How stressed were you at your most stressful job?

[Anonymous]

And what did you do about it?
Really not enjoying the knot in stomach feeling all day every day

[Anonymous]

Usually, the workplace only wants "happy" people around, especially if you're a woman. You MUST put on a happy face. You will be terminated.

[Anonymous]

I was pretty stressed at my most stressful job. I quit, and downgraded to a career that I enjoy a lot that doesn't make me wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. I make a lot less money, though.

[Anonymous]

Both times when this happened, I could feel myself sinking into depression. I went to therapy eventually while also searching for new jobs. When I quit, I already had something lined up.

[Anonymous]

I've had two jobs that were stressful. One was emotionally hard because of what I had to deal with and see (people who had died), but at the same time the people around me were decent, good people, who took that job because they wanted to do decent, good things or they had an academic interest in what they did.

Another one was hard because it was 80 hours a week around people who only took the job because they 1. wanted to make a lot of money and/or 2. wanted power and were willing to step on everyone else to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had two jobs that were stressful. One was emotionally hard because of what I had to deal with and see (people who had died), but at the same time the people around me were decent, good people, who took that job because they wanted to do decent, good things or they had an academic interest in what they did.

Another one was hard because it was 80 hours a week around people who only took the job because they 1. wanted to make a lot of money and/or 2. wanted power and were willing to step on everyone else to do it.

Op - I have the second kind.
Side note I am now fascinated to figure out what you do bc it sounds like you were in the army and then were president

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was pretty stressed at my most stressful job. I quit, and downgraded to a career that I enjoy a lot that doesn't make me wake up in the middle
of the night with anxiety. I make a lot less money, though.

Same. Best decision of my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had two jobs that were stressful. One was emotionally hard because of what I had to deal with and see (people who had died), but at the same time the people around me were decent, good people, who took that job because they wanted to do decent, good things or they had an academic interest in what they did.

Another one was hard because it was 80 hours a week around people who only took the job because they 1. wanted to make a lot of money and/or 2. wanted power and were willing to step on everyone else to do it.

Op - I have the second kind.
Side note I am now fascinated to figure out what you do bc it sounds like you were in the army and then were president

Trying to be a little vague but think Medical Examiner's Office to Investment Banker.

[Anonymous]

I cried at least 2 times a week. Often in the bathroom at work. I slept with my phone near my bed and would constantly check email. I would nervously wait for my boss to come in on Mondays mornings to see if it was going to be a horrible day (bc her moods dictated how the day went). I would travel a lot.

[Anonymous]

I did the minimum because the managing excuse for a human being was an obvious bully that ripped everyone’s work apart so I made sure not to work too hard. I deleted nasty emails and ignored nasty comments which were frequent. Eventually, I quit which I should have done a long time ago like all the other people. I stayed too long.

[Anonymous]

Research science...sick to my stomach every day. Someone would cry in the lab at least weekly. The stakes are just too high and the boss's opinion of you is totally based on whether your experiment elicited the "desired" result, not on your technical skill or work ethic. I switched to clinical work and never felt sick again.

[Anonymous]

My most stressful job was waiting tables. Because people are jerks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was pretty stressed at my most stressful job. I quit, and downgraded to a career that I enjoy a lot that doesn't make me wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. I make a lot less money, though.

This is what I thought I was getting, until the pot stirrers at work reared their ugly heads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both times when this happened, I could feel myself sinking into depression. I went to therapy eventually while also searching for new jobs. When I quit, I already had something lined up.

Same for me for stressful job #1.
For stressful job #2, I only had some part-time consulting lined up and in the short-term that really ended up screwing me financially for a few years. In the long-term, the job I landed after that ended up putting me on a really good trajectory to where I am now, still in the same field but in a totally different type of role.

Also, I learned that being a good leader at an organization with X resources doesn't mean you'll be a good leader at a different organization with Y resources. Also, I learned I hate managing people. So much happier now in a senior-level IC role.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was pretty stressed at my most stressful job. I quit, and downgraded to a career that I enjoy a lot that doesn't make me wake up in the middle
of the night with anxiety. I make a lot less money, though.

Same. Best decision of my life.

+2. I would cry a lot after work. I was in the military and while some of it was good, people could be just awful and everything was a crisis.