What do you do if your economics career is taking a toll on your well-being?

Let's start by pausing to evaluate where you stand. Consider how work is affecting your well-being. Are stress and long hours taking a toll? Does competition leave you feeling drained? Recognizing these effects is key to finding solutions. Self-awareness empowers you to address challenges head-on and explore ways to improve your situation.

Autoavaliação: Reflita sobre as razões específicas pelas quais sua carreira está impactando seu bem-estar. Isso pode incluir longas horas de trabalho, estresse financeiro, falta de satisfação no trabalho, falta de equilíbrio entre vida pessoal e profissional, entre outros fatores. Estabelecimento de limites: Defina limites claros entre sua vida profissional e pessoal. Reserve tempo para atividades que o relaxem e o rejuvenesçam fora do trabalho, como exercícios, hobbies, passar tempo com amigos e familiares, etc. Equilíbrio de perspectiva: Lembre-se de que sua carreira é apenas uma parte de quem você é.

Setting limits involves defining clear boundaries between work and personal life, guaranteeing time and space for activities that promote well-being. If your career is taking up too much of your time and energy, you can set boundaries by defining specific hours for work and reserving time for relaxing activities, hobbies and family time. This helps prevent burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Se o estresse relacionado ao trabalho estiver causando ansiedade, depressão ou outros problemas de saúde mental, não hesite em buscar apoio profissional. Isso pode incluir a consulta a um terapeuta, conselheiro ou psicólogo.

Assess the root causes of stress or dissatisfaction, whether it's long hours, high pressure, or a lack of fulfillment. Establish boundaries around your work schedule, setting aside dedicated time for relaxation, hobbies, and self-care activities. Incorporate stress-reducing practices such as mindfulness meditation, exercise, or spending time with loved ones. Consider seeking support from mentors, colleagues, or a therapist. Explore avenues for professional development that align with your interests and values, allowing for greater fulfillment in your career. By prioritizing self-care and balance, you can mitigate the toll of your economics career on your well-being and foster a healthier, more sustainable approach to work and life.

Exploração de opções: Avalie se há outras oportunidades de carreira que possam ser mais alinhadas com seus interesses, habilidades e valores. Isso pode envolver a procura de novas oportunidades dentro da mesma empresa, mudança para uma empresa diferente ou até mesmo a exploração de uma mudança de carreira.

Upgrading skill set is a key to remain relevant in the field so, Once you have assessed your current skills, the next step is to figure out the skills that you lack and are required for your new aspired career option. So say a career in statistical analysis requires good knowledge of statistical model and use of statistical tools such as STATA, Eviews etc. and if you lack these skills, indicates that there is a need for you to learn the required skills to perform efficiently in your new role. Identify your transferable skills will give a plus point in your learning journey, because now you won’t be starting from level 0, you’ll be having a upper hand given your prior knowledge of skills in demand.

Desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional: Busque oportunidades de desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional que possam ajudá-lo a lidar melhor com os desafios em sua carreira atual ou prepará-lo para transições futuras.

Optimism is hard work these days. It's much easier to recirculate negative headlines and facts that can compound the toll on your emotional well-being. Sharing positive news about the economy on social media takes even more confidence and emotional resilience. Any missed qualifiers or conditionals in your brief post will likely be met with criticism, skepticism, and even hate. I've had to challenge my perspective when evaluating economic data and try to identify at least one good trend to share with my audience along with any negative ones. As an economist, talking about trends can also be dehumanizing. Try narrowing your audience to be able to speak to positive trends affecting them specifically.

Being flexible is one mantra that can help you ease out the transition phase when switching your career. Adapting to change is never easy, one needs to adjust and accommodate in the situation to find the correct balance between expectations and exploration. Sometimes you might need to learn new things, which at first would seem to be absolutely out of league, and unlearn your existing habits in order to fit into the requirements of your new role but while the change might seem tough, it’ll always teach you valuable lessons that can remain with you though out your career journey.