Work good for socialisation and mental stimulation

[mids2019]

According to psychologists work is important for social interaction and mental stimulation as well as giving life a meaning

In reality how many people are going to work for mental health benefits (i.e. truly enjoy their job) in society?

I think such comments like these from academics often regarding older people or those with mental health challenges demeaning and borderline offensive. People need to work to support families and performance obviously is managed.

Am I completely wrong to say that it is perhaps a narrow naive perspective that work is some kind of panacea to loneliness or boredom?

I tthink I am in the middle. I could work at home all week. But actually feel better having some time around colleagues and meeting differently people.

So I hybrid. I work for the money. But there’s also an additional benefit of it being good for my mental health. I could easily isolate myself. I enjoy alone time. That’s almost good for my mental health.

I have PTSD and have adhd.

My Dad retired and then got a part time job because he missed getting out. My mum other hand retired and barely left the house and died a short time later. Her last few months were quite sad and Dad ended up giving up his part time job so she didn’t get lonely. He is now 70 and back at part time work and very busy outside that.

Neither my Dad or me find these studies offensive. When my PTSD was really bad I knew socialising was meant to help, I couldn’t do it. Eventually I got to a place where I could and socialising did help.

I would be interested to see the study because is suspect it not just work. But more something with structure, that you have to do, gives routine and includes socialising is good for people. And work happens to fulfil a lot of those.

On the flip side if you hate your job and colleagues it can be really bad for mental health.

However, it’s also not achieveable for a lot of people. But I don’t think that’s a reason to pretend those aren’t their findings.

Providing you take pride in what you do and your employer is alright then yes, of course work has benefits in terms of well-being.

I think working is like those awful icebreaker activities at the beginnings of meetings. Nobody wants to do it, nobody enjoys it, but it does get your thinking and socialising brain ticking so ultimately it's good for you.

I think it's true. I was a stay at home mum for 7 years. By the end of it, I was tearing my hair out. My life revolved around domestic chores (drudgery). Yes, I could occasionally meet friends but they were all working themselves.
I was desperate to get out of the house, use my brain and meet people. The only people I met as a SAHM were other mums and we mostly talked about the kids.
My mental health has improved so much since starting work. I find the work mentally stimulating and I've met so many interesting people.
I think these academics are spot on.

I won't be retiring but going part time for MH and socialising etc and also so I can afford to hobbies & travel. My mature neighbours don't see anyone and they've become so insular and obsessed about unimportant things and I think it's down to the lack of stimulation.

I agree that a bad boss is worse for your MH than not working at all though!

I do prefer working to staying home but both have pros and cons and I am lucky to have a well paid job and work part time. It is meaningful and rewarding. I think depends if you like job and are treated well.

I think it's very true. Social interaction and connection is important for humans. Some need more than others of course.

Anecdotally the people I know who either don't work or work fully remotely with a limited social life seem to have the worst mental health.

It's true for me as I absolutely love my job and the people I work with.

I started very part-time 11 years ago, mostly to get myself out of the house and out of the slump I was in, where I'd sleep quite late, and bothered less and less about my appearance and about the housework etc.

I was nervous but pushed myself and after a couple of months I was desperate for more hours and ended up going full-time.

I've never looked back and I'm so grateful I gave myself that push.

It doesn't work for everyone (because what does?) but it certainly worked for me.

Also, I didn't realise what a positive effect learning new things would have on me.

It really got my brain going and worked wonders for my self confidence.

I agree with the comments above. If you do not like your job then you could be spending time in better socialisong environments.

I work in the NHS and I don't think many have socialising as a main reason for doing their roles. One thing about the NHS is that if you make an error and these things happen it isn't exactly fun

It's not fun if you make an error in any job.

Ok some errors will have bigger consequences but that's part and parcel of the job that person's chosen to do.

If you read threads here about teaching or nursing you see there are a lot of people that aren't exactly being stimulated in a positive sense or find going into work is a social boon.

Professional duty seems to be more important than enjoyment ininsttuions such as the NhS but maybe my perspective is skewed

I think it depends very much on the job !

I'm in my 50s and faced redundancy earlier this year. I could just about have afforded to retire, but I very much didn't want to as I realised I get a lot of self validation through working and I enjoy interacting with people. I was lucky enough to get something when my previous role ended, but I can see that I might have got depressed if I hadn't. I also found wfh during lockdown really hard as I thrive on a certain amount of chat and get a bit down without it.

Flip side is that full time employment ( was 4 days before) in a fairly demanding role with a lower holiday allowance also brings its own mental health challenges.

