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Is The Work From Home Reality The Best Option For People With Mental Health Conditions?

In the past, the only way to have a career was to have a job. There wasn’t much thought given to other options. But with the Internet becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives and technology permitting people to work from home, an increasing number of employers seem open to hiring someone who telecommutes instead of hiring them in-office. With this new freedom for workers, it begs the question: is working from home without others around worse for people with mental health conditions?

Can It Actually Be Better To Work From Home?

Because mental health conditions are still highly stigmatized, it can be hard to discuss them openly. Many people with these conditions don’t want other people to think they’re “crazy” or unproductive. This leads to issues that sometimes aren’t talked about until much later in life.

However, there is one symptom that many people experience early on: anxiety.

The Anxieties Of Working From Home

If you’re afraid to answer the door because it might be your neighbor, imagine how much worse that can be when it’s a potential employer or customer that could lead to rejection. Not just an immediate no, but not even hearing back at all. It can feel like a double rejection.

“What if I’m not answering something right?” “Do they think I’m stupid?” “Why isn’t this working out?” Those kinds of thoughts are common for people with anxiety, and they can quickly spiral out of control and lead to a major mood episode.

woman in blue long sleeve shirt sitting at the table working
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

It Might Improve Mental Health Conditions To Work From Home

Working from home has its own stresses, but they can be easier to manage if you learn how to deal with them.

Because the only person you need to answer to is yourself, there’s no peer pressure involved. There are fewer responsibilities and less stress about deadlines. Not having many people around might help some people feel like they’re not as “different” or defective.

The sense of control over your own work environment can help with the executive function skills that are often weak for people who have anxiety or depression. When you know exactly how everything works, it makes it easier to deal with potential issues before they become full-blown panicked disasters.

Finding a balance between working from home and working in an office might be the key to maximizing both productivity and mental health.

How Do You Find A Balance Working From Home?

Depending on how extreme your symptoms are, you might want to try taking a part-time job that allows for some flexibility in both location and schedule. This lets you have the best of both worlds: being able to see people but not be overwhelmed by them.

If you find that working from home reduces your symptoms, you might not need to bother with finding a job at all! You can be self-employed and work for yourself. There are so many different types of businesses these days; there’s almost certainly one out there suited for what you already do well and enjoy doing.

For example, if you’re a writer and online marketer, there are tons of different ways to make money online. And since blogging is such an accessible career now, you could be off making money in no time!

Work From Home Opportunities:

Good luck!

In Closing

If self-employment isn’t for you, remember that your mental health comes first. Don’t push yourself too hard or try to be “perfect” — there’s no such thing. Work with your doctor and therapist to find a treatment plan that works for you and helps you be the best version of yourself possible.

If you feel like working from home is making your symptoms worse or impacting your personal relationships, talk about it with someone who cares about you. There are people who understand and want to help: you just need to find them!

What do you think?


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