Years pass by to formulate and decide on a definite career path for ourselves. The process is undertaken at quite a young age of an individual. For some, the career choice is pre-decided for them by their guardians and for the latter, the struggle of choosing from multiple choices of career preferences turns into an undying helix of confusion and self-doubt. Even the students who have accomplished in their respective fields have had several doubts and pressure during his or her teenage.
Career pressure is something that does not stop even after acquiring a job. It bothers a person to the extent that he or she undergoes constant stress and anxiety. High-pressure jobs have often led people to take up psychological aid to cope with the building pressure.
Let’s unravel the journey of this pressure which is carried on from time to time, and which quite vividly remains static for a longer period causing an air of lethargy to develop around the individual.
Secondary Education
The first and foremost sense of academic pressure that an individual undergoes in his teenage years, this level functions as the grass-root to career pressure. In India, a major portion of the adolescent population faces challenges in choosing a career path for them after the tenth grade. The constant peer pressure of performing well in their class twelfth board examination as it would further ensure their admissions in renowned colleges compels the students to undergo a tremendous amount of stress.
Studies have shown that “two-thirds (66%) students reported that their parents pressurize them for better academic performance” and “every day, 6.23 students commit suicide due to the peer pressure ”
National Institute of Mental Health of Maryland, USA has highlighted the fact in a survey that “an estimated 31.9% of adolescents had any anxiety disorder. Of which, an estimated 8.3% had severe impairment” which career pressure a prominent factor for the same.
Graduation
Coming to the most crucial period of a student’s academic years. This is where an individual has made his/her choice among the vast field of career options, which in some cases, does not prove to be of so much efficiency for the individual’s profession later on. By the time individuals blend into the world of colleges and institutions, they blend into a nature of constant competitiveness among their peer groups. And later this sense of competition turns into a fear of falling out if not performed well in their semester exams or their internal assessments. Also, it creates a sense of isolation and loneliness in some cases as a result of peer pressure and inbuilt competitiveness.
Majority of the young adults attending college often tend to reduce their duration of sleep, to complete the given task, or to study for longer hours to score better in competitive exams for higher degrees or well-paying job profiles. It is often observed among millennials that, staying up late throughout the night and finishing their work gives them a sense of achievement or a sense of productiveness. However, neglecting sleep often tends to develop sleeping disorders such as insomnia, sleep paralysis, and anxiety attacks as well.
Brad Waters in one of his articles states the following lines which give a bigger scenario of a young adult’s mindset working under career pressure.
“We become burdened by a sense that by not locking into a desirable career trajectory, we’ll develop deep regret as we get older. And for a plethora of reasons: because we won’t be able to save up enough for retirement, we won’t become famous, we won’t leave a legacy for our children, our parents won’t be proud, we may appear to others as wasted potential. The fear of the future that’s injected into our culture is another story altogether.”
The statistics from the above graph show that about one-third of U.S. college students had difficulty functioning in the last 12 months due to depression, and almost half said they felt overwhelming anxiety in the last year, according to the 2013 National College Health Assessment, which examined data from 125,000 students from more than 150 colleges and universities.
More than 30 percent of students who seek services for mental health issues report that they have seriously considered attempting suicide at some point in their lives. Insufficient funding for college mental health services also means inadequate access to care and treatment.
Financial difficulties while paying college tuition fees are also another factor for causing harm to the mental health of many students.
High-Pressure Jobs
The high-paying jobs come with high pressure. The freshers choose this as their ultimate life goal. The entire saga of developing a well-established career comes to this very stage where individuals aspire for a well-paying profession that would be enough to lead on with their lives and fulfill the dreams and hopes of their families. But, somehow we see a reversal of such anticipated reality in people’s professional careers. CEOs, business group heads, lawyers, consultancy firms, and many more professions, all always have a group of individuals who often suffer from mental health issues. Many job-oriented individuals seek psychological aid such as therapy and psychiatrist help when the career pressure is in full swing. Many people even feel like quitting their jobs and taking up something which gives them a sense of calm and mental stability in life. It is at this stage some people finally give more importance to physical and mental well-being than, materialistic goals which gave them only wealth and stress.
For many people struggling to make ends meet, stepping back from difficult workplace conditions isn’t an option. For others, stepping back for mental health reasons isn’t a choice — it’s survival. Sticking back to a job that only helps in financial motives can often lead to neglect towards it and hence overwork.
“This cycle of overwork is fuelled by a culture that teaches us to value making immense sacrifices to achieve big goals. We’re often forced to choose between a promotion and quality time with family, or sacrificing sleep for extra productivity.”
All those bottled-up frustration, stress, and anxiety for almost thirty years of a lifetime results in a stage of depression, paranoia, and fatigue. Dealing with mental health can be problematic for some as not many pay heed to its concern even now. Therapy is seen as a luxury because of the high fee that is charged. But above all, it’s the awareness that still lacks among individuals.
Dealing with career pressure
- Adapt a stable diet and healthy food habits.
- Try to get at least eight hours of sleep for coping with sleep disorders.
- Seek career guidance from counselors.
- Take enough time to understand your interest in a particular field, and avoid making hasty decisions.
- Fix a timetable to finish tasks. Avoid overworking and procrastination.
- Try being more communicative with your parents or guardians about your problems.
- Promote a culture of respect. Often the greatest help to mentally ill employees comes from peers who are willing to listen.
- Above all, have faith and believe in yourself.
- Learn to have adequate patience.
References
Brad Waters MSW, Design Your Path. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/design-your-path/201206/the-immense-pressure-career-choice
Prevalence of Any Anxiety Disorder Among Adolescent (National Institute of Mental Health). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml#part_155096
Reina Gattuso, Author & Contributor. https://www.talkspace.com/blog/leave-job-for-mental-health/
High-Pressure Jobs and Mental Illness. https://hbr.org/2015/04/high-pressure-jobs-and-mental-illness
