How Staying in a Job You Hate Affects Your Mental Health

How Staying in a Job You Hate Affects Yur Mental Health When it comes to your career, there is nothing worse than a job you hate, literally.According to a University of schnrlsamt study, having a poor quality job a job you hate is actually worse for your mental health than having no job at all. It may sound hard to believe until youve been there hostile co-workers, a passive-aggressive boss, or mind-numbing assignments. Not to mention we often spend 40 or mora hours a week invested in our job, and thats a lot of time to spend in a bad situation.For the 51% of Americans employed full-time who reported to Gallupin 2017 that theyre uninterested in their jobs and the 16% who dislike their workdistribution policy, staying at a job you hate is bad news for your mental health. Heres why.Worsening mental health symptomsWhether you already absprache with a mental health issue or not, staying in a work scenario you hate has mental health consequences, especially when you feel obligated to s tay.Research from the Human Relations journal, as Business News Daily reports, found that those who stayed at companies because they felt obligated or couldnt find other job opportunities were more likely to experience exhaustion, stress, and burnout. In addition, this feeling of indebtedness and a loss of autonomy are emotionally draining over time, per one of the studys researchers. All of these factors lead directly to mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression.With a pre-existing mental health condition, a job you hate can seem even more dire.If youre constantly miserable at work, of course thats going to affect your mental health, says Sarah Schewitz, a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist. If you already have a more negative outlook on life because youre feeling depressed, or more fearful outlook on life because youre anxious, its completely amplified by being at a distribution policy that you despise on a daily basis.Delayed mental health issuesThe impact of hating yo ur job may also follow you later in life. Ohio State University conducted a study that tracked the job satisfactionof people between ages 25-39, and then measured their health once they turned 40 years old.What the study found was those who had low job satisfaction in their 20s and 30s were more susceptible to mental health issues later on, including higher levels of depression, sleep problems, and excessive worry. Those who had bad job experiences in their early careers also showed higher instances of diagnosed emotional problems and they scored lower on a test of overall mental health.As we know, our mental health also affects our whole mind-body system, which the studys authors also noted in their findings.The higher levels of mental health problems for those with low job satisfaction may be a precursor to future physical problems, the study author Hui Zheng said. Increased anxiety and depression could lead to cardiovascular or other health problems that wont show up until they a re older.No silver liningOur brains are naturally sticky for the negative, and thats doubly true when youre dealing with a mental illness. Some who are in less-than-ideal work conditions can find the silver lining in a bad scenario considering their current position as a stepping stone to something better or being grateful to have a paycheck. Its difficult to get to this place with a mental illness in the mix.Its harder for people who have mental illness to manage this thought process around hating their job, Schewitz intimates. People with mental illness may have a harder time getting that theme, that silver lining, so its easier to go to a dark, negative place when you have mental illness. Your brains kind of primed for that.Difficulty leaving a bad situationWithout seeing the silver lining in a job, its easier to get stuck there because mental illness just doesnt allow for a path out. This means were more likely to stay in the bad situation because we cant motivate ourselves to find alternatives.Theres a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness, says Schewitz. If youre feeling hopeless and helpless then youre often not motivated to change your situation if you feel that way about your job, and feel overwhelmed at the thought of even trying to get a new job.To get out of this mindset takes a herculean effort, one brought about by shifting our thoughts to a more active place find the motivation to move on.I would have them shift the way theyre thinking and remind themselves daily that they are not stuck, Schewitz advises. Even just shifting that perspective can be powerful.Fear of getting helpConsidering all the mental health consequences of staying in a job you hate, it may be one of the best times to engage a mental health professional to achieve that perspective shift that will ultimately help you find your way to a better workplace. Not to mention, the extra support and validation a therapist can provide go a long way.But according to Bustle, research sh ows that those who work low quality jobsand have a psychiatric disorder are less likely to seek assistance for their mental health, largely due to a fear of being fired because of the stigma. This can lead to feeling more trapped, hopeless, and helpless, feelings that prolong the time youre left in a bad situation, which starts the cycle all over again.While we know it isnt as simple as just getting out when you have a job you hate most of us do need a steady income the mental health consequences of sticking around take a huge toll. If youre in this situation, dont be afraid to reach out for help, knowing you have the right to find a workplace that is life-affirming and supports your well-being.