How Identity Influenced Research Specialist's Career At University Of Southern California
Ruth, a Research Specialist battling depression and anxiety for over a decade, reveals how these conditions significantly impacted their career navigation, including leaving two jobs due to deteriorating mental health; this experience underscores the importance of workplaces offering "space, grace, and the opportunity to breathe," rather than perpetuating harmful attitudes like "suck it up, deal with it."
Mental Health in the Workplace, Work-Life Balance, Stress Management, Resilience, Setting Boundaries
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ruth McCormack
Research Specialist
University of Southern California
Barnard College, 2015
University of Southern California, Masters of Public Administration
History, Art History
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Sales and Client Management
LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Ruth's experience highlights the hidden nature of mental health struggles, as her outward demeanor didn't reflect her internal battles with anxiety and depression.
2. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing mental wellbeing, even if it means leaving a job to protect one's health. This is a crucial lesson for students about self-care and advocating for supportive work environments.
3. Ruth's journey underscores the need for workplaces that offer grace, understanding, and reasonable expectations. Students can learn from her experience to identify potentially toxic work environments and seek settings that prioritize employee wellbeing.
Transcript
As someone who deals with depression and anxiety, how has that impacted how you navigated your career?
This is a great question. As someone who is always smiley, giggly, and friendly, people don't always see me as someone with anxiety and depression. But it's something I've taken medication for over 10 years and have been in therapy for. It's something that cannot often be seen from the outside.
Everyone has mechanisms for dealing with things, some healthy, some unhealthy. Hopefully, everyone is trying to deal with them in healthy ways. Because of this, there's often a line I have to draw in the workplace. I've actually had to leave two jobs.
For the first job, I was lucky enough to get another position, so I was leaving for a new opportunity. But I had to leave the second job because my mental health was deteriorating. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't eating right, and I was crying all the time. Everything set me off, and that's no way to live.
I've had people say to me, "Suck it up, deal with it." That's not okay. That's not how anyone should live. Everyone should fight for a space that gives them space, grace, and the opportunity to breathe.
It doesn't mean I haven't had to navigate how to avoid stress. Stress can sometimes be the kick you need to get your work done, especially for a procrastinator like myself. But when the stress doesn't fit the activity, that's when it becomes an issue.
When there are unrealistic expectations at work, that's when I've had to leave. Sometimes I've moved on with no other job lined up because that was safer for my well-being. To be able to do any work at all, I needed to take time off.
Finding a safety net of friends, loved ones, and a therapist was crucial. These people, both impartial and invested in my best self, acted as my cheerleaders. I needed to always know that I wasn't wrong in those situations and that I deserved a working environment that supported me as a human, not just as a worker.
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