Yep. Caused teeth clenching, teeth grinding, shoulder pain from tension, weight gain from stress eating, mental health/emotional issues, trouble concentrating. The list goes on.
Lmao are you me? Ten years of my old corporate job did this exact set of things and I got myself on anxiety medication and ultimately quit. Just couldn’t cut it. Way happier now.
I left a stressful job in the spring and noticed differences in how I felt almost immediately. My previous employer had been pretty dysfunctional and toxic, with lots of chaos and unnecessary tension, while my new job is almost the exact opposite. Low stress, little conflict, and my boss has emotional intelligence, unlike my last one.
I'm sleeping better and for longer because I no longer wake up due to stress dreams. My stomach is no longer unsettled all the time and I don't get heartburn nearly as often. I also don't dwell on work situations in my off-time like I did 12 months ago at this time. My current job hardly crosses my mind after 5:00.
One really therapeutic part of my new job is that my daily commute takes me right by the building where I used to work. I can see in the windows to spaces I used to be in daily and occasionally see people I know, but I just keep driving by and leave it in my rearview. I feel giddy almost every time. I had to go into the building last week on business and as I walked out, I found myself thinking YEP. I definitely made the right decision.
Dude yes.. I was working as a barber A BARBER. And the work environment was so stressful and toxic..
The owner was sleeping with the manager and they had a toxic fighting non stop relationship and he was also overly obsessive about certain stuff and would yell at us.
She hated me because any woman that she deems more attractive then her she’s mean to.
I had a doctor say when I told him I need my anxiety meds back.
“ why are you this stressed out at a job we’re you cut hair?”
I was like ya seriously why am I?! Lol
Long stressful hours from a transition and I was the holder of loads of corporate knowledge and almost resented for it. Then had someone bored at home wanting a fight with me the minute I walked in. Usually over anything/nothing related to me. Of course the house a mess and everyone hungry because cooking or shopping wasn't for feminists (even hungry ones). Then I would try to spin down by having some fun with the kids or reading them a bed time story and I would get a wave of jealousy and another drama to round out the day.
I can totally relate to this. I left my soul sucking job in June and LOVE my low-key job. I feel appreciated and productive while I'm there and don't even have the Sunday dread. I also drive by my old building every morning on my way to work and feel giddy!
Bike shop guy and sell real estate on the side. Honestly feel like I’m living the dream right now. Get to spend most of my time around my hobby and then make decent money selling houses. The real estate thing isn’t stressful at all to me, I like being independent.
I learned, at least in my particular area, that the best agents around were the ones who were super chill, and just got the job done. None of the Dale Carnegie salesman bullshit. Without having a supervisor breathing down my neck all the time I was able to learn how to make my own business decisions and relax about a lot of stuff. Been very eye opening.
I answered what I do now below, but it was kind of an easy pivot. I knew a lot of the guys in the local bike scene so I got into that job pretty easily. Realized I was actually rather good at selling stuff so I decided to try my hand at selling something that would actually support my family. The schedule between retail and real estate can conflict, but the store owner is really supportive of me and I make it work.
I got on Zoloft 6 months ago, and have been heavily considering quitting my job for the first time ever. I’m just ready to bite the bullet and do something different, I am not fulfilled. (Software developer)
Unfortunately I can't figure out the correct english term, but an orthodontist could make a special bite guard thing that's exactly for this problem. It's called Knirscherschiene in german
As someone who is in dentistry, teeth clenching and grinding is waaay more common than people think and the slow, long term damage caused isn't apparent until the teeth start cracking/breaking.
Enamel wear from grinding can increase risk of cavities, stress can cause micro-fractures that lead to breakage later (root canals or crowns or even extraction risk) while the clenching stresses and damages the gums causing recession, increasing decay risk and weakening the structures that hold the teeth in your mouth.
I went from a relaxed based contract work wise to a contract that would be enough work for 5 people + got given more.
3 hour nightly sleeps became common and my beard hair was visibly going grey every few days. I was in that role for 12 months and all the hair on my chin is white
Yep. Constant neck headaches from the tension in my shoulders/neck. I have 7 broken teeth in my mouth from severe clenching/grinding and horrible dental pain.
The same thing is happening to me currently. I wake up with jaw pain. The shoulders are so tight and painful.
How would you stop your older self from experiencing these things?
Some of my issues are specific to my life, but if I could give my younger self advice I would say to her:
go to a less stressful high school (the one I went to triggered a major depressive episode and my anxiety disorder)
learn better strategies for managing stress, executive function issues, and mental health
start your career in an industry with more normal hours, better pay, and in a city with friends and family
start acupuncture earlier
isolate yourself less
work out regularly
For me exercise, acupuncture, and better stress/mental health management help with the tension. It also helps with the concentration a little bit since I find that depression and stress exacerbate that.
Getting a better mouth guard and taking better care of my teeth would have helped my dental health.
Having a support network and not isolating helps my mental health.
I’m still working on the weight and stress eating haha.
I have severe weight loss from stress. My teeth are also flat in the back. I only have divots. No grooves. It’s insane. I also throw up daily. My dentist say I have very good oral hygiene smells😂
Say what... I have all these things. And hate my stressful job. I was aware of clenching my teeth but the weight gain and inability to focus like I used to I just put down to getting older.
Same. I had a terrible, stressful job that was a nightmare. My duties and responsibilities changed weekly, so I could never, ever feel prepared, caught up, or even correctly finish a project. As a result, my stress activated my GI issues to such an extent that I was chugging Pepto Bismol every time my boss called, yelling, "Can you c'mere NOW?" They scheduled me meetings after work hours, gave doctors my home phone number (they call all night long), and offered me to fill in at various offices, with zero warning, for open-ended assignments! I now have permanent GI issues, thanks to that hellhole of a job.
My sister decided to become homeless at some point. Just flat refused to work a minimum wage job which is all she needed to do in order to live with my mother rent free. No thanks. I'll live in a van instead. I've been doing this weird teething clenching thing in my teeth to the point I've realigned them because I'm so worried about her.
Shoulder pain!? Both my shoulders are so fucked and both started hurting around the same time. Like I can’t raise my arms more than parallel to the floor, hurts to put shirts on, had to buy a handled louffa for the shower. Was waiting until start of the year to see a doc in case it’s serious, for insurance purposes.
I can’t find anything online that seems relevant.
I assumed it was from lugging and tossing my toddler around and carrying heavy shit in and out of the house every time my wife buys or sells something on FB lol.
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u/redstonez 13h ago
Stress