Has your mental health affected your work and how?

Stuti Agarwal
46 replies
Does your metal health affect your work adversely, does it make you more high functioning, and how do you cope with it?

Replies

Mayank Gupta
Seriously, it depends on what kind of mental health I am in. If I feel peer pressure and need to complete a work on time, my mind freezes and does not respond to anything except work. When I am feeling emotionally low, I can not work, just can't. I need to lie down and not do anything or just listen to music. I mange it by communicating it to my team and finding anyone to talk to about any random thing which makes me feel good. Or the best is talking to my mom.
Mrinalini Rabindranath
It was only during the pandemic that I started to struggle with mental health issues. I almost lost a job because of it and had to take a month off simply because I was unable to physically get out of bed, let alone work. In the next job however, it was easier to bring myself to work because it was a job that I enjoyed doing. I still struggled with it but now instead of punishing myself for not being productive (which only made things worse), I started rewarding myself for whenever I got work done (regardless of how little it was) and it has improved my mental health and productivity drastically. Celebrating the smallest victories like getting out of bed, or having breakfast is how I got myself to this point today.
Stuti Agarwal
@mrinalini_r Celebrating small victories is exactly what works I think. I'm so happy you're able to do it! Here's to celebrating your self-awareness and articulation!
Himanshi
Whenever I feel a lack of control over my mental health, I try to over-compensate for it through my work, cleaning my room, planning ahead of all possibilities. I usually push myself too hard to not let it affect my work but it gets exhausting. I still struggle with it but now I take my weekends off and try to sit with my thoughts and impulses, do something that brings joy and not a tick to my to-do list.
Varsha Anil
It was something I hadn't paid much attention to until recently. My mental health has affected my work. It is easier to be productive when you are working in an office environment when you are working with a team as it helps improve morale and human interaction helps you think better. Staying at home within a closed environment makes it harder to be productive and takes a toll on your mental health drastically. This is followed by self-doubt, questioning your abilities and skills, lack of energy inspite of having had good sleep. It might not always be possible to convey this to your team and the people you work with, which makes you feel like you aren't able to put in the bare minimum effort which in turn affects your mental health. To help cope with this I am learning to not be so hard on myself and give myself credit when I make small efforts and complete small tasks.
Stuti Agarwal
@varshaanil Same! The cycle you mention of anxiety-lack of effort-anxiety over that is absolutely ensnaring. And it's taken a while and still learning on how to give credit to self. Conditioning wins so often. I'm glad you're identifying this though.
Shiva Prabhakaran
I have had to quit multiple jobs due to my depression and Pure OCD. It didn't make my high functioning, in fact most days I would sit in my desk crippled with anxiety and fear of impending doom. I've learned to manage it better in the last 3 years with CBT and increased medication dosage. There are no hacks, at least not in this case.
Stuti Agarwal
@killshiva I'm so glad for you. You're right. I gave up looking for hacks long ago. Consistent therapy helps. Actually, reading has been great for me. And also, actually creative output. Because most days I'm more crippled by the pressure I put on myself.
Victoria Taylor
We made an app (Therappy) for people on remote work when the COVID craze set in a year ago. It helps better cope with anxiety, stress, and other mental health. My team launched Therappy on PH. I think it could be interesting in this discussion :) https://www.producthunt.com/post...
Nursena İşler
A healthy mind is more efficient. Moreover, we cannot ignore the contribution of the peaceful working environment to efficiency. Concepts such as fear, restlessness, unwillingness, and unhappiness cause failure. I recommend meditation to protect our mental health!
Chandan Das
I always try to live in present and try to fit my mind with yoga or exersise and with healthy and positive brain when i work i get positive output
Amsayli Stefananc
I actually find that work affects my mental health and not the other way round. When I have a toxic work environment or too much pressure or work stress my mental health deteriorates. It definitely affects how I work when that Happens.
alfredo
I have cyclothimia and honestly it really does. I have two periods a year where I'm basically unstoppable and willing to take on anything. Then two were it takes all my discipline to get to the office without being in disarray. I gotten very disciplined and found coping mechanisms to deal with both sides. With that said on my UP I have def overcommitted to things that my down personality can't actually fulfill and it took me at least one quitting on shame till I learned how to reset expectations.
Stuti Agarwal
@theavatare The highs and lows! Of course. What are the coping mechanisms that have worked for you?
Rick Turoczy
Thanks so much for posing this question!
Rashmi Gupta
So far the work was impacting the stress level and I was using tactics to manage that like running etc..but this time, Covid-19 situation in my country making me stressful thus impacting the work .
Raghav Goyal
Everyday. Few know I have developed anxiety issues which have not subsided since a while now. It reduces efficiency of work drastically. How I'm coping? Learning to let go, meditation at times, but honestly the only thing that has improved my condition is anti anxiety pills. Not sure about the cause of it as yet, but I'm excited to see how it slowly subsides and I never have to experience it again! Its okay to take medication, no one should look down upon it :)
Stuti Agarwal
@rg97 Thank you for sharing. I agree, medication for your mental health is never something one should be judged for. And I’m glad it’s helping.
Grisel Dugarte
Oh yes it is so correlated!! I tried to take some time for me before going to the office, don't leave myself on 3rd, 4th position, because then the consequences are even worst, taking that time of relax/reading makes the difference and affects my general mood and then my efficiency!
Sahaj Patel
Quarantine has made most us focus on mental health and ergo realize we have a lack of mental health awareness. Ive become very aware and just as I physically exercise my body I mentally exercise my mind (mediatation, yoga, etc.)
Stas Voronov
In my opinion, this is a necessary foundation in intellectual and creative work. If the foundations of your home are leaking, your walls can be blown away by the first wind. The same will happen with your soft and hard skills if your mental health is at zero
Jim Zhou
I think this is a particularly difficult question to answer in the sense that I don't have a frame of reference working without it. My mental health issues weren't borne out of COVID and isolation but more long-term and harder to treat stuff, and while I'm sure I'd be different without it it's also more or less unimaginable to not have the conditions. So it's somewhat like asking me about physical pain. I can tell you that I experience it, but to what degree and whether you understand it in the same way I do, I very much doubt, and don't have a way to find out. So to answer your question: yes it almost certainly affects my work, and I have no clue how.
Stuti Agarwal
@jim_zhou thank you for sharing. I have had a similar experience and would articulate my journey the same way.