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?

It so much depends on your work, your employer and personal circumstances.

I do enjoy my work. I like the challenges I get on a regular basis and I also like the interaction outside my own department.

All this was a major reason for going back after maternity leave as I knew I would loose myself if I would become a SAHM.

We returned to the office hyprid in April 2022, so two years after the initial lockdown. Lots of us returned for the odd occassion in person once a week/twice a month before already and we all agreed that meeting in person does have benefits. It's the small things, like a discussion while making tea, it's easier asking questions in person than finding out if someone is available on Teams or trying to explain it in an email.

But - my company is fairly small, we are 50 in one location, on one floor. We don't have a huge staff turnover so people know each other for years and we have a good relationship.

I hate my commute so the hyprid approach we have is working very well as it also means I can use the commute time for things at home or spending time with my child in the late afternoon.

I worked for a huge cooperation for 4 months and the work was a lot more brain draining, there was hardly any interaction between departments, you felt very much like a hamster in a wheel. Hence only staying there for 4 months.

It also largely depends on what that person is doing when they're unemployed.

If they're living the dream, getting out and about, socialising with friends, taking plenty of exercise etc then going out to work may not benefit them at all.

But if they're slobbing around the house, scrolling on their phones all day, eating too much, not exercising, letting the housework get on top of them, going out to work would probably benefit them massively.

I currently really enjoy my job, it is just challenging enough to be rewarding but not totally overwhelming. I also work in a great team, with (mostly) likeminded individuals. PS - it’s not helping anyone, it’s in a corporate company! So, helping the economy I suppose).

In periods of looking for new jobs, I was always looking for the elusive combination of these 3 factors: to be paid for something that you are good at and enjoy. Get these 3 right and it can be hugely rewarding. Yes I could do it for free if I was wealthy enough, but I don’t think it would give me the same motivation. Also, being employed for my specialist skills gives me huge self worth.

I think it’s true. Work provides structure, social interaction, sense of purpose and of contributing. The people I know with poor mental health all don’t work.

I think maybe the comments on radio show struck me at a raw point.

I think maybe it's when you work in the public sector , in my case the NHS, then there can be strains in relationships and perhaps excessive demands which makes work not the ideal some in government think it is.

Maybe salary is a thing....the greater your salary and responsibility the less you can expect banter and a true enjoyment of work?

Financially, I don’t need to work.

Mentally and socially, I really, really do. I need the structure and genuinely love the sense of accomplishment that work gives me- I’ve never found it at the same level through hobbies or volunteering.

I think it is simplistic to just say that work is good for socialisation and mental health.

Becomes it completely depends on:

• having a decent employer
• not having to work in a toxic environment (so no bullying, unreasonable targets. sexism...)
• getting a decent pay for the work that you do
• being interested in what you do.

It you work for a minimum wage for a shitty boss then I doubt very much this is going to do your mental health any good.

Also I have always been spectical about the social aspect of work always being listed as a plus. Again it completely depends on your teams mates and how you get on with them.

If you deal with rude clients all day and have a bunch of backstabbing colleagues then again it is not going to be a positive experience.

So I think the black and white mantra that 'work is always good for you' is not realistic and is often, as someone has already said on this thread, propaganda to keep everyone 'working for the man' no matter what...

Of course work isn’t a source of hedonistic pleasure for most, and some people are bullied or driven to poor mental health by work environments. But that doesn’t change the fact that human beings are evolved to toil for survival and to do so in a communal environment.

@Startingagainandagain

I agree. How many people realistically meet the four criteria you state?

I think if you financially don't have to work that does give you the choice of possibly a more enjoyable work with the important caveat you can walk away if necessary

Yes but other jobs are available.

And if a person finds themself sitting indoors all day, having little social interaction and hardly any mental stimulation/exercise etc because they can't face their chosen job, it would probably really benefit them to get out and do something else instead.

Even if they have to take jobs that are topped up with benefits.

Other jobs are available, yes, however this seems to suggest that you have a free choice to get the job you want.

Also would you go to an interview for a job and state having a good social environment and stimulation were your main reasons for going for the job.

