The Nurturing Well by: Jill Starbuck
Did you know that approximately 30% of our lives are spent working? For some people, they may spend even more of their lives working. What’s even more startling is that an overwhelming majority of Americans hate their jobs. According to a survey conducted by Gallup, 70% of participants hate their jobs. While many people can tolerate their jobs out of necessity, some find themselves living a nightmare. Given that so much of our lives are spent working, such toxic environments can take a dramatic toll on a person in many ways.
• Alters mood. Working in a toxic environment creates an enormous amount of anxiety and stress. As a result, very little enjoyment, excitement, or happiness occurs at work. Work becomes a dismal, dark place.
• Causes a sense of powerlessness. Constant work pressures create a sense of powerlessness, especially when an employer ignores, interrupts, or threatens you. This sense of powerlessness can creep into everyday matters.
• Affects health. Continual toxic exposure can cause long-term effects such as depression. Some people become consumed by issues at work and face insomnia. In turn, constant stress and lack of sleep causes exhaustion. Exhaustion can weaken the immune system, causing frequent illnesses. These are just a few of the ways a toxic environment can affect health.
• Disrupts relationships. Often, people who work in such environments have a hard time leaving work troubles at the office. Therefore, their anxiety stretches into the evening and weekend hours. Constant stress creates a stressful home, making it hard for anyone to relax.
• Creates self-doubt. In many toxic work environments, the culprit is the manager or somebody you may not be able to avoid easily. They may belittle, blame, or mistreat their coworkers. These types of people cause you to second-guess your worth. Nobody deserves that.
As you can see, nothing good can come out of a toxic work environment. Too much of our lives are spent at work to deal with unacceptable treatment. Life is too short to put our well-being in jeopardy. For those who feel that they cannot escape, seek help outside the work environment to ensure you are handling it in the best possible way.
Jill Starbuck has 20 years of experience as a business writer, editor, and market research analyst. She is a certified health coach through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and a certified running coach through the Road Runners Club of America. She is also the co-owner of a running business. She can be reached at jillstarbuck@hotmail.com.
