It’s easy to say that the way to manage stress is by exercising, eat well, etc. – but for some of us, stress is the by-product of ‘bad’ environment, full of stressors that we just can’t handle. This is particularly prevalent in the workplace.

Stress in the workplace leads us into various health problems and bad habits.  Unmanaged, work stress can cause depression, anxiety and addiction. But why stress is related to addiction? You see, as business executives or employees of reputable, prestigious companies, we are stressed on a near daily basis. According to a study, there are certain jobs that have highest rate of addiction.

Whether you’re the CEO of your own company or looking for a job, here are few jobs that absolutely must be avoided if you wish to limit or even eliminate the stressors related to work environment.

1. Telephone Operators

No matter which industry or market you work in, telephone operators have extremely stressful jobs. You are essentially calling people who loathe telephone operators and/or telemarketers. Not only that, but you’re operating switchboards, providing relay service for thousands of callers, and listening to customer requests.

You and I both know that people can be nasty and even downright insulting to strangers (full of expletives) who don’t help them. This kind of verbal abuse takes its toll on anybody.  Substance abuse may just seem like a way out – which is why this job must be avoided at all costs.

2. Bartender

It’s true, bartenders make a lot of money. (Russ Ruffino, content marketer and business/life coach, used to make $100 a night as a bartender for 10 years.) But if you’re having a problem with alcohol consumption due to stress, you need to be careful. Your health and sobriety needs to be free of anything whatsoever that has to do with drinking – even if it means owning or operating a nightclub or bar (which, too, can prove to be profitable.) The problem is, even if you’ve built your willpower to Superhuman-level strength, or transformed your discipline into “Golden Monk” status, temptation is all around you. Increasing the risk tenfold that you will slip back into your old ways.

3. Dancer

Dancing is a form of exercise (and sensational art form) – one that helps you maintain your stress level and possibly even run your business effectively (from the many benefits of dancing). The dangers dancers face makes them even more admirable.

Here’s why: ballet and modern dancers (as well as gymnasts) transform into perfectionists.

While this itself is not a bad thing, the inherent risk of psychological damage that occurs when they don’t get the routine right… is extremely harmful. Not to mention the psychological damage that occurs when a dancer gets injured. A friend is a ballet dancer – and she’s had a sprained ankle and pulled hamstring for months. Her grief and remorse for not dancing kills me.

4. Lawyer

Interested in law and government? The annual salary for the average lawyers (courtesy of Payscale) is $81,000+ per year or $46.51/hr.

Attorneys and lawyers help their clients regarding legal rights and responsibilities. If you do your job right, you’re dealing with dozens of clients per day. Proceeding with hundreds of business transactions, prosecuting/defending clients, arguing motions and more. Not to mention the sheer insanity of working overtime: it’s not unusual to work over 2,600 hours a year.

5. Boring Jobs

Here is some plain common sense: avoid boring jobs. Jobs that don’t challenge you physically or mentally won’t keep you busy. Mundane, trivial matters are often many people’s personal reason for getting depressed and developing an addiction (i.e. smoking or drinking a glass of Martini to make the job more entertaining.) Want the list? Here it is (courtesy of BBC News):

• Cheese slicer

• Pizza maker

• Unpacking cereal boxes

• Sitting at a conveyor belt (production line)

• Plastic moulding factory

And if you don’t think those are bad enough, poor Mari (from Kent) had this job: “I once had a temp job which consisted of taking staples out of pieces of paper. I lasted only one morning.”

Conclusion

No matter what job we have, we (as people) essentially become the job we have. As we spend more than half of our waking hours doing our specific job – it can take its toll on anybody. If you were considering any of these business positions – or seek to carve your path to the top of your field, I hope you make it there safely.