It is rightly said that one must always choose the people they have to work with and not the job. Toxic work cultures and environments have contributed far more to mental illnesses during the covid-19 pandemic than anything else.
As for my personal experience, I was working my first job when the pandemic hit us. Suddenly, a veil that was covering the real face of the company was lifted.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. But do they? And at what cost? Media is a tough business, I realized. What I didn’t realize until then was that it was also a depressing one. All my dreams of my first job were gradually shattered and I couldn’t do anything about it.
There was a time in between when we had to work 15-day shifts while staying home for another 15 days. Sounds like fun, but it was not. Not for me.
That was when it hit me- the feeling of eventual doom. I couldn’t move my limbs, or lift myself on most days. I ate but had no energy. I had gained a lot of weight from stress. I had anxiety attacks and no one to help me. Who could I have asked? My friends were in the carefully planned alternate shift.
I consider those days as the worst of my life. A company that plans to exploit employees, not caring about their physical or mental health is no company worth working with. I still remember the tired faces that met me at work every day Exhausted. Disturbed. Sick. We supported each other, kept each other going.
So yeah, do no choose the company or the job. Choose the people you are going to work with, especially the ones who are above you.
#mentalhealth #toxicworkenvironment
Feature image is for representational purposes only