Dysthymia in the Workplace

Much requested topic and something I have really pondered. How has my dysthymia affected my work life? And what are some tips for others struggling with coping at work?

Consider the Industry + Visibility

I have done countless tests to find a career that is "just right" for me. And I may be wrong, but I am assuming many people with dysthymia get job placements that prioritize individual work, possibly dull or repetitive work, or even artistic endeavors. When I read my report 10 years ago, it said creative writer. I laughed and thought to myself, I am gonna be poor. Currently, I have worked in customer service, retail, student affairs, and higher education. In all jobs, my visibility as a leader was evident. I could not risk "losing face." So, let's break down the "face value"of some popular industries.

Face Value

Face value in the way I am using it is specifically asking: how much in-person, or interpersonal communication is necessary in order to complete my job? And how much is being personable, relatable, and approachable valuable to my work environment? (Mind you this extends to virtual work spaces).

So, I always start putting my jobs in the aforementioned categories. I think of them in context to the job title, location, and what standing I was in at that time in my life. Job titles are telling of your level of responsibility and also gives a sense of power dynamics you may have to navigate in the workplace. Being any type of assistant ensures that you will have to be much more amiable given that you may not have the clearance to access certain information (even though assistants most often have the means of understanding and expertise often far greater than their superiors). Location has to do with the level of entitlement, ease, and culture of the workplace. This often also considers how frequently the public is involved, and what type of establishment you work at. Lastly the standing has to do with what place in life you are. A freshman in college or a middle-aged mother of two will have different expectations placed upon them regardless of their job title. I will break down the "face value"of each job I have had below:

JOB TITLE: Student Assistant at Multicultural Center

LOCATION: Santa Barbara (University) STANDING: Work-study position (undergrad student)

JOB TITLE: Substitute Teacher

LOCATION: working class area (California) STANDING: Master's in English (grad student)

JOB TITLE:Consultative Sales Rep

LOCATION: Sears (Mall) STANDING: Summer Job (undergrad student)

Here's the breakdown of what each thing meant about my job:

As a student assistant, I needed to be a student confident enough to tell other students, staff, and faculty about the services the MCC offered. Beyond knowledge, I needed to be welcoming, as I was a front desk attendant. I also needed to be flexible enough to assist with whatever was needed around the center.

Because it was in Santa Barbara, entitlement and privilege was ASTRONOMICAL (TikTok reference there. If you got it, like this post). Navigating this made me have to be firm, direct and ultimately just a little nice nasty at times. My standing as a work study student meant that the job should not be coming home with me, and it should allow the flexibility to let my school work come first. Thus, in navigating conflicting schedules, I needed to seem apologetic but also not overly so. (A small my apologies aka "my bad" would suffice). I was also in a state of needing to be open to learning and NOT be hard on myself. Having a sense of resiliency would be important in this position.

Therefore, if I were to break down the level of "face" I needed for the job it would look as follows:

FACE VALUE OF STUDENT ASSISTANT AT MCC

Personable: 60%

Relatable: 80%

Approachable: 75%

I was just learning about my dysthymia at the time. So this job was mentally exhausting. I was told I wasn't friendly and hard to get to know. I always felt left out even when I tried to fit in. It was very hard to work there, but I did so for three years.

JOB TITLE: Substitute Teacher

LOCATION: working class area (California) STANDING: Master's in English (grad student)

As a substitute teacher, being firm and kind is a must. Kids need structure but you also have to extend them grace. You have to be flexible because each school site comes with different rules and challenges like finding the location you need to be at, and updated schedules that reflect up-to-the minute changes. Being personable is optional with staff as you pretty much have a few minutes of returning keys and getting checked in to deal with them. Overall, it's a bit easier to manage than others jobs I have had it.

FACE VALUE OF SUBSTITUTE TEACHER

Personable:30%

Relatable: 10%

Approachable: 55%

JOB TITLE:Consultative Sales Rep

LOCATION: Sears (Mall) STANDING: Summer Job (undergrad student)

I hated this job. Retail has way too much face value for me. It often isn't the customers that I dislike, but my coworkers and bosses. So as a consultative sales rep, you make commissions with a base pay. You have to be approachable, personable and relatable. For me, I was a woman in the tools department. It was easy to have women and men approach me and shop with me. I don't know how to flirt, but I know how to smile and tell them I can help them find what they are looking for. Easy. What wasn't easy was making small talk with co workers in the mountains of downtime we often had, standing up for myself when I was singled out at staff meetings. Or advocating for myself when schedule changes needed to take place. Awful face value for a dysthymic.

FACE VALUE OF CONSULTATIVE SALES REP

Personable:90%

Relatable: 70%

Approachable: 95%

So think about your job location, expectations and if that path is providing you a range of face value that is realistic to your needs. If you need time to be able to zone out and cry, you can't work in a dynamic open concept environment comfortably. I understand in this economy, we can't afford to be picky about our job spaces. So, what I will leave with is this. Most people don't care about you. Most people don't pick up on what you say. It is the energy you give off when you are around them that they will remember. Wear bright colors and possibly change up your hair if possibly to always have a light and easy thing for people to pick up on. This helps your approachability. Always sound excited about your free time from off work. And possibly even a creative project that you are excited about. This builds points of reference easy for people to relate to you. If you need help answering the dreaded "how are you doing" question, check out my video. This can help with relatability and personability. Love you gems! And I hope this was helpful.

XOXO,

Moody G