I start working from home soon and I'm worried my depression will get worse, what can I do to help?

Hi Rave - 

My name is Rebecca Tamasanis and I'm a Licensed Independent Social Worker with BetterHelp.  Thanks for reaching out with your question.

Working from home is certainly a very big adjustment.  It's interesting - some people absolutely love it.  They love the ability to dress more comfortably, not have to commute, not having to socialize, eating at home, and even the ability to multi task (like doing laundry while working).

For others though, and perhaps you fall into this category, it can feel very isolating and aimless.  There's less structure, you're likely alone most of the day, and you have to stay focused and productive.

When you say that working from home makes you feel depressed, anxious, and stressed - I'd be curious to hear more about what is causing these uncomfortable feelings.  What is it about the working from home that you're having trouble adjusting to?  Perhaps these are questions you can ask yourself.  What is making me anxious about this?  If, for example, it's the lack of structure then there are ways to look at including more structure into your day.  Would it work for you to have a set start time, a set break time, a set lunch time for example?  This timeline could make you feel more structured and contained.  If part of what feels depressing is the feeling of being alone - what are ways to stay more connected that you could look for?  Can you reach out to your co-workers more?  Do you typically eat lunch with the same folks and now you could think of setting up a a group facetime or zoom during lunchtime so even if you're all eating at your own houses you can still see each other and socialize?  If you find staying home all day difficult - can you get outside for 15 or 30 minutes during your workday not only to get fresh air and get out of the house, but also to refresh and give yourself a break?

Hopefully you can see by these examples and questions that it's important to try to identify what it is that is feeling uncomfortable at the home work environment and see if modifications can be made to turn it into something that feels more comfortable and enjoyable.  Look at ways to change things up.  

Another thing that may help, is to try to focus on the benefits and positives of staying home.  Very often, when change occurs, we tend to hyper focus on the differences.  But what if instead you also notice what hasn't changed?  This can be a useful grounding exercise and can help shift your focus and attention.

I hope this gives you things to think about and ideas to implement.  I wish you the best of luck in this period of transition.

Take care - 

Rebecca Tamasanis, LICSW