ask what is their way of dealing with this problem.

– Do not compare yourself with colleagues

Deadlines are to be met, yes, but not at the cost of your mental peace. Understand that your pace of work is different from your colleagues. Don’t compare your pace with your peers. It’s not a race where you will be judged on the basis of who finishes it first, it’s about who works well.

– Maintain office timings

When you enter the office on time, make sure you leave on the designated time. “I think it’s very important to understand this point. You can’t stretch your working hours to meet your targets. You need to manage time in a way that you come and leave on time, while also fulfilling your tasks. Prioritize on what’s important. Employers must also understand that these timings are fixed by considering the mental and physical condition of the employer,” said Dr Heena.

– Say NO to abusive treatment

Always remember that abusive treatment in any form- verbal, mental or sexual is a big NO. There is no chance or reason for you to tolerate a misbehaviour. Protestor call for help whenever you feel you are being targeted unnecessarily.

Never tolerate a wrong behaviour just because you are younger to someone in terms of age, position or pay scale. Always do what’s right and make sure you strike a balance between work and personal life.

– Work-life balance

This one is especially important. We all work for monetary reasons. When you are at a workplace, work to your full potential and leave. But make sure that when you leave, you don’t carry the baggage of work at home. This is important for your psychological health. Striking this balance is very important.

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Published: July 24, 2018 1:53 pm | Updated:July 24, 2018 2:44 pm

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