Steps To Find A Job That Fits Your Mental Health Needs

Last Update on January 6, 2023 : Published on January 7, 2023
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I still remember the time when I just completed my bachelor’s degree and started looking for a job. It was really very stressful especially when you are a sensitive kind of person or are already dealing with a mental health issue.

The fact is everyone is looking for a strong candidate with full strengths and no weaknesses. And under this pressure, we try to polish ourselves according to the recruiters but nobody knows about the ongoing fights deep inside clearly, this environment can never be beneficial for us.

Consequently, such pressure always leads us to work in a place that we never liked mentally and we end up working in a toxic workplace.

This is completely wrong; we cannot put our mental health at stake for a needy job. When we prioritize our mental health while seeking a job, it eventually becomes more exciting, intentional, and of course beneficial for long-term goals and happiness.

If you wish to read the signs of a toxic workplace, you can refer to the signs of a toxic workplace

In this article, we will be working on steps to find a job that actually fits our mental health needs. I am quite confident that this piece of information will not let you end up in a toxic workplace wherein your mental health will suffer. So, let’s get started.

6 Steps to finding a job that satisfies your mental health needs

1. Define your own “satisfaction” and “good fit”

Before the interviewer defines a satisfactory job for you, define before him/her and let them know what is actually good for you. Meanwhile, this can look a little rude, try to explain them with a smile and honesty.

In order to define your type of “satisfactory job” or “good fit”, start asking yourself questions like

  • What are my values?
  • Is this corporation ready to share the same values as me?
  • What are my strengths and skills?
  • Am I ready to fulfill them all?
  • What is my flexibility level?
  • What are my expectations from the company?

This will help you in finding a job according to your mental health needs.

2. Review everything before joining

If you’re going through the process of interviews or are willing to join any company, review everything before joining. apart from the salary and working hours, consider your mental health needs as well. Or even if you are thinking of applying for any job position, consider checking the full description of the job.

While doing this, you can ask yourself questions like

  • Is this job stressful for me?
  • Am I willing to fulfill all the demands?
  • Are the working hours fine for my mental health?
  • Do they have any wellness resources?
  • Does the company cover mental health services?
  • Will I be able to grow personally in this job?

3. Try to understand the culture

Before signing the documents, take a round of the office and try to understand the working culture of the office. You can consider checking the below list:

  • Do employees look happy?
  • Where do all the employees go to spend their free time?
  • How long do employees work?
  • What looks most challenging in the office premises?
  • Will I be able to adjust to this culture?

4. Look for clues that satisfy your need

While you are still looking for the job or if you are still looking forward to joining in, look for the clues that will help you in considering if you should really take this job. Clearly, you can look for clues like turnover, accidents, healthcare costs, absenteeism, and productivity of other employees.

5. Interview your interviewer and know everything about the workplace

If you want to describe your “good fit” to the employer, try to ask questions that describe your mental health needs. Remember, be professional and polite and take the help of the below questions to help you in knowing everything about the company per mental health needs:

  • Try knowing the culture of the company
  • Try understanding the challenges
  • Try to understand the style of the management.

Hence, try to define success and growth according to you.

6. Be polite and try to reflect on your goals

While you’re in the middle of all of this, you might feel stressed and full of negative thoughts, try to remain calm and be polite with the interviewers. Try to establish your goals in front of them so that they can understand your actual needs.

7. Maintain a job search tracker or journal

While you’re searching for jobs, try to maintain a job search tracker or journal so that you can compare what’s best for you at the end of the day.

Herein, you can use any free tool available on the internet, such as:

  • A tracking application
  • A prompt website that helps you think through the whole joining process in that workplace
  • Job search and mental health tracker

I hope this article helps you to find a job that fits your mental health needs or helps you to find jobs for mental health sufferers.

Comment down and share your experiences of working in a healthy workplace. For more such content, connect with us on all social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!

About The Author

Aayushi Kapoor
Aayushi Kapoor

Aayushi is a Content Creator at Calm Sage. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology and a Master's Degree in Clinical Nutrition. Her constant interest in the improvement of mental health, nutrition, and overall wellness embarked upon her career as a “full-time educational writer.” She likes to make an asynchronous connection with her readers. Her mantra for living life is "What you seek is seeking you".

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