Why Doing What You Love Helps You Live Longer

Your health can't afford for you to work at a job you hate. According to the American Psychological Association, stress at work increases heart rate and blood pressure and can lead to increased accidents in physical jobs. Working long hours at a job where you feel stuck or where all your energy is sapped can cause you to make poor eating choices or neglect exercise. Emotional and physical burdens caused by job stress can lead to depression, heart disease, and even cancer. 

Your job is so much more than a paycheck. It affects your overall quality of life. As you're considering potential career paths, here's why you should prioritize job satisfaction in your search.

Your Early Career Choices Are Crucial to Overall Lifespan

Where you work early on has a profound effect on your health later in life. A study reported by CBS News found general unhappiness about work in your 20s and 30s is likely to lead to some kind of health problem in your 40s and beyond. Early job dissatisfaction particularly leads to mental health issues in later decades, including sleep problems, worrying and depression. As you're conditioned to be in a constant state of stress or anxiety at a job you dislike, the effects can be long-lasting and more difficult to reverse as you age.

Happiness Positively Impacts Longevity

The happier people are, the longer they typically live. Science magazine reports the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing found, when controlling for life situations and health issues, that a positive mood correlates with a longer life. The participants who reported the highest levels of happiness were 35 percent less likely than those in worse moods to die in the next five years. Considering you're probably spending about a third of your waking hours at a full-time job, how happy you are at work is significant for total happiness levels.

A Rewarding Job Instills a Sense of Purpose

Feeling like you're making a positive impact in your world contributes to a lower risk of death. A study published by the Association for Psychological Science found having a sense of purpose in life decreases mortality risk by 15 percent, across all ages. Working at a job where you don't feel valued or where you don't feel like you're helping your clients can cause a feeling of aimlessness, which decreases life satisfaction and ultimately decreases the length of your life.

Find a Career You Love -- Your Life Depends on It!

Work shouldn't just be viewed as a means to an end. Yes, it's true that there are bills to be paid and pressures outside of work that must be tended to, but if you are miserable at your job, it will negatively impact all other aspects of your life.

Some women find that a career in beauty provides the emotional and financial rewards they're searching for professionally. Getting the opportunity to help other women increase their confidence and look their best is intrinsically rewarding, and a flexible work schedule is also attractive to women with families or those who are studying or pursuing other interests. If you're interested in becoming a certified lash artist by attending lash training classes, contact Lash Affair for more information on lash extensions training.

Nicki Escudero            
Writer | Traveler | Nature Lover | Learner | Yogini


Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published