Stress in the U.S.

    The structure of the American society dooms us for a stressful life; after college we are supposed to find a job, keep working at it until we get a decent salary and then work endlessly until we finally get to rest in retirement. Our society basically promotes a stressful lifestyle for anyone that wants to be considered "successful." According to many surveys and articles, American's work the most out of almost all industrialized countries. A article written by David Horsey in the LA times, he stated "we take far fewer vacation days than Europeans" even though our work week
hours are usually much longer. Millennials out of college and with large student loan debts are often inclined to work 60-80 hour weeks (Horsey).
   Not only is the time demand of a job stressful, but there are several acute and chronic stressors that are involved on a day to day basis. For instance, some acute stressors for an employee include speaking/presenting in front of coworkers, fear of losing job, constant fear of job performance and abilities, and more. Examples of some chronic stressors in the work place include working with coworkers one does not like, having a meeting with a intimidating superior, or working on a project that is so frustrating it is almost painful. Other chronic stressors include a unpleasant/unsafe work environment, or the potential of a traumatic event occurring and the after effect. The above stressors can occur because of external or internal sources. They can either be caused from an external source such as something physical or social, or from an internal source in which it is how the actual employee perceives the set scenario (Lecture, 11/7).
   Surrounding oneself in a lifestyle full of stressors is obviously not mentally healthy, but is also not physically healthy. There are many side affects of stress on one's body such as increased heart rate, blood pressure/glucose, chance of blood clotting, and a decrease in metabolism (Lecture, 11/7). Other side affects that occur, specifically from chronic stressor's include increase in fluid retention, fat storage, blood lipids, and suppression of immune responses (Lecture, 11/7). As a result, people in the intensive work force often live with a much lower quality of life than necessary.

  Therefore, maybe we should start living more live the Europeans and take those few extra vacation days, that is what they are there for. We as humans need to give us some time to relax and rejuvenate. Not only is this important to do a few times a year, but it is also important to do on a smaller scale more often. To function optimally it is recommended that we each do restoration practices at least once a week, without the often restoration our abilities to make/carry out plans is reduced and our ability to self-manage declines. As an American soon to be graduating college, I hope I am able to take my own advice and strive to find a job that is structured different than typical.




Horsey, David. "American Work Obsession Outweighs Family Values." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/n/night_lights.asp

http://nypost.com/2014/04/27/americans-are-working-too-much-and-now-its-costing-them/