Off The Job Hazards

In the last excerpt from my book, Intelligence For Your Life I suggested several questions to ask before you go out on a limb and quit your job.  Now I want to talk about the health hazards connected to quitting your job. 

Interviewers are always asking me, “So how did you get up the courage to quit a seven-figure job on Entertainment Tonight and follow your dream to be a musician?” It really wasn’t that simple.

I was already doing thirty concerts a year while I was still on the air, and I knew I could probably make a living (albeit not seven figures!) doing what I loved. So when my wife and I decided I would make the career change, it wasn’t as radical as everyone believed. Which brings us back to the question: How big a change am I talking here? If you’re talking about a huge change that will push you in the direction of your dreams—well, maybe there’s no time like the present.

Yet before you march into the boss’s office and tell him to take this job and shove it, consider this: Being out of work is actually hazardous for your health.

Studies show that when it comes to your health, being out of work for six months or more is like smoking twenty packs of cigarettes a day, including an increased risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

Even worse news is that young men who are unemployed are forty times more likely to commit suicide than their peers who have a job. The reason is depression. Statistically speaking, being out of work is actually more dangerous than being a guide on an African safari. Think about that before you quit a job that isn’t exactly making you jump for joy each morning.

Another study has shown that the mere act of work is great for your health—even if it’s work that you don’t completely enjoy. Just being around colleagues and doing something productive contributes to your mental health, which in turn makes your physical body healthier.

We all want to find the job we love. In my new book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth I outline several ways you can find greater job fulfillment.  Check out my book for purchase at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Comments

[Kellie]

Hi John, I have to agree with this study. I am out of work for 4 months now and it is very depressing. I am literally having a hard time finding a job. I want to go to the gym but I have no energy and my finances are very tight. I have no money to enjoy my "time off". I cannot go anywhere because of the high gas prices. The stress of being out of work is incredible.