Short deadlines, targets falling short, constant tantrums of the manager, and taunts from the boss, does it sound familiar to you? If yes, you are not alone.
Work pressure can take a toll on your mental health, so much so that you can’t think of anything, but work.
And this doesn’t mean that you are weak, cowardly or a lazy person. But is it really important to indulge yourself in, what we can call, a toxic job? Sometimes it is.
Be it out of financial constraints, family pressures or even to avoid that break from your CV. But that doesn’t mean one has to silently suffer and let your health pay the price.
The following are 7 things you can do if your mental health is being affected by your job.
1. Identify the problem
What is it about the job that hurts you – environment, work complexity, targets, work hours, work satisfaction, money, etc.? Begin with identifying the problem, because until and unless you recognise it, you can’t find solutions.
2. Work-life balance
Priortise things according to current and long-term goals. If it’s the money you need but don’t enjoy the work, don’t expect to enjoy the work till you find another job that satisfies both requirements, instead look for other ways of finding joy.
3. Time management
It’s imperative to find a way to manage time in order to establish work-life balance to manage stress, otherwise even a good job can start hurting. Draw boundaries, take time off and don’t compromise on diet, exercise and rest.
4. Communication
All kinds of jobs require interaction with other human beings and therefore communication skills are important. These skills may need to be worked on from time to time, therefore try to figure out what troubles you viz a viz understanding your colleagues or establishing rapport with people in the environment.
5. Focus on personal and social aspects of life
Profession is just a part of the whole and not the whole of life. So, it’s important to focus on personal and social aspects of life as well. If we rate our worth in terms of professional stature and income, it gives a false picture of who we are as an individual. Success and satisfaction come from how we see ourselves and not how others treat us.
6. Take time to recharge
To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, we need time to replenish and return to our pre-stress level of functioning. This recovery process requires “switching off” from work by having periods of time when you are neither engaging in work-related activities, nor thinking about work. “That’s why it’s critical that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that fits your needs and preferences.
7. Talk to your supervisor
Employee health has been linked to productivity at work, so your boss has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor. The purpose of this isn’t to lay out a list of complaints, but rather to come up with an effective plan for managing the stressors you’ve identified, so you can perform at your best on the job.
