Can full-time work stabilize mood?
We had a really encouraging session with a patient this week; she had a lot of insight into her needs, and also had begun taking her medications regularly, which had been almost impossible for her in the past. What made the difference? She had started working full time.
After huge layoffs in 2020, the job market slowly began creeping back, but both employers and job seekers are still reporting mismatches between available jobs and available workers. Since any mismatches or glitches in the job market can be expected to hit people with chronic illnesses and mood disorders the hardest, it’s not surprising that many of our clients have been un- or under-employed for some time, with all the extra burdens both financially and emotionally that unemployment entails.
So while it’s not surprising that getting a job after a long “dry” spell would feel good, we were struck by the spin-off benefits: our patient reported sleeping better, experiencing less anxiety (“no time for that”), and being able to set a goal and look towards fulfilling it.
The job sets a routine for Monday through Friday that gives a regular framework to her days, and that allows her to enjoy her “earned” free time on the weekends. Having a weekend to herself allows her to set goals for those two days, and she is learning to set achievable goals, so she gets a sense of satisfaction from meeting them.
Perhaps most importantly from the long-term perspective is that she has begun taking her medications regularly. She says she started because she was embarrassed to come back in without having started them up again, but she also says she’s “been dragging my feet forever” but once she started “it’s been working. Good stuff!”. Getting the job has been key to the whole process because of having a regular schedule for her days.
Summing up about the job, she said: “I find that having the job brings me more things that I am happy about during the day, like getting off work. That’s a happy time. I feel joy.”
It doesn’t even have to be a job you love, just regular hours, decent pay and basic respect. While we can’t ignore the fact that these elements are lacking in too many workplaces, we do have to acknowledge that a “real” job can have a lot more benefits than just money in the pocket. The importance of regular daily and weekly routines for mood stability can hardly be overstated. Even if your employment situation doesn’t provide you with a dependable schedule, we strongly recommend imposing order and routine on your day and week.