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Signs you're in a toxic workplace and it’s affecting your health

Signs you're in a toxic workplace and it’s affecting your health
People who work from home also face a host of challenges that ultimately take a toll on their health.

A toxic job can drive your stress levels to an all-time high, which can lower the function of your immune system, and make you more prone to diseases and illnesses.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori |Updated : October 28, 2020 11:29 AM IST

How many of you are happy with your job? This question may make you pause and think about your work for a while. If you're still struggling to find answers to this question, you're not actually enjoying your job or you're in a toxic workplace.

Any job can be stressful at times, but a toxic job can take a toll on your health and drain the life out of you. Is your job overwhelmingly stressful or intolerably dull or you're dealing with an overbearing boss or annoying co-worker? These are some reasons that can turn a workplace toxic. And when you're in a toxic workplace, your health is at risk. A toxic job can drive your stress levels to an all-time high, which can lower the function of your immune system, and make you more prone to diseases and illnesses.

Is it a toxic job or burnout? Burnout is a state of emotional, mental as well as physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you don't adequately recharge from the stresses of work. You can recover from burnout with adequate rest and perhaps a different perspective on your work. But no amount of rest or time can help when the job is actually toxic.

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Here are some signs that indicate you're in a toxic job and it is taking a toll on your mental health.

You don't feel positive at work

You're all smiles when you started from home, but those feelings disappear once you enter the workplace. You're always feeling uncomfortable, on edge, or emotionally weary. When you're with your colleagues, you can only force a half-smile.

The weekend is not enough to recover from the stress

You feel mentally exhausted throughout the week. You're finding it difficult to push yourself till Friday. When the weekend finally comes, you're too worn out to make a plan with friends. You're yet to recover from the workweek, and it's time to go back to work.

You're irritable on Sunday night

It's Sunday night and you're hanging out with friends. But you're stressed and you're finding it hard to engage with the people around you. You seem to be irritable when you should be having fun with friends. This is because work is in your mind, and you're already anticipating Monday morning.

You're often thinking about retirement

Weekends do not excite you anymore; you want a permanent break from work. You might be thinking about ways to get rich so you no longer have to work or have started planning your retirement.

You're struggling to sleep on workdays

Toxic work can affect your sleep quality. You may feel the effects on workdays (typically Monday through Friday nights), or may notice it in anticipation of work (Sunday through Thursday nights).

You're falling sick quite often

A toxic work environment can not only have an effect on your mind and spirit but on your body too. Chronic stress can ravage the immune system, making you more susceptible to every virus that's going around.

You're staying at home a lot of days

You don't feel like going out even on weekends. You choose to stay at home more often. Some days the thought of going to work makes you sick to your stomach. You're making a lot of excuses to avoid going to work.