Reasons why hating your job is bad for you

The reality of being stuck in a job you hate is pretty soul destroying. Waking up with a feeling of utter dread thinking you’d rather bang your head against a brick wall all day than go to work. 

 

Well, you might be forgiven for thinking that ‘it’s all just a part of life’ and tons of people are in the same boat. However, it turns out, boarding the ‘hate your job’ boat to destination unhappiness won’t just make you miserable, but it can also impact your health. Big time.

Research, conducted by CV Library, revealed that 55.6 per cent of British employees are dissatisfied with their current roles. If you’re not a fan of your job for some reason, other than the fact that Julie from accounts keeps stealing your herbal tea, you are not alone.

Most people are probably vaguely aware that hating your job has consequences in other areas of your life, but what they don’t know is that it can harm your wellbeing in many different ways.

Trust us, from insomnia and unfortunate tummy troubles to full on meltdowns and weight gain – hating your job is hurting you in more ways than one.

Let’s shed some light on just how much being miserable at work can slowly start to ruin your life. And also highlight how, it’s never too late to try something new and it’s always worth fighting for your happiness.

Maybe these health risks will whip into shape and send you reaching for that resume.

 

Mental health

One of the worst impacts of hating your job is just how much it can impact your mental health. Many people don’t just hate their jobs, they can’t cope at work because they’re being forced to do more than they’re physically able to. And eventually the cracks start to show.

If you feel like you’re being spun around a washing machine on a daily basis, the chances are you won’t be coping very well mentally. Hating your job can lead to severe anxiety, depression and stress.

And stress folks, it very dangerous, especially if it continues over a sustained period of time. A recent study even linked having a stressful job to a shorter lifespan. Now that’s a wake up call.

 

More prone to illnesses

Did you know hating your job can make you physically ill? Bad times. It’s mainly because if you’re feeling run down due to being stressed and miserable, there’s a higher chance you’ll catch the sniffles or that gross bug that’s going round the office. And long term stress is linked to all sorts of serious health issues.

This study found that job satisfaction level is an important factor influencing the health of workers. And, another study  of more than 20,000 U.S. nurses found that the nurses who were unhappy at work had a higher risk of getting ill. And guess what, the same study also found women with stressful jobs are risking their health as much as they would if they smoked or took no exercise.

 

Lack of sleep

If you’re worrying about work and going to bed praying there will be a snow day or some sort of travel disruption so you don’t have to drag yourself to your job, well, the chances are you won’t be sleeping too well. All those worries will whirl around in your head and you might even start to struggle with insomnia.

 

Taking your work home with you

It also turns out having resentment about your job doesn’t just harm your health, but your relationships and home life too. Research has found that that enjoying your job can have a positive impact on your marriage. Workers who are happy in their jobs report that they are happily married too.

Let’s finish by emphasising the most important negative impact of hating your job. Your happiness. For most of us, our main goal in life is to be happy.

Ask yourself, are you willing to risk all of the above just to hold down your job? You only get one life after all, do you really want to spend 70% of your life bored, upset, stressed and unsatisfied? We didn’t think so… 

And if you think there aren’t any other options, you’re mistaken. You can always retrain in something else and soon be making steps towards a career you actually like.

In the meantime, here are some tips on how to turn a bad day at work into a winner, so you can survive until you make that all-important leap of faith.