Everyone is a genius.  But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid. – Anonymous

For those of us dealing with chronic depression or anxiety, we often find ourselves in careers that don’t allow us to thrive the way we have the potential to.  We are fish often found in the woods, flopping around tree trunks that we’re not able to actually climb when we should be trying to find the best pathway back to the ocean. 

If you feel your job is draining you and worsening your existing struggle with depression or anxiety, it’s ok to look for other options. 

Most full-time jobs require employees to work 40 or more hours a week, and if you’re spending that much time in a work environment that isn’t conducive to your mental health or happiness,  what’s the point?

There are other ways to generate a sustainable, abundant income.

We all deserve to be happy and well.

If your job is beating your mental health to a pulp, there’s no amount of therapy or self-help that can really change that completely.  You can use coping strategies like breathing techniques or reframe your attitude about the job, but the foundation of discomfort that the job itself brings will still be there…

Don’t get locked into the idea that other successful career options are slim.  Despite what it may look like, there is no limitation when it comes to financial freedom.  You just have to know where to find it. 

So here’s a little guide on how to get yourself into a career that will actually improve your mental health and overall life.

*NOTE – It may take some time to get to where you need to be, so I wouldn’t suggest quitting one job before you find another sustainable income source.*

Think about workplace attributes that may be more suitable for you, like:

• Flexibility– having the ability to take time off as needed without penalty or work from multiple locations, having adequate time during the day for therapy and doctor’s visits.
• Slow-paced – being able to work at your own pace and create your own realistic deadlines
• Allows for creativity – gives you options for independent expression or emotional/artistic outlet.
• Physically engaging – allows you to move around, exercise, or work with your hands, instead of being mostly sedentary.
• Independence – being able to call the shots for yourself instead of stressing about superiors or coworkers.
• Utilizes best talents – working on something that you’re naturally good at or excites you, something you wouldn’t mind doing for hours.
• Is in alignment with your core values – is something you have a conviction about and can stand behind morally or ethically.

Looking up important statistics about job types may also be helpful. 

The CDC actually lists suicide rates by job category.  So if you’re considering any of the occupations in one of the top categories, it may give you an indication of general job satisfaction among employees. It doesn’t mean you won’t love a particular job, though.  The reverse could be true. 

And there could be a category with low suicide rates, but you’d absolutely hate working in that field.

For example, although I enjoyed some aspects of being a pre-school and elementary school teacher, the workload and stress were not sustainable for me.  It’s low on the CDC suicide list, but I couldn’t stomach it…

However, one thing in particular stands out with regard to their research and it can be associated with any career field:

Job stress stemming from negative relationships with supervisors and coworkers is a factor in suicide rates.

 If you’re currently in an environment where you feel misunderstood or bullied by either a supervisor or coworker(s), but you otherwise like the job, that may indicate that you should seek a different role or perhaps a different company in the same industry. 

It may not be the career that’s stressing you.  It could just be the people you work with.

If you have social anxiety, are sensitive to criticism, or are susceptible to overthinking others’ actions, you may be better suited to work alone or for yourself where social stress is not a factor.

Workplace relationships can be difficult to manage when dealing with a chronic or debilitating mental illness.

 On the positive side, Glassdoor published a list of the top 20 jobs with the highest employee satisfaction.  If there’s anything on that list that interests you, you may consider getting whatever certifications or licenses are required and giving it a go!

Ok, so in light of everything I just mentioned, and  based on my research (and intuition), here are some career paths that may be more suitable for anxiety and depression sufferers:

1) Yoga Instructor/Personal Trainer/Physical Therapist

This may be particularly suitable for people who struggle with trauma. 

Research has shown that trauma is processed on the right side of the brain, where emotions are stored.  Even more important, trauma is not only stored in the brain, but in the entire body, and most of your major organs are connected to your right brain functioning.

 So having a career where you’re required to move and stretch as part of your daily routine is perfect if you have a lot of unresolved trauma to process.   

2) Self-Employment

There’s a lot that goes into working for yourself. But if you’re someone who has anxiety about workplace relationships and functions better when you’re able to create your own schedule and deadlines, this may be the better option for you if you’re ambitious enough to see your dreams through.  

You could be a party planner, create a design business, sell crafts on Etsy, or become a blogger. 

I decided to blog out of a genuine desire to help people discover tools for their mental health, and it gives me the emotional outlet I need outside of my regular 9-5 job.  I was also an English major in college and felt my best talent is writing.

There’s so many things you can do as a full or part-time self-employed person. Check out more ideas here.

3) Freelance Worker – There are tons of options for freelance work as well, and you can do it in just about any field. 

You can be a writer, a photographer, programmer, graphic designer,  you name it.  You may even be able to work in multiple fields at once. 

Upwork is a great place to start your search if you’re interested in getting started in the freelance world.

4) Pet-sitter – You may not be able to sustain yourself with this full-time (maybe you could if you wanted to start a business), but animals are really therapeutic. 

Before work, or after a long day on the job, you could walk a cute dog.  Or you could watch someone’s cat or gerbil during the day. 

Fluffy energy is good for the soul, not just your mental health.  Why not earn a little extra money on the side for taking care of someone’s pet?

5) Careers that deal with numbers or technology- Some people enjoy number crunching, and when given the opportunity, wouldn’t mind being locked away in an office to do that for longer periods of time.

 I’ve always found math an interesting subject because it’s so straight-forward.  It’s not where I derive the most joy, but some may be perfectly content as an accountant or tax preparer.

You might even enjoy IT (which, in many cases, doesn’t require a 4-year college degree) or some other computer programming career.

6) Careers centered in a passion – Is there a cause out there that you’re extremely passionate about?

Are you heavy into politics, or care a lot about the environment? Are you a spiritual person and want to help guide others?

 Perhaps law school or divinity school is best suited for you. When you’re aligned with your core passions, the workload in your career may not matter to you if you feel completely in your element. 

If you wake up every morning and feel a strong sense of purpose and are energized to go to work, that’s a very good sign.

Again, there’s no real benefit in working a job that doesn’t bring you fulfillment and wears on your mental health. 

Hopefully, in reading this, you’ve gained a sense of empowerment that will take you to the next level in your life. 

Where do you want to be in the next 6 months – 1 year?  Get out a pen and paper and start mapping out the future that you want! 

Talk it over with your significant other or other close friends or family members and start doing things daily to get the ball rolling.

You got this!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sincerely,

Alexia