Final Draft

Bryce Bradshaw

English IA

10/8/19

Exposing Workplace Depression

Dear Workers,

Do you find joy in your job? Does your boss appreciate the work you do for them? Have you ever felt like the work you do makes a difference? Some of you maybe asking yourself what does all this have to do with workplace depression and that is a fair question to ask but have you considered that depression in the workplace is more than just your typical sadness. You will learn how prevalent depression is and you will also learn how you can cope with that depression and hopefully in the end you will be beat depression coming out a better and more satisfied person.

In the book “Lost Connections” by Johann Hari, he states that “A common symptom of depression is something called “derealization”-which is where you feel like nothing you are doing is authentic or real”(Hari 64). This is one factor behind working depressed, the work you are doing has no meaning or authenticity behind it. Imagine yourself going to work at a company or organization where your voice matters. Your input on ideas is welcomed and appreciated. Now compare that to a job where you stand at a cash register and take orders and then do the same thing over and over again, day after day. You would probably be depressed too, which make this cause a common occurrence in the workspace. Workers feel like their work has no meaning and that can be detrimental to their mental health.  

You probably know just from common knowledge that depression is not a good thing and you would be correct in that assessment but workplace depression is not just a small part of the overall people who are depressed, in fact in one Huffington Post article titled “How To Cope With Depression At Work” it is said that “According to Mental Health America, one in 20 workers is experiencing depression at any given time”(Esposito). This statistic just goes to show that no matter where somebody decides to work, there is someone who is experiencing depression. The depression they maybe facing may cause them to devalue themselves leading to dark thoughts or it might cause them to lose their sense of will making everything seem pointless. Maybe next time when you are at that McDonald’s and your order takes too long and the worker there forgot the condiments, you will think twice about whether or not you will berate them. Maybe that one yell could push the over the edge. 

It sometimes seems that there is no fix for workplace depression and it may seem that way at first. However reader do not despair, for there are ways workers and bosses can fight against depression in the workplace. In the Huffington Post article the author Lisa Esposito writes that “‘When you’re at a crossroads in terms of your mental health, you need to really say, ‘OK, I’m going to ask for five days off,’” Aimee says. ‘That might mean the difference between me not having a mental health breakdown, or needing to take additional time off.’”(Esposito). Workers should not be afraid to ask for a break sometimes. Breaks allow the mind and body to cool off and decompress because if they can not or will not that stress can harm their body. Stress weakens the body’s immune system and places unneeded pressure on vital organs such as the heart. Why stress when you can get some rest.

In conclusion working depressed is common but one should not fret.You not the only person who feels this way. There are people out there who are struggling with you. Remember that although it may feel like you do not have power over your work, you do, and the first step to that is being in control of your mind and body. Take time for yourself, treat yourself to a nice trip or gift just for you because ultimately what matters most is you and you alone.

Take Care, 

Your Fellow Worker

Works Cited

Esposito, Lisa. “How To Cope With Depression At Work.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 16 Sept. 2014, http://www.huffpost.com/entry/work-and-depression_n_5823534?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAPw5dyOAdIRd56EFYmkbmVzGbV-13Fiq4jznWTvcMCvOVXBw_xX5KtxG2a7iCL6xZUebE2fb56tfaOQSR7jhjasA_YDvApYMhPNh74MCpk-hKjFQ8U3vOOKf4ILwrYsG3jlKHyYbpcYEzEuGCK892HZWd-edH204j9Ue1l5wJ9v.

Hari, Johann. “Lost Connections.” Lost Connections, Bloomsbury, 2019, pp. 64–64.