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I’ve worked in career advisement for nearly a decade. I also live with bipolar disorder. When most people think about a job offer, salary is the first thing that comes to mind — but there are other benefits that can be just as important, especially if you’re living with a chronic condition like bipolar disorder.Here are just a few workplace benefits to consider that can be extremely helpful if you’re living with bipolar disorder:1. Health Insurance Health insurance is extremely important for everyone, but if you’re living with a chronic condition, it’s a necessity. I’ve also developed relationships with my care team that are important for me to maintain to stay well, so ensuring that I can see them regularly is crucial to maintaining my well-being.2. Therapy/EAP Services Just as important as having access to medical care when needed, access to mental health support services can significantly improve one’s quality of life. This is even more necessary if you live with a mental health condition like bipolar disorder. At one of my previous employers, they had a therapy office specifically for staff offering free, confidential sessions. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) also offer referrals to therapists subsidized by companies.3. Ability to Work From Home I am sound sensitive, especially with bass-y noises. Having worked in an office that was right across from where a marching band warmed up, this could be torturous. The ability to work from home eliminated a stressor and made a huge difference, so that I could get the things that I needed done without needing to take time off. It was a win-win for everyone involved.4. Noise Management Tools/Quiet(er) Areas For many jobs, working from home isn’t a possibility. But there are definitely ways to make it a little easier on yourself. Noise cancelling headphones and being allowed to work out of conference rooms at certain points of the day helped me manage noise sensitivity while staying productive.5. Medical Leave/Disability I have been fortunate enough to have never been hospitalized. However, living with bipolar disorder has taught me to be proactive rather than reactive when I start to notice my symptoms. Understanding your employer’s policies around medical leave — and how things would work if you needed to take one — can give you peace of mind knowing that should you need a break for your mental health, you don’t have to worry about losing your job. Some employers also offer supplemental disability insurance that preserves more of your paycheck during a leave. That additional layer of security is worth knowing about before you need it.6. Sick Time Separated From Vacation Time A lot of times, when people think of paid time off they think of vacation time. While that is of course important, I’ve found sick time separate from vacation time to be of tremendous benefit, too. Sick time can be used for mental health days as well as medical appointments — all things I need on an ongoing basis as someone with bipolar disorder. When I need to take time away from work to care for myself, I don’t have to worry about using my hard-earned vacation time to do it.7. Pet Insurance I have two cats, Adelaide and Butterscotch, who I adore. Not only are they family members, but they play a huge part in my ability to manage bipolar by giving me a regular routine, responsibility, and unconditional love. If my cats don’t feel well, I certainly don’t either. Pet insurance has alleviated a lot of anxiety for me, knowing that if they needed medical care, I wouldn’t have to compound stress about their health with stress over the cost of that care. Many employers are starting to offer discounts on pet insurance, which has been tremendously valuable for me and my family.Workplace benefits take many forms, and your situation is unique. But I hope this gives you a starting point for thinking beyond the paycheck — because for those of us living with bipolar disorder, the right benefits can be just as important as the salary that comes with them.Author BioDr. Caroline Fraissinet is the Founder of Career Wavelength, a career coaching and consulting practice centered around helping people managing mental health conditions build careers that are both meaningful and sustainable. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) California chapter, and facilitates support groups with the DBSA City of Angels chapter in Los Angeles. Caroline lives with cyclothymia, OCD and ADHD. You can learn more about her and her practice at <a data-mce-href="https://careerwavelength.com/" href="https://careerwavelength.com/" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">https://careerwavelength.com/</a>.A version of this post originally appeared on International Bipolar Foundation’s blog: ﻿<a title=" Work Benefits That Helped Me As a Person Living with Bipolar (That Aren’t Salary)" href="https://ibpf.org/work-benefits-that-helped-me-as-a-person-living-with-bipolar-that-arent-salary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://ibpf.org/work-benefits-that-helped-me-as-a-person-living-with-bipolar-that-arent-salary/">https://ibpf.org/work-benefits-that-helped-me-as-a-person-living-with-bipolar-that-arent-salary/</a>

