Ah, the existential dread of Sundays. We’ve all been there. We start worrying about the new work week, dreading everything we didn’t have time to finish, and dealing with all the issues that our job position brings.
But when does it go from simply not wanting to go to work to realize that you are unhappy in your career?
You can start to feel anxiety about going to work for a vast number of reasons. Time and time again, research has shown that your work affects not only your mental but also your physical health as well. For example, a study showed that “workers’ health is affected by high job demands and work pressures; as a result, effects such as headaches, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, insomnia, burnout, and depression occur.”
Can you believe all the consequences people undergo just to work at some company that would replace you in a heartbeat? It’s time to cut the crap and take care of ourselves.
This realization, plus the sheer exhaustion of working in the dentistry field, led me to make a life-changing decision.
I was working in a toxic environment where the clinics were perpetually short-staffed, patients were aggressive, there was no respect for boundaries or employee well-being, and there was no work-life balance.
As a result, my mental health deteriorated. This comes as no surprise, as according to a study, “The toxic workplace can cause anxiety, stress, depression, health problems, absenteeism, job burnout, counterproductive work behavior, and ultimately degrade productivity.”
My wake-up call was when I got into a car accident because I was completely and utterly exhausted after working over 40 hours in a matter of 3 days. After this, I decided to take my writing and social media side hustles more seriously and worked to turn them into a full-time career. I took what was probably the biggest risk ever and quit my job. I traded in my scrubs for a laptop and loungewear.
I’m not going to pretend that this has been an easy journey, for I swapped the security of being a full-time employee for the sometimes uncertain reality of freelancing.
However, had I not taken this risk, I would not be where I am today. For some, this may seem unstable, but I feel like all of these leaps of faith made me the person I am today.
While sometimes it gets lonely, working from home has opened many doors for me. I now have flexibility, something I never knew was a possibility. I have time to go to the doctor, eat, and take care of myself — all because I have the liberty of creating my own schedule.
This new career allowed me to go back to school to pursue my master’s degree. One year ago, I was miserable, burnt out, and extremely unhappy. My hair was falling out; my face was breaking out; I was physically sick, and so much more.
Today, I am flourishing. All because I decided enough was enough and embarked on a new career journey.
Take this as your sign to seize the day. After all, we only have one life to live.