Each of us on this beautiful and chaotic planet is doing what we can to create a life for ourselves and provide for those who matter the most to us. We’re raised from childhood to believe that if we do our best, work hard and get good grades in school that the gateway to success will swing open before us. Unfortunately, few of us ever really find this to be the case. After we navigate the path of education we expect to fall into a job that’s well paid, financially rewarding and rich in opportunities for progression and development… Instead we can languish for years in jobs where we’re overworked and underpaid so that the corporations that employ us can suppress our wages to insulate their profits.
Climbing the career ladder can be extremely frustrating especially for the millennial generation for whom jobs seem scarce and decent opportunities even more so. But the truth is that carrying on in a job that’s bad for you can do more than frustrate you, it can be crippling to your health.
Here we’ll look at some ways in which your career could be killing you, and what you can do about it...
Do you accumulate stress every day, yet have no outlet to relieve it?
Stress kills. There are no two ways about it. In small doses, stress can be okay, but over time chronic stress can affect our bodies in a lot of ways. None of them are good. Chronic stress can increase our chances of cardiac arrest, create fluctuations of weight, weaken our immune systems and prevent us from getting the sleep that our bodies need to repair and rejuvenate themselves.
Stress is like steam. It can build up all day every day and unless we take steps to relieve the pressure, it can lead to a devastating explosion. Make sure you take the time to relieve your stress. Head to the gym or a yoga class after work. Take a few minutes to practice mindfulness meditation on your lunch break. Hang a punch bag up in your garage and box the heck out of it when you get home after a rough day. Just don’t let it build up to the point where it harms your health.
Is it all about the money with little room for ethics?
When we’re starting out in our careers, it’s all-too tempting to chase after the money. But the trouble is that jobs which are intensely money-driven offer very little nourishment for the soul. They may involve being ruthless, self-serving or even outright dishonest in the name of turning a profit.
Ethically minded people tend not to do well in jobs that have no ethical focus. It may be worth retraining or at the very least volunteering some of your free time to something more rewarding. Maybe you should take a second look at that Grand Canyon University Nursing course. Or that teaching diploma. Or simply volunteering at the old folk’s home. It could lead to a much more rewarding way to spend your days, even if it means taking a pay cut.
Do you feel like you’re losing all the things that make you you?
Finally, do you feel as though your job is robbing you of your personality, your sense of humor, your creativity and all the things that make you you?
It’s imperative that you re-engage with these aspects of yourself, even if you keep a punishing work schedule. Make time to see your friends. Go to the movies or the theater. Watch stand up comedy at the local comedy club. Join a dance or acting class. Paint.
The richer your life outside of work, the better able you are to take whatever it throws at you and live a happy, healthy and positive life!
