How to know if your job is affecting your mental health
Bad days at work are common. You have a lot on your plate, you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, you’re barely functioning because the work pressure is too much.
However, if this is only something that occurs every now and then and isn’t always the case, then it’s completely natural. But, if this describes your everyday life, if this accurately describes how you feel at work every single day, then it is a problem. While bad days are common, bad days all the time are not.
When you face daily stresses like this on a very regular basis, then it is indeed affecting your mental health. This is is a daily thing, it can lead to more severe and adverse effects such as anxiety attacks and depression. What you need to do is to recognize these daily instances and triggers and understand whether your workplace is instigating against your mental health.
Let’s take a look at a few triggers or instances at work that can have an adverse effect on your mental health.
You’re ignored
If your workplace is toxic, then your opinions and thoughts or ideas may go ignored by others. They tend to devalue what you think and believe you have nothing to contribute, coinciding with their superiority complex.
This does not have anything to do with your potential or yourself, it’s that some people at work would find it more comfortable to talk amongst themselves and share opinions that are within a ‘safe’ boundary. Anything from an external source may feel like a threat to them. Hence, leading them to not value your thoughts.
Irresponsible management
If you are going through a disagreement with one of your colleagues and you need to consult a higher up for something, then you may feel a bit nervous. And if after consulting your manager, there is no action taken and your words and thoughts are dismissed; and also if the other colleague is given more preference than you, it is indeed unfair and toxic.
They don’t listen to your complaints and believe that you are the one who is hard to work with. However, once again, this has nothing to do with you and workplace politics get in the way of fair functioning. This is entirely the management’s fault, and you may need to tell yourself that it isn’t yours.
Unreasonable expectations
Too many restrictions kill a workplace that intends to function healthily. However, without rules and regulations, it can be difficult for a workplace to function. This can alienate employees and make them feel lost and on their own, which is not a fair situation.
If any difficulties come up after, there will be no rule or idea where you can function further. This can end up with employees having unreasonable expectations placed on them, which can lead to stress and eventually, burnout.
Everyday bullying
Workplace bullying is a lot more common than one would think. It need not always be what is depicted in movies, where you are constantly told that whatever you do is not good enough. It can be more subtle too, where your efforts are laughed at, you are not included in a conversation, being looked at differently, and they can call you names.
When this scenario arises, it can be hard to cope with a space that functions based on toxicity.
They leave you out
A workplace doesn’t entail all of its employees to know what’s going on every time. Somethings need to be kept a secret, and not everyone is included in every project. However, that is not the kind of secret-keeping that is mentioned here.
Secrecy becomes a problem when the reason that it is being followed to hide others’ mistakes within an organization. When you are not being given enough explanation as to what’s going on regarding an everyday operation, you will not even know if you are doing something right or wrong.
For instance, if you have an idea of improving the way a certain task is done, and you are ignored saying “No, do it this way.” You may be tempted to ask, “Why not do it in a different way?” And if the answer to this is not enough of an explanation, there’s discrimination by secrecy.
A toxic workplace can be a nightmare for anyone in that space. Some people wouldn’t have the luxury to quit and leave, some people find themselves stuck within such a scenario.
However, toxic workplaces are not healthy and can negatively impact your mental health, especially if you already have a mental illness. These warnings mentioned above are not indicators that you have to quit.
They are merely serving the purpose of a warning. If you find yourself in a similar position, and cannot quit your job, you will have to take care of your mental health in alternate ways and keep on looking for better opportunities when the chance arises.