Video:Links Between a Stressful Job and Heart Disease

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Transcript:Links Between a Stressful Job and Heart Disease

I have a very stressful job, and I have heart disease in my family history. Should I be looking for a different job?

Why a Stressful Job and Heart Disease Are a Bad Combination

Answer: Well, before you quit your job, there are three things you need to know. First, while emotional stress has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, no one's ever proven that this stress actually causes heart disease.

Stressful Jobs

Second, every job involves some stress, that's why they pay you to do it. But there are different kinds of stress. Even very emotionally charged jobs can be exhilarating and even healthful if you have some control over the stressful situation. But if you feel boxed in and you have no control, that kind of stress can be debilitating and unhealthful.

Taking on Stress

Thirdly, most of the time, it's actually the individual and not the situation that's the problem. Some people create their own stress. For these people, even a simple trip to the grocery store becomes a sequential nightmare of bad drivers, poorly timed traffic lights, crowded aisles, incompetent checkout clerks and bad plastic bags.

So, if you're one of these people that finds everything fairly stressful, changing jobs or even retiring and moving to the country won't do you any good. People that do this are going to find stress wherever they are. So, if you find your boss particularly pathological, or your work situation particularly oppressive, then sure, by all means start looking for another job. But, it might do more good to look into some stress management techniques, like yoga, meditation, or even just exercise. These stress management techniques do a world of good in helping you cope with these stressful situations. I'm Dr. Rich, thanks for watching.