Is Working in an Office Good or Bad for You? Part I. The Challenges

As a mental health professional doing office work, I've been in a good position to assess the ways in which having an office job can be good for your health and well being and the ways it put them at risk. This post is to share my conclusions. It's actually one of two that go together. Here I’ll talk about the challenges, and in the next post, the benefits (yes, all you office misfits, there really ARE some!). So, without further ado, let me give you my list of all the challenges I can think of that the typical office job – especially at the bottom of the pyramid – poses to mind, body and soul (you may be able to think of others and, if so, please comment):

Confinement: Being shut up in a building, often a single room or, worse yet, the infamous cubicle is, I believe, for many workers, one of the most depression-inducing aspects of the office situation. For one thing, it puts you more at risk for Seasonal Affective Disorder due to lack of sunlight; for another, if you have a certain type of brain-wiring it can make you feel claustrophobic and restless; finally, “cabin fever,” similar to what happens to families when they’re boxed up during a snowstorm, may put a strain on all office interactions. Thus, is it any wonder that so many workers compare their office jobs to doing time in a penitentiary? 

Inactivity:  Not getting enough exercise is hazardous to your life and also to your mood, not to mention your ability to concentrate. Sitting in the same position all day while typing things into a computer can damage your neck, shoulders, arms, hands, back, or eyes -- though it helps to have good, ergonomic equipment -- and dealing with pain day after day gets old -- and stressful -- very fast.

Deprivation:  Neural networks need stimulation to stay active. Without it they stop working. In sterile, colorless, odorless office environments, they often don’t get enough, which can make the worker feel dulled out and dead. In addition, gifted minds may become less gifted over time due to an absence of stimulating conversation, interesting ideas, or mental challenges. As for emotions, workers are supposed to check those at the door when they pick up their smile masks.  

Disconnection: Office buildings are often located far away from residential areas, separating workers from loved ones, communities, cultural groups, religious practices, hobbies, and interests. At the same time, workers are discouraged by various taboos from becoming too intimately involved with one another. Finally, they may feel disconnected from the work itself if it doesn’t make best use of their talents. Expecting workers to be productive in such circumstances makes about as much sense as expecting babies to  grow and thrive without ever being touched or held.

Frustration: When you try to accomplish a task and obstacles continually block your progress, this can be a major source of stress, anxiety, and anger. In the office world, efforts are blocked by technological  breakdowns, interruptions, the unavailability of information or authorization, communication problems, lack of proper training, lack of aptitude for a task, and rigid rules and regulations.

Overwhelm: Due downsizing, economic recession, and gross overestimates of the amount of the amount of time technology really saves, many office workers now struggle with unrealistic workloads. Along with too much work, they may also be trying to do too many different kinds of work after taking on duties of others who have been let go. And most office tasks now require electronic trainings that continually have to be updated. Meanwhile, e-mails and papers pile up.

Toxicity: While bosses and coworkers can often be supportive in the face of all these challenges, they can sometimes also be the exact opposite. Bullying is a serious problem in all types of workplaces, as are discrimination and sexual harassment. Furthermore, groups of workers anywhere may often get caught in dysfunctional patterns comparable to those of unhealthy families. The fact that office workers are confined together for many hours doing work that provides no physical outlet may, however, intensify the negative effects of toxicity on the well-being of workers.

Powerlessness: It’s a known fact that the more control you have over your situation the less likely you are to feel depressed. In today’s office world, even a CEO may feel powerless in the face of social, economic, and political forces impacting their organizations, and those at the bottom of the pyramid may easily feel victimized. People in assistantship positions who have to jump every time someone snaps his or her fingers may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of powerlessness.

Uncertainty: In a harsh economic climate, getting fired is a serious possibility for huge numbers of people, many of whom work in offices. In addition, workers may feel unsure about whether to call someone by his/her first name, what’s appropriate to wear, whether it’s okay to take a lunch break, and a host of other issues in a world in which change is continual and rules are rarely spelled out.

These challenges may seem formidable, but take heart. As my next post will show, they’re to some extent offset by psychological benefits, ways that office work can actually be good for you. Furthermore, there are all sorts of ways one can cope with them or – better yet – try to convince management to reduce them. That’s what this blog is about.

Coming next: Is Working in an Office Good or Bad for You? Part II. The Psychological Benefits of Office Life