Penny Min
Work-life balance is a crucial part of one’s life, and poor working conditions are linked with mental health concerns, suggests the CDC.
If you barely have time to eat lunch and are constantly working with no breaks, it can take a toll on your mental health. The CDC reports that approximately one in 37 adults were stressed in 2021. According to the National Center for Health Statistics National Health Interview Survey, some reported having hindered social and career lives from poor mental health that led to treatment.
The survey found that individuals working the night shift were twice as likely as those on the day shift to report experiencing substantial psychological discomfort.
According to the study, uneven pay and timetables also had negative effects. People who worked a variable shift, those whose income changed from month to month, and those who anticipated losing their job within a year more commonly reported experiencing serious psychological pain. Per the researchers, many of these workplaces linked to poor mental health are uncontrollable.
The report, which was gathered during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed that around one in 17 people who were required to work while physically unwell reported experiencing considerable psychological distress — a number that was three times higher than that of people who were not had to work while ill.
Stress levels were also much higher among those without paid sick time and those with erratic schedules and pay. According to experts, many work environments associated with poor mental health are rooted in a lack of control.
Mental health is an area we need to focus on, as more than half of Americans go through some type of mental illness during some time in their life, per the CDC.
How can you balance work and personal life?
It is important to balance your career and personal life to stay healthy and set boundaries. The Harvard Business Review says work-life balance should be a “cycle,” and can be done by doing these steps:
- Take a step back and contemplate your current mental health state.
- Think of your own emotions and see how you’re feeling.
- Prioritize your life and see what can be done to set a healthy boundary between your career and personal life.
- Think of other options to improve your work-life balance, such as adding family time or hobbies to lessen your stress.
- Bring on the changes and begin setting boundaries.
