When Working Life Is Not Compatible With Health

The moment one is aware that his work life is not compatible with health, everything changes. George Bernard Shaw rightly said that blessed is he who dedicates his time to a profession according to his vocation; however, and as we well know, one can have a job that they love and experience, on the contrary, a high level of discomfort due to the adverse conditions in which they carry out their work.

Doctors, teachers, social workers, mechanics, architects, geriatric assistants, civil servants, freelancers, workers, supermarket cashiers … No professional category is exempt from such well-known factors as stress, anxiety or mobbing. In all jobs there may be an unfavorable climate, as well as that continuous violation of labor rights; the same that any of us have ever lived in our own skin.

In these situations, one aspect should be highlighted: not only diseases appear. It also increases, for example, the risk of suffering accidents in itinere (when we go to work or return from it). At the same time, it is necessary to remember that problems at work have their impact on the family and social environment, and that the person even goes so far as to question such profound aspects as their professional competence, their identity, their potential, their self-esteem, etc.

Work can ‘burn’ us, we know it. Knowing how to detect it and act in time can not only prevent us from falling into states of anxiety, stress or severe depression. It can also save our lives . Let’s see more data below.

When working life is not compatible with health

A few years ago, a bank employee in Almería (Spain) had a problem with a customer of the branch. The latter wanted to carry out an action that was not allowed and when he saw the refusal of the employee, he began to insult him and yell. After a while, the bank clerk tried to propose another way to solve his problem, but the person persisted in his offensive and highly aggressive attitude.

The employee, upset by that situation, communicated it to his director. She told him to go calm down to a room. However, that young man chose something very different: climb to the roof of the building and jump into the void. That suicide was for the branch the result of a specific moment of stress. However, the Superior Court of Justice did not think the same; in fact, he considered it a ‘work accident’.

It was shown that that bank employee was subjected to a long stress situation caused by the conditions of the branch and the policy it was carrying out . This story, as striking as it may seem, is repeated many times around the world and in the most diverse job categories.

This is what happens to your body and mind in less than optimal working conditions

Sometimes it happens, working life is not compatible with health and when this happens we are forced to react. However, it should be noted that we are not always aware of it until it is late, until that warning appears in our mind and in our body: the anxiety that overwhelms us, the problems at home … Therefore, it is important that we know how to notice the signals:

• The insomnia.
• The constant headaches.

• Musculoskeletal pain.
• Suffer from minor illnesses more frequently, such as colds, flu, alterations in our blood pressure …
• Low motivation; we even stop enjoying those things that we used to like.
• Changes in our diet: either we can feel excessive hunger or have a lack of appetite.
• Constant apathy and tiredness.
• Digestive and intestinal problems: poor digestion, constipation, bloating, nausea, nerves in the stomach …

What can I do when I don’t feel good about my job?

A person can have the job they have always dreamed of, and suddenly find that they cannot survive in it. Aspects, such as poor pay, violation of labor rights, excess tasks and responsibilities, as well as factors such as mobbing , can completely undermine our vocation and performance in that position.

On the other hand, there is another interesting aspect. A study carried out at the University of Albany by Dr. Michael T. Ford indicates that what most detracts from our psychological health is the feeling of injustice. The outrage at not being respected, valued or even treated with dignity, is what most destroys self-esteem and even health. What can we do when working life is not compatible with health?

• The first step is to fight for our rights. Asking for help, speaking to higher levels, and requesting legal support should be the first strategy.
• At the same time that we request support to demonstrate this series of injustices, it is necessary that we do not neglect mental and psychological health. Going to our specialized doctors and professionals is always essential.

• It is also a priority that we feel supported by our closest environment: family, friends …
• There is another aspect that we cannot ignore: work should not be the only activity that occupies our lives. Rest and leisure time is vital to counteract the heavy workload.

Last but not least, one more point should be noted: health will always come first. If the conditions of that job are not going to change, if our rights are not taken into account, it is advisable to look for another job. Reaching extreme situations has consequences that are often unforeseen and, in many cases, disastrous.

Sometimes you have to know how to stop to move forward, sometimes you have to close certain doors to open better ones. Let’s think about it.