Is your job affecting your health?
Written by The Star Sunday, 15 May 2011 00:00
Signs that your work is affecting your health.
AS a stressed-out existence increasingly becomes the new norm, many people are numb to what’s happening to them, says registered counselor Dr Lee Chee Siang.
Many of those who experience aches and pains, or feel stressed, brush their symptoms off as normal. “They think it is normal to feel that way because everybody else is experiencing it,” he explains.
However, there are some signs and symptoms that can indicate that your work, or the way you work, is affecting your general well being.
Here are some of them, as summarised from explanations by occupational scientist Charles Christiansen, occupational health doctor Dr Abed Onn, and clinical psychologist and employee assistance programme professional Low Mi Yen.
Exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency
These are usually early signs of work-life imbalance that may lead to burnout if left unchecked. People who are affected often feel increasingly uninterested in their work and unusually tired despite rest.
Some of these feelings can result in obvious signs, like absenteeism. More subtle signs include “presenteeism”, which is when an employee may be physically present at work, but is not productive.
Change in behaviour and physical appearance
Sometimes, the feelings of frustration, anger and disinterest may affect the way people behave and the way they look. He or she may change from an immaculately dressed person to one who no longer bothers to take care of his appearance. Some may also gain or lose weight suddenly.
Behavioural changes are subtler, but increased irritability and tendency to complain or express anger and frustration are common signs.
Increased susceptibility to minor illnesses, aches, and pains
People affected by their work-related lifestyles may find themselves coming down with minor illnesses, such as coughs and colds, more frequently. Otherwise, they could also experience more aches and pains easily.
Workaholism
Sometimes, to compensate for their feelings of disinterest or guilt due to their perceived inefficiency, people can tend towards workaholism, which shows itself as a type of addictive work behaviour where excessive work begins to interfere with family and relationships.
In this case, people put more and more effort into their work, thinking that it would help them regain their previous performance and passion. However, they become less and less productive due to the extra stress.
Insomnia and sleep disorders
Disruption to one’s sleep patterns is also a manifestation of work-life imbalance, especially for people who do shift work. This is mostly due to the simple fact that when you have a lot on your mind, it is more difficult to relax and sleep.
If you are concerned about whether your job is causing the health problems you are experiencing, you can seek help by consulting an occupational health doctor to find out if the symptoms and signs you are exhibiting can be linked to workplace exposures, says Dr Abed.
The doctor should then be able to treat you for the condition and make an informed judgement on whether you are fit to return to your work or may need to be “medically removed” temporarily until the health problem has been resolved.
However, before it comes to that, Dr Abed emphasised that it is important to remember that the human worker is not a machine. Hence, they need adequate time off from work to have time to rest and recover from the exertions of work.
“To the employers, I would like to remind them that their workers – their human capital – are their most valuable assets. They need to be nurtured and cared for to ensure that they will continue to be productive.
“To the employees, I would like to remind them that they have an obligation to protect their health because if they don’t, no one else will!” he says.