Work Benefits That Helped Me As a Person Living with Bipolar (That Aren’t Salary)

The layoff announcements keep coming. Paramount recently cut positions across CBS Entertainment, MTV, and BET. Tech companies are restructuring. Verizon announced a new round of 15,000 layoffs. AI is reshaping how entire departments (and even industries!) operate.If you’re a mid-career professional, you’re probably feeling it: that low-grade anxiety that your job isn’t as secure as it used to be.A recent Stagwell study found that 64% of professionals are planning a career change within the next two years. But 73% of people also say they feel unprepared to make that change.Most people see change coming. They’re just not acting until it’s too late.The question isn’t whether disruption is coming It’s whether you’ll be ready to pivot or be scrambling when it happens.Strategy 1: Make Learning Part of Your Daily RoutineStaying curious about opportunities in your industry – and workplaces in general – is one of the most powerful ways to future proof your career. Take time each day to learn something new and stretch beyond your comfort zone.I try to watch at least one webinar a day on something new. Some days it’s directly related to my work. Other days it’s adjacent. The point is to keep learning as a habit, not an obligation.Here’s a tip to stay ahead: if you’re skeptical about something, learn about it anyway. Especially if you’re skeptical.Take AI. I’m not especially trustful of it, but I’ve played around with it enough that I can articulate exactly what I don’t like about it. That’s very different from having a vague negative opinion. People often fear what they don’t understand; learning is the antidote.Consider Dorothy Vaughan—the NASA mathematician played by Octavia Spencer in the film Hidden Figures. She saw IBM computers being delivered to NASA and knew they would replace the human “computers”—the women who did calculations by hand. She could have resisted the change or hoped it wouldn’t affect her. Instead, she taught herself FORTRAN programming from a library book, then taught her entire team. When those IBM machines went live, they were the only ones who could operate them. She made herself indispensable by preparing for the change before it happened.That’s what staying ready looks like!Strategy 2: Network Outside Your BubbleMost of us network within our own bubble. Same conferences, same types of people, same conversations. But some of the most valuable insights come from people whose work looks nothing like yours.One of the best parts of my doctoral program was collaborating with professionals across diverse backgrounds and perspectives. What’s standard practice in one field can be revolutionary thinking in another.Research published in the Harvard Business Review found that teams with high cognitive diversity—differences in how people think and process information—solved complex problems in half the time of teams that thought similarly. The teams with diverse thinking styles not only worked faster, but they were also more likely to solve the problem. The teams with similar thinking styles? Many of them failed to find a solution at all.Mix it up! Ask people in other sectors what challenges they’re facing. Connect with someone who does what you do but in a different context.For example: A communications professional in a talent agency will approach problems differently than one in healthcare—or will they? You won’t know unless you ask!These conversations do two things. They give you fresh perspectives on current problems and help you spot emerging patterns in your own field.Strategy 3: Don’t Try to Figure It All Out AloneRemember that stat about 73% of people feeling unprepared for career changes? A major reason is this: we’re terrible at identifying our own skills gaps.That matters more than ever! Skills-based hiring is becoming the norm—across all levels – not just for entry-level positions. Companies care less about your title and more about what you can do. For mid-career professionals who might look similar on paper, your specific capabilities, not your resume, become your differentiator.Start by getting objective data. Use resources like O*Net. Take assessments to understand your real strengths and weaknesses. Then address the weaknesses specifically.This is where working with a coach can be valuable. And I mean now, while you’re employed, not after you get laid off. A skilled coach can identify blind spots, map strengths to market needs, help you build a personalized plan and position you for roles that align with future demand.The Bottom LineThe people who successfully navigate career disruption aren’t necessarily smarter or more talented. They’re the most prepared. They saw the writing on the wall and took action before they had to.Don’t wait for disruption to force your hand. Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.A version of this post originally appeared on Bob Gold &amp; Associates' blog: https://bobgoldpr.com/strong-skilled-and-ready-navigating-uncertainty-mid-career/

