How to Get a Job with Anxiety and Depression? (+5 Expert Tips)

In this guide, we will discuss Getting a job with anxiety and depression.

Also, we will see some experiences from people who have been in your situation and how they managed to keep going and pursuing their ultimate goal.

Getting a job with anxiety and depression

If you have been thinking about getting a job with anxiety and depression, it might be because you either are searching for advice on how to succeed at job hunting and getting a job or you have tried already and nothing seems to have worked so far.

Getting a job with anxiety could be challenging depending on the severity of your symptoms but it is of course very possible.

Keeping a job with anxiety appears to be more of a challenge and an even bigger challenge for those who may have to relocate and move homes in order to find new jobs, especially if they suffer from anxiety when moving.

Moreover, it is very admirable of you to even consider the search because just being depressed can prevent you from doing anything, no matter how little (i.e. getting out of bed).  

Living with both anxiety and depression can have a major impact on your life. Moreover, after getting a job, it may become challenging to maintain it.

Moreover, people may turn down opportunities (i.e. a promotion) because they may involve public speaking or traveling.

They could also avoid as much as they can any office parties, staff lunches, or meetings with other colleagues.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America indicated in their national survey on anxiety in the workplace how “people with anxiety disorders commonly cited these as difficult situations: dealing with problems; setting and meeting deadlines; maintaining personal relationships; managing staff; participating in meetings, and making presentations.”

Therefore, other than learning on how to find jobs with anxiety and depression, one should also learn on how to control their anxiety when at their workplace, for example in meetings.

In contrast, when getting a job with anxiety and depression you are not obliged to tell your future employer about any disabilities but they may ask them when you fill out your application.

However, by no means, they are able to discriminate against you due to having anxiety and depression since you are being protected by the Equality Act.

Is it easy to get a job?

It is as easy as you consider it would be and if you are familiar with it you know what it really feels like and what it takes.

Sometimes it is even difficult for someone without anxiety or depression so keep trying.

However, if this is the first time you have been trying for a while, don’t be discouraged since this only means you have to re-evaluate what you are doing. 

Let’s see the case of Kate Kemp, who lost her job as a creative director in NY due to corporate restructuring and she explains how after 5 days of unemployment, a new plan was set in motion to get a new job, was it easy? Most likely it wasn’t but she still tried:

“Dealing with depression and anxiety on a normal day is hard. Dealing with these mind-jacking jerkwads just five days after an angry post-layoff cry in Times Square is approximately 26.4 billion times harder. I knew I needed to redirect this pity party energy into job-hunting energy. Luckily, I was very familiar with the ‘avoid the downward spiral’ drill.”

In addition, she explains how “Anxiety tells me I need to have every single answer to every single question figured out before anyone even asks. So, I put together a web-based spreadsheet that tracked every job lead along with the primary contact’s info, our last date of communication, and all the notes on what we’d talked about so far. I also kept folders for every lead-containing all the homework I’d done on the company, every email I’d sent/received, and any notable industry news stories that might add to interview conversations.”

Where do I start if I don’t really feel well? 

Take it easy, job hunting, and struggling with your mental health can be so overwhelming and demoralizing.

Also, it is difficult to smile and pretend like nothing is happening while looking for job posts, writing Cover Letters, and preparing for interviews.

However, even if you feel you are swimming against the current and you better give up, think twice because there are really several tips and strategies to help you find your ideal job.

According to Bethany Biron from Talkspace, here are the recommended tips she used when applying for jobs when she was depressed.

TIP 1: Take a break

If you have recently been laid off from a job that wasn’t exactly your dream or ideal job, take some time for yourself before you jump into filling out all the applications and starting to go to interviews.

If you have the option and means to take vacations do it, otherwise, just take the weekend off to rest. 

Do something you haven’t done while working because you really didn’t have the time or simply watch your favorite movie or spend some time with friends.

