There are many guidelines for suggesting jobs for people with depression. You only have to look at the internet and it brings up hundreds of thousands of results.
There are suggestions such as factory worker, shelf-stacker, cleaner, you get the picture. Nothing too stressful, not much interaction with the public and certainly no pressure. But will these types of jobs for people with depression give them a purpose in life or are they more likely to make them more depressed?
‘Work brings health’
– Maori proverb.
There are lots of studies that prove working helps to reduce depression. Being in work gives us the following:
- Social contact
- Mental and physical activity
- A way of structuring our day
- A sense of achievement
- Social status
- Financial stability
- A sense of ability
- A chance to improve our skills
So it is important to get jobs for people with depression.
But although working in factories and cleaning offices are perfectly good jobs, as someone who has suffered from depression in the past, I wanted to look a little deeper. I thought about the type of jobs for people with depression that would make them want to get out of bed in the morning.
If you know someone that is depressed, here are eight jobs for people with depression that help them find a meaning in life:
OUTDOORS JOBS
Being outdoors is a great remedy for depression in itself, and there are many jobs that involve working outside.
Park ranger
Do you live near a local park? Our country parks are always underfunded and looking for either volunteers or people that love working with nature. Do you have any skills that can be put to good use within a park environment? Think about your own garden and what needed doing to it when you first moved in.
Garden centre
Do you have a love of plants? I remember my sister worked at a garden centre during the summer holidays and the smell of the flowers still takes me right back to that time. Garden centres have all kinds of jobs available, from check-outs to planting to stacking, all within that lovely environment.
Gardener/Landscaping
If you love gardening, then this is an ideal job for you. You get to spend as many hours as you like outdoors, soaking up all that essential vitamin D which boosts your endorphins. It is a slow-paced lifestyle, you can take on as many customers as you want and specialise in lawns, flowers or landscaping.
CREATIVE JOBS
If the thought of working outside fills you with dread, you might be more interested in a creative job. There are many different jobs for people with depression that appeal to a more artistic side.
In fact, some experts believe that depressed people have a more creative mind. Think of Van Gogh or Tchaikovsky, two creative minds that famously suffered for their art.
Art galleries
If you love art and have dreamed of being an artist yourself, why not apply to a local art gallery as a volunteer to show people around? If you paint, it might be a way in to showcase some of your work.
Libraries
People who are avid readers are prone to depression, so why not combine the two and work in a library? Libraries, by their nature, are very calming environments and help ease anxiety. Another plus point is that you get your pick of the new best-sellers.
Freelance writer
As someone who is living her dream, and starting writing because of an anxiety issue, I would say that if you have a passion for writing, give it a go. You might have to start off on very low wages to get the experience, but don’t be afraid to take criticism.
Writing work includes blogs, articles, product reviews, press releases and much more.
WORKING WITH ANIMALS
It is known that animals are a calming influence on people. Research has shown that by stroking an animal, both the animal and the person release a chemical called oxytocin. This is known as the ‘love hormone’.
It makes sense then that jobs for people with depression should include working with animals.
Dog walking
If you love dogs, you can offer dog sitting or dog walking. There are a lot of people who work from 9 – 5 and are not able to walk their dogs during the day. The beauty of this job is that you set the hours and the number of clients you take on.
The only thing I would advise is to get insurance. You will need Public Liability Insurance in case of any accidents or attacks that happen whilst the dog is under your care.
Dog training
If you are experienced in dog training, why not offer classes to your local neighbourhood? You can hold puppy training classes or training sessions for older dogs.
VOLUNTEERING
If you are depressed, you might not feel ready to tackle any of the above. I mean, let’s face it, when you are depressed, the last thing you feel like doing is working. If you think that working is too much at the moment, then volunteering is a great way of dipping your toe into the water.
With volunteering, the organisation you volunteer for will be aware of your situation and will support and help you. There are many ways in which you can volunteer, you won’t just be offered a cashier job in a charity shop.
The most important thing is that you try something. Staying at home and expecting things to change is a no-brainer.
As Albert Einstein said:
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
That’s just great, except for the need to pay rent, utilities, etc.
Writing you have to be good at to make money, my sister is an example. She’s probably more depressed because no one will publish her. The only one that sounded good was the animal one. It is so hard to find a job with major depression. I don’t want to work with people or around them AT ALL. Park Ranger actually seems nice until I think about the bugs and sweat and stuff. And I am not creative at all… But thanks for this list.
I’m on disability and I can work and make up to $800 working part-time a month and still stay on disability These are good job suggestions! I’ve done some of these jobs and I was able to keep the job when I was depressed. Thank you very much!!!
Are u on disability for anxiety and depression? And were you able to work without worrying about disability not approving you when it’s time to get reviewed? Because I’m on disability and I don’t want to work part time out of fear of not being able to stay on disability or something
as someone with depression, even the thought of working with or around people is just bad, in a big way, i’m in school and looking for jobs and although this list may help some people, it is basically an outline for what i’m trying to avoid in a job
Thank you
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but recently I’ve come to realize I’m just no good at it. I’m just looking for something sustainable that does not require me to speak to people all day long. I’ve worked in customer service for 2 years now. It’s increasingly unbearable. Anyway, thanks for the list.