6 Ways Mental Health Impacts Your Career

By Erin Ford

Mental health can affect every aspect of your life: day to day functioning, social interactions, eating habits, and even hygiene. It can also have a huge impact on your career journey.

Sometimes those struggling with their mental health face challenges that others don’t. You can be more susceptible to slip-ups and breakdowns, which are likely to crop up during stressful situations, such as job-seeking and career advancements.

While I’ve faced plenty of challenges, I’ve learned many valuable lessons after overcoming them.

Problem: Job searching is especially draining.

Anyone who has gone through a difficult job search knows how exhausting it can be. The endless resume edits, redundant online applications, preliminary phone interviews, and unsuccessful interviews get to you after a while. But when you have a disease that lifts you to the highest highs before suddenly dropping you, the job search can feel like a sickening rollercoaster.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I started my job search at full force, doing everything possible all at once. At one point, I was sending out five applications a night, networking on LinkedIn, participating in three professional groups, volunteering, having informational phone calls twice a week, and working with a career advisor, all while working full-time. I felt that, at this speed, I’d find a new job in no time.

But my search was unsuccessful. And I completely crashed.

This would disappoint anyone, but when your brain is wired to regularly attack itself, it can be even more painful. I was convinced I wasn’t good enough for the jobs I wanted. No hiring manager saw me as a worthy candidate, so therefore it had to be true. I believed I was never going to make enough money or reach my full professional potential. The negative thoughts spiraled out of control, and I went from feeling capable and efficient to feeling like a failure.

Solution:

Take a break from applying for jobs. Job hunting is a challenging process, and you may need some time away in order to come back refreshed.

Even if you do everything “right,” there’s no guarantee you’ll get the job. Because of this, it’s okay to hit pause for a while. Plus, if you push yourself to the limit, you won’t be mentally prepared to start the new job once you get it.

Lastly, just because your hard work isn’t paying off, that doesn’t reflect directly on you and your worth as a human being. You are so much more than your job.

Problem: You overextend yourself, resulting in burnout

Those who experience hypomanic or manic episodes can become really motivated and excited by new career opportunities.

During my first major job search, I was in an up state because of the excitement of a new career. This caused me to take on too many responsibilities at once and spread myself thin. All of these obligations seemed manageable at first, but eventually, things fell apart.

Once you do have a job, there’s a good chance you’ll want to do everything you can to grow your career. I joined professional organizations and started networking nonstop. I mentored interns because I was truly passionate about that, and took on an awesome side hustle all within the span of a few months. This was all on top of my full-time job, weekly workout classes, babysitting gigs, and some volunteer work for good measure.

I relished the feeling of being busy, but slowly things started to crumble. I was always exhausted, barely able to manage my responsibilities, and started skipping out on things I signed up for.

Solution:

Slow. It. Down. Looking back, I can’t believe how much I was juggling. Sometimes, those with a mental illness will fill their schedule to avoid the thoughts and worries that keep them up at night. This isn’t healthy, nor is it sustainable.

Since this experience, I’ve learned to loosen the throttle because not everything has to be full speed ahead. Now, when I find activities I’m interested in, I pursue one at a time. I don’t need to take advantage of every single opportunity that comes my way. I learned the value of free time and how it benefits my mental health. While you might be on a high for some time, it doesn’t last forever. So do one thing at a time.

Problem: Sometimes you’re simply unable to accomplish much.

Everyone under the sun has experienced bad days and extended periods when we feel “off.” This isn’t limited to those with a diagnosis. But for some, these “funks” are actually depressive episodes, which last longer and hurt more deeply. This causes you to not able to perform at your full capacity.

I experienced this firsthand. During a months-long depressive episode, I tried to get work done but ended up staring blankly at my computer screen. I couldn’t even muster up the willpower to leave my desk. I was in one of the deepest depressions of my life, and it significantly impacted my professional life.

Solution:

Don’t judge yourself for not being able to perform. Go easy on yourself and keep trying to make it through. I did my best by showing up every day, being honest with co-workers about how I was feeling, and even telling my bosses about my struggle.

Next week we conclude on the ways mental health impact your career

Author Bio

Erin is a travel writer for Hotels4Teams, a hotel booking company. She is passionate about writing on the topics of careers, wellness, and mental health

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect all or some of our beliefs and policy.  Any links on this page do not necessarily mean they have been endorsed by Defying Mental Illness

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