I think the key for most people is to be doing something they rate as bringing value to someone that involves a certain amount of interaction. My 91 year old DF until recently ran a little home enterprise transferring videos to memory sticks ( sadly his memory isn't so great now so he isn't up to it) and my mid 80s DM who isn't in the greatest of health herself would regularly look after a bed bound lady up the street in between her carer visits.

So I don't think it's just paid work that offers these benefits, more that it's shorthand for the above.

@MaryHoldTheCandleSteadyWhileIShaveTheChickensLeg

People sometimes do not get a choice in what they do.

Making errors do impact on the prime purpose of work which apparently is to provide mental stimulation and act as an environment to enhance positive social interaction.

This is why I think such perspectives can be a little naive and overly optimistic

I think if we lived in a world where we all got to choose what we wanted to do and work could involve purely positive interaction I think a lot could be said for the benefits of work. Perhaps I just feel cynical.

Do you get paid to have fun as one previous manager put it

I retired early, I have some health issues so to work a FT job with an awful commute and the pressure of it had become impossible. I absolutely loved my job and worked in a University. I spent a couple of years improving my health and now do some voluntary work, when I have a flare up I do not go in. I’m in a bad place health wise currently so envisage a couple of months off.

DH has just retired but is now what is classed as a visiting academic. It’s a weird one where staff still have an office and access to all IT services etc and do research but it’s unpaid, unique to academia I think.

I do not find the comments offensive, we are overall social animals. Some are just more social than others. When you can make a genuine difference to an individuals life it feels amazing. I had a student come out to me as gay, this is about 25 years ago. I felt extremely privileged. They shared their hopes and dreams. Some of them will be coming up to 50 this year, I hope they achieved their dreams.

Of course, if you actively dislike your job and find it difficult or stressful then it's not good for your wellbeing. But I think most people are somewhere in the middle. They don't love their jobs, it's not their vocation but generally it's fine. They like the routine, they like seeing colleagues, they like using their brains.
That's why you can generally say work is good for your mental wellbeing because most people don't hate their jobs.

I hate my job tbh and hate having to interact with people. I am perm wfh which makes it more tolerable

Everybody in every job in the world makes errors, that has to be accepted as part and parcel of working.

As for not getting a choice in what they do, that can sometimes be the case but then for others, they can be blinkered and refuse to change path/swap to a much easier job.

Getting out of the house and serving coffee/cleaning/shelf stacking etc can often benefit people whose MH issues have isolated them, but sometimes they see it as a massive step down from their old career.

I think this is often designed to keep the plebs working for the man.
I understand you have to have a purpose in life but seriously if I won the lottery tomorrow would I carry on working full time and often 6 days a week? Absolutely not.
I’ve said this before. It’s very different going into work 5 days a week, maybe sat in rush hour traffic, then having to get everything else done at the weekend, than swanning about doing something you love. If I had the money I might say open an art gallery in some beautiful place overlooking the harbour. It wouldn’t matter if I made money from it so I could open as and when I chose.
However, my financiak positions prevents me from doing that.
I hate all this fake moral boosting bollocks we do at work. Completely pointless and merely a ticjbox exercise.
You want to improve my mental health? Give me a week off work fully paid. Or give me a substantial pay rise.
I also don’t reveal too much to my work colleagues, some I do, but on the whole I just give generic answers as I really don’t trust them.
Would also much prefer to work hybrid and not have to go into the office so much.

Yes professional duty can be more important to the employer.

Sometimes people have bad employers. But also professional duty being more important than enjoyment, still doesn’t mean that there isn’t any benefit to the social aspect of work.

Honestly, if a study comes out and you don’t think it applies to you, don’t worry about it.

Doesn’t make it offensive.

Op can you link the study?

I don't think you have to love your job for it to be good for you.

I don't run in Monday thinking 'yes' and there are parts I really don't like about it. But I still get something from doing it well, from laughing with colleagues about our nightmare boss.

It also gives the week rhythm and makes me appreciate the time that is my own more. When I have too much time, I don't make the most of it in the same way.

I don't think you necessarily need to do 40 hours a week to derive benefits but I think work does play more of a role in self esteem and stimulation than many people like to admit.

Also everyone I know who has taken early retirement ( before the age of 60) absolutely loves it. These are women and they are all very active. They just spend their time doing more of what they enjoy.

I will say this.
Even though I’m fatter than I want to be, going into work and having to wear smart clothes is a benefit. It stops me getting fatter as I cannot slob about in leggings/joggers//jeans etc.