I read a news article recently that claimed that more working days are lost to stress and mental illness than ever before. A recent survey in the City of London revealed that 40% of senior executives in financial institutions think their job is extremely stressful.
It made me wonder how many of those people are stressed simply because of their jobs or how many people are working in stressful jobs but go home to a stressful situation. I wonder how many people would have admitted in a survey that they were having to dealing with an alcoholic partner or an abusive relationship. Despite all the technology and the labour saving devices, we are more stressed than ever before. Workers are expected to answer emails at 11pm or never turn their phone off.
Here’s the thing. Your boss is demanding that you answer his emails in the evening and you have a husband or partner who’s making other demands on your time and energy. When does your body ever rest? When does your brain ever switch off? How long can a person keep going? Interestingly, many people turn to alcohol to help them cope with the stress at work, which then results in an inability to cope, which then puts pressure on family members, who then have to deal with their own stress and now a challenging partner. It’s a vicious circle. No winners
It’s important to monitor your own stress levels and not take on more than you can cope with. It’s also important to learn to say No. Good organisations claim to want to give their staff a good work/life balance. If your boss starts demanding unrealistic goals, then it’s time to start asserting yourself and not accepting those demands. You’ve escaped one difficult relationship, the last thing you need is another one.