To follow our theme this month of loving your job (or not!), we discuss whether or not your job can actually make you sick!
It’s that time of the year when so many coughs and colds are doing the rounds and many of us are forced to take time off work to recover. We all know that sitting in an air conditioned or heated office every day can provide a hot bed for germs to fester but have you considered that your actual job could be contributing to a low immune system and making you more susceptible to those germs?!
Every day, millions of us get up and go to work. For some, they are doing something every day that they love but for too many others, every day is a drag as they turn up day after day to jobs that they are not happy doing.
Many people put up with a job that they actively dislike because they lack the confidence to do anything about it, just believe that there isn’t anything better out there or are simply scared or lack the motivation to look for something new. They stick with the devil they know. The problem with that way of thinking is that devil can make you sick.
Hating your job can lower your immune system and make you more vulnerable to picking up colds and infections. If you work hard and work long hours but are valued and can see your efforts paying off, you are less likely to feel stressed and therefore are more likely to sleep well and stay healthy. Stress has a very negative effect on our immune system and increases the risk of depression.
Hating your job can make you put on weight. It is well documented that unhappiness can lead to weight gain and general lethargy – it stands to reason that if you are miserable at work, you are less likely to make sensible and healthy decisions when it comes to food and exercise – the sofa and a take-away is more appealing after a difficult day for many than a trip to the gym!
Hating your job can damage your relationship. People who are unhappy at work tend to bring some of those problems and misery home with them and have less energy for their partner – it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell us that doesn’t make for a happy relationship. Studies show us that people who are in happy and fulfilled relationships have better general health than those in unhappy ones. What we do all day is an important factor in how we then behave when we get home.
Hating your job affects your sleep and can in the long term put you at a higher risk of serious diseases. We all know that lying awake worrying about work night after night is not going to be good for our health. The body needs regular good sleep to restore itself and keep us healthy.
So, if you hate your job, what are you going to do about it? The only thing you mustn’t do is nothing – act now and don’t let your job make you ill.
We offer some good advice about improving your work life balance in a previous article here.
Maybe it’s time for a change? If you aren’t happy at work, give yourself a boost and see what else is out there. Get in touch with us – register your details here – we might have just the thing you’re looking for – you won’t know until you ask!