Strong, Skilled and Ready: Navigating Uncertainty Mid-Career

person sitting in a chair in front of a man

Layoffs can be some of the most stressful, destabilizing times in a person’s life. Beyond the immediate financial concerns, research shows that job loss can trigger anxiety, depression, and a profound sense of identity loss. While securing your next opportunity is important, neglecting your mental health during this transition can lead to burnout before you even start your next role. Here are five essential strategies for protecting your wellbeing while navigating a layoff.1. Take a break for at least a week if you’re able toIf you have some time before your position ends, or you have severance pay, take time to simply rest. While it’s important to stay productive and set yourself up for success, you also need to conserve energy.Knowing that the future is uncertain is scary, and throwing yourself into a search immediately can feel productive—especially if taking action helps manage your anxiety. However, the opposite could also be true: you could launch into a frenzied job search, secure another position immediately, and then arrive at your new job completely exhausted because you didn’t take time to reset.If you can manage it, take time to mentally decompress before launching into your full search. Research from the National Institutes of Health shows that breaks from focused activity allow your brain to replay and consolidate what you’ve learned, strengthening new neural connections. The same principle applies to job searching—stepping back can actually make you more effective when you do engage.Give your brain a rest. It’ll help you process your feelings and take more strategic steps when you hit the ground running…in a week or so.2. Take inventory of where you’re at and recalibrate for the futureWhile layoffs are painful, they do offer a built-in opportunity to take stock of your career trajectory and consider whether you want to make any changes. Sometimes when you’ve been in a job long enough, you run on autopilot and forget about the world outside your immediate sphere.Adopting a growth mindset—psychologist Carol Dweck’s concept that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence—helps you see possibilities more broadly, think creatively, and notice opportunities you may have overlooked before. A layoff forces you to look at things differently; embracing that shift with a growth mindset eases the process of adjusting to change.Try this exercise: Carry a notebook for a week and jot down things you like and dislike throughout your day. They don’t have to be work-related—”I love afternoon coffee,” “I hate fluorescent lighting,” “I enjoy solving puzzles,” “I dislike repetitive tasks.” At the end of the week, review your list. Do you see any patterns? What themes emerge?Even if you don’t see exactly what you want to do next, you can usually eliminate options that clearly won’t work. For example, in my work in higher education, I have experience with event planning. After doing this exercise, I learned that I love reading, cool weather, and deep thinking, but dislike hot weather, loud environments, and sports. While that didn’t immediately point to my next role, I could definitely eliminate large-scale sporting event planning from consideration. The things I did enjoy pointed me toward quieter, more contemplative work environments.This is the perfect time to pause and ask: Do I actually like what I’m doing, or are there adjustments I’d like to make? Take that time to think things through and recalibrate as needed.3. Redesign your daily rhythmBeyond recalibrating your work, this is an ideal time to recalibrate how you use your time in general. Layoffs are disorienting because they disrupt your day-to-day rhythms and schedules. The silver lining? You can now design a schedule that works for you, rather than one dictated by business needs.Much time management advice suggests waking early and front-loading tasks, with the theory that you’ll have more energy before the unpredictable parts of the day begin. If that works for you, fantastic—keep doing it. However, not everyone is a morning person, and this advice can feel impossible for night owls (and is sometimes even framed as laziness, which it isn’t).I used to force myself to exercise early in the morning but found I was often too exhausted to get a good workout, sometimes skipping the gym entirely. I’d also be cranky later in the day. I may have been more physically fit, but I definitely wasn’t mentally or emotionally well on that schedule as a natural night owl.Track your energy patterns: Notice when you have the most and least energy throughout the day, then adapt your tasks to match those natural rhythms when possible. Working with, rather than against, your circadian rhythms doesn’t just boost productivity—it can significantly improve your mood. