Don’t ignore your health
Is your body trying to tell you something about your job? It is if you experience recurring headaches, stomach upset, heart disease, anxiety and depression. Your body is the best indicator of your toxic job and it’s best to listen.
Of course, not all the above ailments can be attributed to your toxic job, some maybe from pre-existing conditions or other factors in your life. But if you have these symptoms and no other issues, they may be the result of your toxic job.
Cortisol is a hormone in your body that has many benefits. One is that is responsible for protecting you from harm. It is released during flight or fight situations. When used properly, cortisol will give you what you need to be able to deal with danger. However, if you are stressed due to your job, chances are you don’t have to make life or death decisions.
During periods of stress, cortisol is released and it is assumed that your body will recover from a temporary danger at which point your natural body relaxation response will take over to prevent the release of cortisol. If you are in a constant state of stress, cortisol is released continuously. But your body doesn’t need the cortisol and so it starts attacking your healthy body.
The increased cortisol effects:
- blood pressure
- immunity
- bone density
- blood glucose
- cognitive performance
- thyroid
- cholesterol
- body fat
- heart
- joints
- breathing
- digestion
The level of cortisol in your body can be controlled. You have two choices. One is manage your stress using relaxation techniques such as exercising, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, hypnosis and many others. The other is removing the stressor by finding the source of your anxiety by: changing departments or duties, reducing your hours, transferring to a new location or get out of the situation altogether. Another words, leave your job and find another.
Whatever you decide to do, you must do it. You are not meant to live in high levels of stress. There are some situations you cannot control, but the ones you can control, you owe it to yourself.
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