How To Cope With Depression Or Anxiety At Work

Coping with an invisible illness in society is tough enough. Introduce the workplace and it's a whole new ball game. Here are the conversations to have and the strategies to cope.

By Kate Leaver

Career

Coping with an invisible illness in society is tough enough. Introduce the workplace and it's a whole new ball game. Here are the conversations to have and the strategies to cope.

By Kate Leaver

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Depression can rob you of your confidence, energy and sense of self. It can make you feel small and breakable. With similar ruthlessness, anxiety can meddle with your rationality, perspective and self-possession. Both these astoundingly common conditions can make you feel miserable, panicked and incapable. How are you meant to get through a day at work, when you’re feeling like that?

The first thing you should know, from me, is that you’re not the only person who’s felt like this. You’re not the only one who’s had a panic attack in the office bathrooms, or cried at their desk, or confided in someone beside the biscuit tin. Three million Australians live with depression or anxiety – which may be an alarming statistic but it’s also proof that you’re not alone, which might be a comfort.

If you or someone you know is seeking support and information about mental health or suicide prevention, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.