Landing a job you’re passionate about is one thing; maintaining a healthy balance between work and life is another. If you’re an anxiety sufferer looking for a job, besides the regular factors be considered such as salary, location, benefits, flexibility, and responsibilities, you need to assess the impact on your general wellbeing. The amount of stress one experiences and feels at work sometimes leads to constant fears and anxieties. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect about 18.1% of the adult population in the United States every year.
What is anxiety?
Webmd defines anxiety as a normal reaction of the human brain. Experiencing anxiety from time to time is considered ok; however, having constant recurring anxiety is a more complicated matter. One can miss out on several events in life like school, work, family and friends meetups, and more. Nevertheless, it is treatable.
There is a stigma attached to having anxiety disorders. This is one of the leading reasons why people with anxiety opt not to get treated and are forced not to work; the fear of getting judged at the workplace grows stronger. This increase in fear also makes it seem harder to find jobs for anxious people.
What to look for in a job when you have anxiety?
There are many jobs for people with anxiety. You just have to find one that fits. Some of the factors to consider include stress level, flexibility, responsibilities, location, and level of interaction.
Flexibility
Work entails long hours, and this could worsen the stress of someone with anxiety. When looking for a job, make sure to ask about work flexibility. Make sure that you can work at your desired time and pace. No work is completely stress-free, but as long as you can still have time for yourself, it can be a good fit.
Shared Responsibilities
Some people with anxiety can perform well when working with other people. Take a look into jobs that have teams. This way, responsibilities or tasks can be shared, and the feeling of being burdensome can be lessened.
Location
Some anxieties can be managed well in different locations. Some prefer working outdoors, while others excel more within closed doors.
Level of Interaction
Those with social anxieties prefer having little to no interaction with other people. An important factor to be considered is the level of people interaction one job demands. People with anxieties can adjust and accomplish tasks easily, as long as they feel safe and not judged by others. Make sure that you agree and can handle the level of person-to-person interaction before accepting any job offers.
Low-Stress Jobs for People with Anxiety
Contrary to what the majority believes, people with anxieties can still build their careers. Here are some good jobs for people with anxiety:
1. Writer
Writing is also a form of therapy. It can be a way to release creativity, which is known to be a good way to release stress. You can start your blog about topics that interest you the most. Writing about topics you know more about and enjoy can instantly release endorphins, which will help maintain your good mood.
If not being a blogger of your website, why not try freelance writing? You can take different writing jobs. Working on your preferred niche eases the workload, and it might not even feel like work at all.
2. Pet Sitter
Some anxieties make people not keen on human interaction. Being a pet sitter has little interaction among humans, but more with animals. Animals have a certain playful nature, which can instantly uplift anyone’s mood. Research published in 2016 claims that pets give much support to people with long-term mental health problems. Being a pet sitter allows you to make a living while doing activities that have little-to-no stress.
3. Housekeeping/cleaning
Housekeeping jobs entail long hours of physical work. Despite being physically challenging, these kinds of jobs are mostly done alone, whether it is in a hotel or home. Some people with anxieties also work best in doing tasks that have clear plans and goals. Cleaning a room gives much satisfaction despite a day’s backbreaking work.
4. Transcriptionist
This kind of job requires you to listen to several audio files and turn them into a written format. This is a good job for people with anxieties because you don’t have much interaction with people. You can work at your own pace, and accept jobs that you are interested in. It has flexibility in terms of work hours, workload, and even the location of the job.
5. Landscaper
At the beginning of the job, you would need to interact with some clients. But other than this, most of the job can be done alone or with your own chosen team. You have a clear goal in mind, a way to express creativity, and can work in peace. The job also allows you to be outdoors together with a lot of greenery which can also help calm your mind.
6 Factory Worker
Working at a factory requires long working hours. Nevertheless, the job can lessen the stress one may feel as there is a clear goal to be achieved; the fear of whether you have done the task correctly or not is lessened as it follows a strict process. Interaction with other people is also little because you mostly work with machines, in solitude.
7. Freelance Artist
If you are into art, working as a freelance artist can both lower your stress levels and express yourself. You can express your feelings through your art. You can opt to work for a client or create pieces and sell them after. Another freelance artist’s job is being a photographer or videographer. These jobs are behind the scenes, so interaction with others is also limited.
If work gets the best of you, try taking a break for a few minutes. While doing so, listen to different life sounds to take your mind off of work even for a bit.
Also, make sure that you have already set your no-fail stress-reducing techniques. If you still don’t have any, try this STOP technique. Whether you experience anxiety occasionally or not, one cannot avoid the feeling of being stressed at work. If you feel tired, rest. Make sure to listen to your mind and body.
