(ThyBlackMan.com) No matter what you do for work, it can be tough at times. Long hours, sometimes low pay, difficult bosses and annoying colleagues can all add to the strain. You might be commuting long distances each day to get to your workplace, and notice you have increasing pressure put on you in your role due to things like funding cuts. We spend huge portions of our lives working and not all that much time relaxing meaning it can be difficult to find the balance. On top of this, some jobs have particularly challenging elements which can lead to poor mental health and depression. Is yours on the list?
Caring careers
This goes to show that the more rewarding the job, the bigger impact it can have on your mental health. And it makes sense, on the one hand as a nurse or carer you’re genuinely helping people and doing something that makes a huge difference to their lives. On the
other side, you see illness and even death on a regular basis. Those that work in end of life care or with seniors can particularly struggle. In many forms of care, you’re helping people to get better and can find peace in thinking of those that you’ve helped to recover. But in hospices and nursing homes, unfortunately these patients only get better rather than worse which can be really challenging to deal with day in, day out. Vets can also be included in this category, while they’re caring for animals rather than people, it’s the same kind of thing. In many ways it could be seen as even more challenging, since unlike nurses, vets are responsible for euthanasia. It might be humane and the kind thing to do, but it doesn’t make it easy to live with. The BBC recently reported that vet suicide rates are nearly four times the national average.
Shift workers
Any kind of work that involves shifts of alternative days and nights, or just nights is bad for the body and the mind. Shift work is constantly linked to health issues like sleeping problems, diabetes, obesity, low immune system and even cancers. Night shifts come with their own set of issues where sleeping when everyone else is awake can mean frequent disturbances as well as going against your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Working alternate day/ night patterns never gives your body a chance to adjust meaning sleep deprivation is common. If you’re able to find a job that offers better hours, it can be worth taking even if the money isn’t as good. Your health is more important.
Wait staff
Wait staff are over overworked, underpaid and can be spoken to badly by customers. It involves long hours of standing and carrying, and they have to maintain a happy and cheery persona for the public while carrying out the demands of the chef or other staff members. Most of us have been out to dinner at one time or another and observed the wait staff being spoken to badly or tipped poorly, there are lots of instances of females in this role being harassed or sexually assaulted.
Creatives
Creative jobs include everything from writers to musicians, craftspeople to artists. On the surface it’s the best job in the world, turning a natural talent or passion into a career really is the dream. However, those in creative careers can often struggle with earning enough money. Thanks to the internet, it’s easier to make a living from these careers but it’s still not always easy and suffering with money issues can of course take its toll. Creatives will often work in isolation with no real structure or schedule to their day which can come with its own set of problems.
Whether your job is on the list or not, if you’re constantly unhappy at work then it’s a sign that change should be imminent. When you spend so much time in the workplace, if you’re not happy here then this is going to affect your life in general. It could lead to addiction requiring alcohol or drug rehab treatment. It could lead to depression, anxiety or even suicide. Changing careers, even later in life isn’t impossible. And if it’s going to improve your quality of life, is something well worth considering.
What kinds of mental and physical health challenges does your job come with?
Staff Writer; Peter Brown
