It can be difficult to choose the type of work you do, and it can be hard to achieve a balance between the stress you feel at work and your healthy personal life. In fact, according to a survey by LinkedIn, high-income individuals experience higher levels of work-related stress. You may be so focused on earning more money that you might not enjoy other parts of your life.
What job do I want?
It’s important to consider whether you will enjoy the work you will do in the new job. Often, a promotion means you will be doing a different type of work. You may shift to management, which means you won’t be “getting your hands dirty” with the day-to-day work of the company. If this job will bring you closer to your long-term career goals, taking the new job makes sense. If you love what you do and don’t want to move into management, it may be better to stay in your current position.
Do I need the extra money?
Before applying for a new job that requires more pressure, assess how the extra money will affect your current lifestyle. If you have a family, you may truly need to earn more money to cover your basic expenses.
A simple household budget should give you an idea of the minimum amount you need to earn to maintain a lifestyle that your family feels comfortable with. If you account for the hourly cost of some of your wants and needs, you might be able to cut your spending to work in a less stressful job. For example, if you earn $25 per hour, and your car payments are $400 per month, you will need 16 hours of work to meet those payments. But if the monthly bus fare is only $100 per month, you will only need four hours of work to meet that need.
What are my alternatives?
If you know that the new job will increase stress on you, but you still need the extra money, make a list of alternative solutions to the problem. Can you cut back on your spending enough to live comfortably in a low-stress job? Can you mitigate the stress of a higher-paying job (in a healthy way)? Can you find a lower-stress job in an area with a lower cost of living?
Moving to a small town will provide a different atmosphere. You may sacrifice some benefits of the big city, but you can enjoy more time with family and lower housing costs as compensation.
Another alternative is to change fields. If you feel stressed from your job, you may need to look for another field that you will enjoy more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What profession causes the highest level of stress?
According to the job search site CareerCast, the most stressful jobs in 2019 were military personnel, firefighters, and airline pilots, respectively.
Should I accept a pay cut to reduce stress?
There is no clear answer to this question; only you can decide if your income is worth the stress that comes with your current job. You can carefully review your budget and determine if you can maintain the lifestyle you want (for you and your family) with the income provided by the lower-stress job.
The article was updated by Lars Peterson
Was this page helpful?
Thank you for your feedback!
Sources:
– LinkedIn Learning. “Stress at Work – See Who’s Feeling it the Most And How To Overcome It.”
– CareerCast. “Most Stressful Jobs.”
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/should-i-work-for-more-money-even-with-more-stress-2386342
Leave a Reply