It might seem a little extreme to say your job could be affecting your health on a daily basis but in fact, if you delve a little closer, there are a host of things that could be contributing to a decline in your physical and mental health. You spend a lot of time at work, and this could open you up to a range of ailments and strains that could affect both mind and body. This isn?t limited to one type of job either, you could be an office working sitting down all day to a factory worker surrounded by heavy machinery, each has its issues and these over a period of time could be contributing to the way you feel on the inside and out.
If you?re wondering whether your job might be negatively impacting your health, take a look at some of the most commons ways it might be doing just that and some methods to manage them.
Working overtime
At the time, working over your contracted hours might seem like a great idea to add to your paycheck, but by making it, a regular occurrence can start to impact your physical and mental state. Not only does overtime make you feel exhausted, it will start eating into your home time and can also contribute to feelings of depression, as you can?t afford to take downtime. Making time for self-care in these instances can help to realign your priorities and concentrate on feeling better, which in turn can lead to increased productivity.
Not taking enough breaks
Most people are guilty of not taking sufficient breaks during the day especially away from the screen. With increasing workloads and busy schedules, this can also make you feel guilty about time away in case something crops up. Well now is the time just to stop and move away from the desk. These prolonged periods of sitting or standing in the same place and staring at the same problems day in and day out can make you feel demotivated and unhappy. Nothing is gained if you chain yourself to your desk until you?ve completed something or solved an issue and actually taking some time away can help to refresh your mind. Even just a short break can work wonders so the next time you consider eating lunch at your desk, just step away and take five to get some much-need space from your computer.
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Staying at a job you don?t enjoy
Sometimes it might be necessary to cut the cord and find a job that you like to be happy in the long-term. If you find that you are getting frustrated with a number of things about where you work, it?s best to sit down and thrash out the pros and cons of staying there, as this could be having a detrimental effect of your wellbeing. You may feel there aren?t the jobs out there that you could apply for or you have the perception that you are indebted to the company in some way, but when your commitment to a job is based on obligation rather than a want to work with the company, you could be in for an unhappy ride. Unless you take the leap, this path could lead to physical and mental burnouts, which in turn could attract other destructive behaviors such as compulsive habits that only treatment centers will be able to help resolve.
Long commutes
If you have a long commute to and from work, this could be contributing to a larger amount of stress than someone who works a few minutes away. Driving is a huge contributor to stress levels especially during peak travel times, plus the longer you have to drive, the more likely you will experience burn out. This doesn?t just apply to people that drive to work either, as other modes of transport such as train and bus travel also heighten stress levels with the sheer amount of people and the hustle and bustle during the commute. In regards to using public transport, there is also the added element of having no control over the time spent waiting and traveling by these forms of transport. These feelings can lead to apprehension and anxiety especially if you need to be somewhere and there are delays that you cannot control.
Co-workers
If you?re not friends with co-workers, now could be a great place to start. Studies have suggested that creating good relationships with the people you work with helps to contribute to your happiness in the working environment. This bond also assists in increasing productivity and keeping everyone motivated. On the negative side of these relationships, having feuds or bad vibes with co-workers can make your place of work a living nightmare, which is bad for your health. These relationships can also go as far as workplace bullying, and this can have detrimental effects on the environment for everyone, not just the people involved. This type of issue can lead to workers wanting to leave their job but in the worse cases, leave a job they actually enjoy. If this happens, you also can also be made to feel inadequate in your abilities and demotivated to find another job as the same might happen in the new workplace. Managing these relationships and trying to promote positive friendships will help to resolve conflicts but if ever in doubt seek help to highlight your problems early on to nip it in the bud.
There are several problems that you might face in the workplace that contribute to lower self-esteem and relationships within the work environment. These problems can be few and far between but noticing the signs and tackling them before they become a large issue can help to prevent any physical and mental health strains in the long term. This doesn?t mean that just because you experience some of these, you should just give up immediately but getting a good work/life balance will give you a positive outlook on work and the relationships you from within it.
