Careers are supposed to be things that improve your life. But what happens if they do the opposite and actually end up wrecking your health? In this post, we will consider how you can ensure your career doesn’t ruin your life.
Recognise Symptoms Early
First, it’s worth recognising the symptoms early. Watching for signs that your career may be getting the better of you is critical if you want to remain happy and healthy long-term.
The most common signs that something’s wrong include:
- Regular headaches
- Chronic fatigue
- Burnout
- Anxiety
If you notice these creeping up or you can’t stay calm at night, then it is a sign that something needs to change.
Explore Self-Care
Next, you’ll want to move on to exploring self-care options. These make your body and mind more robust against the challenges of employment.
Self-care is a personalised thing, so what you do is very much up to you. However, preparing healthy meals and ensuring you get plenty of rest at night can get you 80% of the way to where you want to be.
Focus on eating the same whole foods your ancestors would have eaten. Try to get away from the industrial food system as much as you can and return to nature.
Learn Stress Management Techniques
At the same time, you might want to try learning some stress management techniques. These are vital if you like your job, but you can feel it raising your cortisol levels.
Again, how you lower stress is up to you, but it is usually worth trying several different approaches until you land on something in your life.
Get Professional Support
Another approach is to get professional support and look through your options. The more you can work with others, the better off you’ll be.
For example, you could make an accident at work claim if you’ve been injured. These get you compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other factors.
You could also speak to HR and see whether they could change your situation in some way. If there’s a problematic manager or a work situation that is unfair to you, these are the first people you should raise it with.
It also helps to connect with others in general if work is ruining your life, including:
- Colleagues who are going through a similar experience
- Friends
- Mentors who understand the industry
Check Your Career Path
You also want to consider whether your job aligns with your desired career path. Sometimes, work and your career can affect your health and not even move you in the direction you want to go financially, which is a shame.
Therefore, see if there is something you can do to make your work more sustainable. If not, look for opportunities elsewhere.
Plan For Change
Finally, if you can’t adjust your career to work around your health, it may be time to plan for change. You could update your resume and look for healthier work environments with other companies. The better your financial planning is, the more likely you are to slip into your new role.
Featured Image from Pexels – CC0 License