Anything you feel like can really help you relax and take your mind off stressful situations. This will allow you to go back to job hunting with a fresh mindset.

TIP 2: Remember this is temporary

A job transition is completely normal and if you have been laid off, it is also normal you may be feeling sad, depressed, frustrated, confused, etc.

However, consider this is part of life and should not be how you will not be jobless forever.

After taking some time for yourself, take a mental step back and see it from a different perspective.

Try to think about the positive aspects of how much you have progressed and what steps you took to take you there.

“While it’s hard to not dwell on the negatives of the process, think about how you’ve overcome setbacks in the past and use that to your advantage. Sit down and actually write out your strongest skills and the career highlights you’re most proud of, to remember where you really shine.”

TIP 3: You are not alone

Are you familiar with the feeling of being completely on our own?, How no one really seems to care about our struggle or how we are feeling?

This is not necessarily true, we tend to feel like this and isolate ourselves.

Talk to a friend and explain how you are feeling, going through this process alone is completely different from walking through it with someone supporting you.

Moreover, try to avoid social networks while you are job hunting and going to interviews because each time you don’t get the job, you will start to compare your life with the lives of others around you, feeling worse

TIP 4: Set a routine and follow it

When you have a stable job you also have a stable and fixed routine but when this routine is disrupted because of a lack of work for example, then it is easy to be more flexible and change your patterns.

You may start going to sleep late or sleep the whole day, change your eating habits, and not even wanting to get out of your house.

As Bethany recommends, “In my experience, continuing to get up at a reasonable hour, putting on clothes that aren’t sweatpants and getting out of my apartment helps me feel less melancholic when on the job hunt. If you work better from home, aim to schedule a social outing, networking event, or workout class so you can get out of the house and get some air, even if just for an hour.”

TIP 5: Change your habits to take care of yourself

If you realize you are eating poorly, mostly junk food or no food at all, try to turn it around by eating well and healthy.

In addition, try to add some exercises to your routine and try to go to sleep at the same hour (early but not too early) so you get enough sleep.

This is extremely important when you are job hunting.

Try to get help from someone else if it becomes too overwhelming or you really feel you can’t do things on your own.

Moreover, if you are receiving treatment make sure to attend your sessions, or if you have been considering going for a while, this will be a good time to do it.

Why is this blog about Getting a job with anxiety and depression important?

As we have discussed, getting a job with anxiety and depression is not an easy task but it all depends on you really.

Coping with changes or a transition, especially if you have been laid off or you were really tired of your toxic type of job, it is never easy but not impossible.

If you’re a nurse and you have anxiety, check the Best Jobs for Nurses with Anxiety.

It is just a matter of changing your mindset and adopting the right strategies to help you cope with it.

We get how difficult it can be and how many times you can think about giving up but if that is the case, try to get someone to help you during this process, either a friend, a relative or a therapist.

Here we list the best objects for anxiety, including smartwatchs as FitBit, singing bowls, and other things to buy for anxiety.

Remember, you are never alone!

Please feel free to leave any comments or thoughts about the content of this article!

BetterHelp: A Better Alternative

Those who are seeking therapy online may also be interested in BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers plenty of formats of therapy, ranging from live chats, live audio sessions and live video sessions. In addition, unlimited messaging through texting, audio messages and even video messages are available here.

BetterHelp also offers couples therapy and therapy for teenagers in its platform. Furthermore, group sessions can also be found in this platform, covering more than twenty different topics related to mental health and mental illness. The pricing of BetterHelp is also pretty cost-effective, especially considering the fact that the platform offers financial aid to most users.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Getting a job with anxiety and depression

References 

Biron, B. (2019, Mar.) 6 Tips for Applying for Jobs When You’re Depressed. Retrieved from talkspace.com.

Kemp, K. (n.d.) Unemployed? Hire anxiety and depression as your personal assistants. Retrieved from Monster.com.

Adaa.org: “Anxiety and Stress in the Workplace”