Is Your Job Making You Sick?

Fam. If your job is making you sick it’s time to call it quits. Give me a moment to explain

because it’s never as easy as it sounds but it’s beyond important. We’re talking about your

health here and that should always take priority. Now let be clear that by no means am I

suggesting you quit your job with no back up for finances or another job to supplement the

income you’ll no longer be getting from that job, nor am I talking about you being slightly

annoyed or bored with your job and quitting with no plan. What we’re talking about here is a

being in a workplace environment that is literally making you sick mentally or physically because

of the stress and workload placed on you.

I know how difficult it can be to leave a job, and even more so when you've worked there for a

lengthy time. You've grown accustomed to the routine, the people, and the money even if it's

less than you deserve. When this source of stability is also a main source of your stress to the

extent of feeling ill, it may not be worth what it's costing you.

The effects of work-related stress can lead to a number of different responses in your body,

brain and behaviors. One of the most common feelings associated with work-related stress is

anxiety. Levels of anxiety vary and with work one may experience feelings of mild nervousness

before starting their work day, to panic attacks before and at work, severe migraines, nausea,

uncontrollable shaking to feeling completely debilitated. If your job is causing you to call in sick

more than you actually work it may be time to start applying for new opportunities before the

financial burden of missed pay adds to the stress and anxiety you are already experiencing.

Often the stress and anxiety that jobs we’re miserable at cause us to take out our frustration and

annoyance out on our friends and family rather than the actual source. To maintain

professionalism a person will agree to things they would never agree to and be treated and

spoken to in ways they would never allow outside of their place of work. Pent up frustration,

feelings of not being heard, exhaustion can take a toll on us and if we have no outlet within the

workplace or other areas of our life, it comes out in our personal lives around the ones closest to

us, often unknowingly. Pay attention to not ruin good relationships due to your being in a bad

place. Jobs can be replaced, your loved ones cannot.

Work isn’t always going to be easy, in fact when you’re doing something you love you may

actually devote more time and energy to it but enjoy every minute of it. Your dream job may not

be readily available to you, but that does not mean you stay in a place where you are

completely unhappy and health concerns are present. You can’t get to where you’re meant and

want to be if you are not well enough to take any of the steps to get there. You need to be your

best self in order to perform at your best and that includes prioritizing your health above all

things. A happier you IS a healthier you!

“If it costs you your peace, it’s too expensive.” -Paul Coelho