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT)—a therapeutic approach developed by psychologist Ellen Frank for bipolar disorder—emphasizes how aligning your daily routines and social activities with your natural biological rhythms can have measurable effects on both sleep quality and emotional wellbeing. While IPSRT was designed for clinical populations, its core principle applies broadly: maintaining consistent patterns in sleep, meals, and activities helps stabilize mood.Now that you’re not locked into a specific work schedule, experiment with what hours feel best for you. Take this information into your job search, too. If you discovered you thrive with a traditional 9-to-5 after years of early morning shifts, make that a criterion in your search.4. Rediscover joy through noveltyI keep a running list on my phone of places and things I want to do when I have free time. Some are ambitious—like travel destinations—but many are simple, like visiting a museum during free weekday hours or trying a new hiking trail. While a few items are checked off, many remain undone due to cost, time constraints, or simply not feeling up to it on any given day.This period, where you control your own schedule, is ideal for tackling some of those postponed plans. Research shows that novelty directly activates the brain’s dopamine system, which not only creates feelings of reward and motivation but also enhances creativity and facilitates new neural connections. When you break from routine and expose yourself to new experiences, you’re literally helping your brain approach challenges from fresh angles. Plus, the dopamine release from checking something off your list provides a mood boost that can carry you forward.One of my favorite “weekday freedom” activities is going to the movies during matinee hours. It’s less crowded, often cheaper, and I feel like I’m “getting away with something” by going when most people are at work. I know I won’t always have this flexibility, so I savor it while I can.This same principle applies to free, simple pleasures. Been meaning to organize your closet? Now’s the time. Is there a park nearby you’ve never visited? Check it out. Even working from a different library or coffee shop can provide a refreshing change of pace that infuses a bit of joy into your day.5. Allow yourself to feel everythingAny major life change is an emotional rollercoaster. A layoff is particularly intense because it’s tied to both financial security and personal identity. It is a loss, and feelings of grief are natural and expected.Check in with yourself regularly: How are you feeling right now? Sad? Angry? Relieved? Maybe even happy? All feelings are valid here. Don’t try to logic them away or judge yourself for having them. Simply acknowledge them and recognize that they are feelings—nothing more, nothing less.Practice mindfulness: This means staying present, rather than ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. Research consistently shows that mindfulness practices improve psychological health, with benefits that can begin with even brief daily practice. While meditation is one form of mindfulness, it’s not the only way. For me, journaling and crocheting help me stay in the moment. For you, it might be walking, cooking, drawing, or gardening. Any activity that anchors you in the present can be mindful.Think of emotions like ocean waves—they ebb and flow. Just like waves, the more you resist them, the harder things become. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a research-supported approach, teaches that accepting difficult emotions rather than avoiding them leads to greater psychological flexibility and wellbeing. If you’re trying to force something that isn’t working right now, pause. Give yourself permission to step back, recalibrate, and either try again later or try something different.Be kind to yourself. Just like tea needs time to brew, recovering from loss takes time. Healing isn’t linear, and there’s no “right” timeline for feeling better.Layoffs can be tremendously stressful and destabilizing. But know that your worth and value as a person is not tied to a job. You are a whole person, first and foremost. You’ve survived all of your most challenging days thus far, and you can and will navigate this, too. Remember: resilience isn’t about bouncing back instantly—it’s about moving forward at your own pace.A version of this post originally appeared on Bob Gold and Associates’ blog: https://bobgoldpr.com/laid-off-here-are-5-tips-to-put-your-mental-health-first/

Laid Off? Here Are 5 Tips to Put Your Mental Health First

Career Wavelength

Career Wavelength provides mental‑health‑informed career coaching and consulting in Los Angeles, focusing on individuals managing bipolar disorder, OCD, ADHD, and other mood conditions in the workplace. Drawing on lived experience, the coach integrates career‑development theory with current mental‑health research. The firm offers a six‑part “Career Navigation for People with Mood Disorders” course developed with DBSA California, which earned the DBSA National Outstanding Peer Leader award. In addition, Career Wavelength advises organizations on building inclusive cultures and enhancing employee well‑being. The business is just starting out.

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Work Benefits That Helped Me As a Person Living with Bipo...

Strong, Skilled and Ready: Navigating Uncertainty Mid-Career

Laid Off? Here Are 5 Tips to Put Your Mental Health First