As A Technology Professional, Your Mental Health Is Important
As technology professionals working in this fast-paced and forever-changing world of technology, we have to constantly strive to stay ahead of our competitors, manage our stakeholders, and keep our social media followers informed.
With us being continuously on the move and trying to keep with the changing times, we tend to ignore and neglect our mental and physical health.
We might also ignore the subtle signs that our bodies and minds might send us to signal that sometimes things are not always Okay.
If we consistently ignore these subtle signs, they can grow into more prominent signs until someday it might be a little too late.
When we reach that stage, we find ourselves entering into a never-ending spiral of psychological despair that will begin to affect our mental health.
We may not even realize that we might be dealing with depression or an anxiety disorder. Even if we do know it, we could deny that we are.
“Even if you are ambitious, you will not be able to achieve your ambitions because you are psychologically totally defeated.”
– An adolescent girl in Egypt
It is essential for us not to ignore it but instead to accept it, as thousands of people worldwide have to deal with the same challenge of mental health issues.
Sometimes, it can take one minor incident that can push us over the edge, leading us to substance abuse or even attempt suicide. The burdens of life and our demanding jobs begin to take their toll on our bodies and our minds.
Developers and technical support staff are especially at risk of dealing with the challenge of mental health.
As software engineers, technical support personnel, founders, and co-founders, we are required to work long hours, meet deadlines, and sometimes barely get enough restful sleep.
And sleep deprivation can snowball into mental health problems later on.
Once you reach that stage, you need to realize that it is Okay. You are not alone in this.
About 10.7% or about 792 million of the world’s population are dealing with some form of mental health disorder. Depression is a prevalent but severe mood disorder.
It can negatively affect your ability to think, feel, and alter how you handle regular daily activities such as working, sleeping, or eating.
“With stress and mental illness, for many it’s a very anxious subject. And you don’t really want to talk about it.”
– An adolescent girl in Sweden
For someone to be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms of clinical depression have to be prevalent for at least two weeks.
What Are The Symptoms Of Depression?
We need to recognize the symptoms of depression early, seek treatment and get outside help as soon as possible. Some symptoms of depression are:
- We’re in a depressed mood for most of the day
- Reduced interest or pleasure in daily activities for most of the day
- Changes in appetite resulting in weight loss or weight gain, unrelated to dieting
- Alterations in sleep and sleep patterns
- Feeling a loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Restlessness or irritability
- Feelings of anxiety
- Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or decision making
- Thoughts of death or attempts at suicide
How Is Depression Diagnosed And Treated?
Once you start to notice any of the symptoms above, the first step in getting diagnosed with any form of mental health or anxiety disorder is to visit a doctor for a medical evaluation.
Some medications and medical conditions such as thyroid disorder could exhibit similar symptoms as depression.
A doctor could rule out any of these possibilities by conducting an interview, a physical examination, and running a few lab tests.
Once a person has been diagnosed with depression, it can be treated in various ways. The principal means for treating depression are anti-depressant medication and psychotherapy.
Aside from being placed on anti-depressant medication which is not advisable for your body in the long term, you can also try out a short course of “talk therapy.”
Sometimes joining a focus group of people who are also dealing with depression could also help.
Meditation is another way of dealing with depression. Studies have shown that practicing yoga regularly can enhance your mood and also aid you in staying healthy.
A combination of yoga and meditation will also help you sleep better, and getting sufficient restful sleep is key to improving your mental well-being.
Getting sufficient Vitamin D for your body is another way of dealing with depression.
Researchers believe that since Vitamin D is necessary for healthy brain functions, and insufficient Vitamin D levels can play a role in depression and other mental illnesses.
Some people living in countries where sunlight is in limited quantities are also affected by what is known as seasonal depression. Seasonal depression occurs when your body has a Vitamin D deficiency due to insufficient exposure to natural sunlight.
As technology professionals, we are always hunkered behind our desktops and laptops, and we hardly ever take advantage of going outside to get a healthy dose of sunshine.
This can lead to a Vitamin D deficiency and eventually result in clinical depression.
The amount of exposure to the sun depends on the climate, the time of day, and the time of year. Lighter skin people tend to absorb more sunlight and Vitamin D quicker. To get sufficient Vitamin D, you will need to spend at least 15 minutes to 3 hours per day outside in natural sunlight.
Conclusion
In summary, once you start to notice some of the signs and symptoms of depression, it is wise never to ignore them. The first step to you dealing with your mental health is to acknowledge the fact and start seeking out help from your family, friends, and loved ones.
Let them know about your well-being so they can provide you with the support and help that you need to manage your mental health.
You must take care of your body and mind to keep you functioning at optimal levels and not to neglect any warning signs that your body might be sending to you.
Sometimes it could be little changes that you make in your lives that can go a long way in us staying healthy.
So, for a technology professional, it could be things like taking a timeout from social media at least once a week and to switch off our mobile devices.
Or it could even be taking a day off to spend time outside, instead of staying indoors and “Netflix and chill”.
It could also be catching up on much-needed rest and sleep so that our bodies can rebalance and re-tune themselves and correct our internal clocks.
Whatever little changes that you start to make, with regular practice it can become a habit, and a habit could become a way of life. That’s the way you can improve your mental health, by changing your habits!
If you liked my story and would like to stay in touch, you can find me on LinkedIn AND on Twitter. Stay safe.
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression-and-vitamin-d
https://www.bbrfoundation.org/faq/frequently-asked-questions-about-depression
https://www.unicef.org/stories/reaching-new-heights-proactive-approach-preventing-suicide-kazakhstan
SIDE NOTE: This article is not intended to be medical advice. Instead, it is meant to bring about awareness of the challenges that a technology professional must deal with on a daily basis. My thoughts are my own. However, if you or a family member is dealing with a mental health disorder, it is important that you seek professional medical assistance.
