We all have to work to survive, meet our needs, and enjoy life, whether we hate our job or love it. But sometimes, your job can impact your health. According to Forbes, a study done by Harvard and Stanford showed that poor management in U.S. companies made up 8 percent of annual health costs and even led to some deaths.Â
Here are three red flags to look for that your job may be impacting your health.
Insomnia, Headaches, and Muscle Tension
The first thing people notice when work is causing them problems is sleep disruption and insomnia, which can lead to depression. Also, when you work too hard, your brain floods your system with stress hormones like adrenaline, which may increase your health issues.
The physical condition from the emotional stress you may feel at work every day creates physiological problems, manifesting as pain and aches. Not just headaches but general body aches can be debilitating, but there are solutions. See your physician.Â
Mental Health Declining or New Mental Problems
Having a toxic job or simply working too hard can increase stress, worsen existing mental health issues, or cause new ones. A person who might be a worrier by nature can experience heightened symptoms in a toxic or understaffed work environment.
According to the Huffington Post, issues with your job can cause concern that will often increase to the point of clinical anxiety or depression, which can come with panic attacks and a loss of interest in doing anything outside of what you must do.
Developing or seeing heightening mental health is a red flag that your job negatively impacts you. Try scaling back work hours and avoid working late or on weekends too much. Give yourself a break and get plenty of rest to mitigate the effects of overwork or working in a stressful environment.
Thoughts of Avoiding Work or Quitting
If your job creates a lot of stress, you might find yourself wishing you didn’t have to do it or have urges to quit altogether. But don’t react and walk away before you seek help. Take advantage of employee-assistance programs your job offers or to your human resources to attempt to address the issues causing your troubling thoughts and health distress possibly related to your job. Companionship outside of your job can help offset the stress symptoms you may be noticing, so talk to friends and family for support.Â
Look out for these red flags that your job may be impacting your health, and be proactive about it before the problem becomes too difficult to deal with.
Hang in there. Help is always available if your job is negatively affecting your health, don’t give up. If you need help finding a doctor in your network, click here or give us a call.Â
Cosmo Insurance Agency is a full-service independent insurance agency based in Hackensack (Bergen County) and Lakewood (Ocean County), New Jersey that offers an all-encompassing range of insurance options for both individuals and businesses. Cosmo keeps its promise to assure an efficient and creative approach to the services we offer. Each of our clients experience a personalized and long-term relationship with us. Our New Jersey based team of health brokers guides our clients in helping them choose the most cost-effective options. By incorporating our knowledge of the insurance guidelines for healthcare, employee benefits, life insurance, self-insurance, dental, disability, and long term care insurance, we keep our clients up-to-date with affordable plans that cover all their specific insurance needs.
