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There's a saying if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life...but what if you don't exactly love what you do? And your work causes you stress? In this article, we will discuss mental health in the workplace. Let's start the list with a field of work you may not have expected to be on the list.
Workplace Mental Health
1. Arts and Entertainment
While being creative has the potential to earn you lots of money, it can also be quite unpredictable. You may be a painter, an author, or a musician with a lot of fans, but you may not always have a job. If you're a painter, you may have to search for people who would be interested in buying your painting. For actors, after a movie, TV series, or play, they may have to look for a new show to be part of.
There is constant pressure, their personal life is always under a scanner, and their "Me-time" goes out of the window. What's worse? They may have long stretches in between jobs. So, while you're thinking that your favorite artists are enjoying a wonderful life in their suites by the beach, in reality, they're probably working twice as hard to make sure that they have any source of income. Which is all very stressful. So, the solution is a stable 9 to 5 job, right? That idea sounds tempting, but it isn't the case. Take the next profession as an example.
2. Office Jobs
If you do well in this field, you may end up being the CEO of a huge company, but the path to that cabin isn't always a rosy one. You will have to put up with many hours of monotonous work. Of course, collaborating with colleagues and sharing the workload may sound nice on paper. There are some downsides to it too, such as office politics, high demands, and lack of control.
According to one study conducted on almost 2 thousand individuals, people who work in an office have a higher chance of developing some form of anxiety or depression. Now, imagine how it might be for them when the economy hits rock bottom or the company incurs a loss.
3. Teaching
While teaching does have rewarding moments, imagine walking into a classroom full of children or teenagers, who would rather gossip about Ed Sheeran's latest album, than learn about math. Yes, that's what teachers have to deal with every day. Your job as a teacher is to educate these kids who may not have an interest in studying. Of course, then there are those misbehaving kids and stressed-out parents who think their kids can do no wrong on top of all that, most teachers usually have a very low starting salary.
4. Accounts & Finance
While an Accountant or a Financial Advisor's job sounds awesome, it has its issues too. People working in these fields spend an entire lifetime taking care of other people's money. What's more? If anything happens to that money, they may be held accountable for it. They have to put in extra long hours to make sure that the work is done.
In a survey of 12 thousand accountants in the United Kingdom, about 51% admitted to having anxiety or depression and 43% of them also believed that the stress related to their work is one of the crucial contributors. Of course, the pay is good and this is a good field to work in for anyone who loves numbers. Although, you might have to work long hours for a thankless job.
5. Medicine & Healthcare
When you are in the field of medicine, you're responsible for a person's well-being and at times, their life. While jobs related to this field can pay very well, they can also be very stressful. A single mistake might mean the death of a patient, it sounds drastic we know, but that's always a possibility. This is why doctors, nurses, and healthcare advisors need to be on their A-game all the time.
Additionally, there will always be those patients who may not listen to a doctor's advice and when things go wrong, their family members may blame the doctor. Perhaps, this is why there are so many doctors who have depression. There are more doctors committing suicide every year than in any other profession.
6. Social Work
If you've ever wondered why social workers always seem sad or angry, well you've come to the right place to find the answer. A social worker needs to take care of the things that other people don't seem to care about. Whether it's a situation surrounding abuse, a homeless child, or the elderly, a social worker has to provide emotional and at times financial support to all of these people.
The problem is no one notices how emotionally draining all this is. They often feel empty and lonely, their field of work can often mean that they have to be out of town or not be in touch with friends or family for a long time. Some social workers don't even start families because of this reason.
7. Sales & Marketing
Yes, we're talking about those folks who are trying to sell you something, whether or not you need it. Although, their depression is more linked to the economic market than anything else. This is why it is harder for them when there is a problem in the market. Even when a company has to make cuts It's often people working in the sales and marketing division who are first to be let go. Their job brings them a lot of money, but it also brings them a lot of risks. If they can't keep up with their quotas, they risk their job.
8. Time A Server
They take your order, they make you feel comfortable in a restaurant, but they need to get paid better and if they make a big mistake, their manager will only think twice before firing them. That is how a server's life is and because of this reason, they are often very stressed out. It was found in a survey that most of the people who work in service often suffer from one or more forms of anxiety.
They always have to be on their best behavior, even when dealing with rude customers daily, which can frustrate anyone. A survey conducted on more than 2000 men and women found that there were more reports of stress and depression in this field of work, compared to any other.
9. Time Customer Care
You sit at a desk and listen to customers complain all day. Customer Care Executives have to be on their very best behavior while trying to understand the customer's problem, empathize with them, and then find a solution. If that wasn't enough to give anyone a headache, there are always customers who may be rude because of one reason or another.
The bottom line is you are the intermediate between the business and the customer. So, if the customer isn't satisfied with the business, guess who they will call and unleash their rage on. YES, you. This is why there have been many reports from those who are working in customer care who are not happy with their jobs.