As I am getting on a bit . I can reflect on the times when work has absolutely been good for my mental health and times when it has practically destroyed it !
Worst job was in a private day nursery I worked . Horrible boss , long hours, unsupported and expected to crowd control in a room with too many children and a special needs child with Down syndrome. I suffered from stress and irritable bowl syndrome where going to the toilet could be so painful I nearly passed out. I also got made redundant from this job so know the boss didn’t like me either and I ended up going on an antidepressant after that.
Best jobs were working in a private school as a Pre school practitioner . Our manager had a degree and was excellent. She also worked along side us looking after the children .Also working at a play group I must have liked it as I remember thinking I would be happy to stay there until retirement although one member of staff was a bit tricky.
Working as a trainee dsa at a hospital was definitely good for me. Pushed me out of my comfort zone and I became far more confident and happier in social situations.
Hardest job I ever had was being a carer to my Mum with dementia. I learnt a lot though so do not regret it even though I was practically on call all the time.

Believe me excessive demands on employees is certainly not unique to the public sector. I worked many years in the private sector and now have moved to a charity and pretty much any organisation will happily take as much of you as they can get. It's up to the individual to try to set personal boundaries.

The free choice will always depend on how realistic the person is. They won't be able to walk into a job as a brain surgeon, but there's every chance they can do a few shifts a week at Costa just to get them out of the house.

And yes, I wouldn't have a problem with mentioning how great stimulation etc is, at a job interview as I'm pretty certain most interviewers would agree.

I work in the NHS in a very stressful and demanding job, but I do enjoy it most of the time. I work long shifts and part-time so am only there twice a week, but the socialising and mental stimulation aspects are very important to me as well as helping other people. I don’t really have friends out of work, so since DH died I often don’t speak to any adults in person other than those 2 days, and when DC1 can’t/ won’t go to school I can’t go out anywhere except work because I only have childcare available for work. Despite being quite introverted I struggle with that. I realise that is unusual though.

I was a SAHP for years and going back to work had made me so much happier and more confident. DH on the other hand, has taken early retirement and I worry about him because his life has shrunk so much and he is far less happy and fit than he used to be.

After DC1 was born, I planned on becoming a SAHP. I realised that that wasn't going to work for me and ended up taking a job without actually knowing the salary as I was so desperate to get to work, have some structure, the mental challenge and interaction with people. I am about to become a SAHP again and am structuring it in a way to ensure that the voluntary roles I will be doing will fulfil some of this (something which is easier to do with school age children)

I work for the NHS in community nursing and love my job, get a great sense of satisfaction, love the interactions I have with my patients and the relationships I’ve got with my colleagues and the fact it’s something for myself out side of being a mum that will still be there once they’re grown

Perhaps what they mean is that it is better to have some purpose in life.

This is true for me. I really enjoy my job and it gives me a sense of pride and purpose. I work full-time but currently am working part-time on medical advice. The GP wanted to write me a full sick note, but I explained that my mental health will suffer if I don't work at all.
I'm very lucky, my line manager is brilliant, I work a very varied role and have lots of autonomy. I mostly work from home, but still keep in contact with colleagues throughout the day.
Not working wouldn't be good for me. However I used to be a teacher and that wasn't good for my mental health at all.

This has been my experience too. I was at home with young children for nearly 10 years. I did work self employed during that time but was on my own for a lot of it.
After COVID I realised that my mental health was suffering. Once I got part time employment my life changed completely. I felt like I was a new person. Now I couldn't imagine my life without the daily interactions with colleagues and being mentally stimulated outside the home. I get a buzz when work goes well and feel real satisfaction at the end of a working week.

This definitely applies to me - to some extent, our lives as a family might be easier if I was a SAHM and we could probably make that work financially because we wouldn't be having to pay childcare fees. However, I absolutely love my job and we do everything we can to ensure that I continue it (I'm freelance so volume of work varies). I work in a very competitive creative industry, with low pay, plenty of stress and long hours at certain times, but the thrill and challenge of it and the passion I have for it gives me my sanity, pride, energy, motivation and (some!) financial security. I really struggled with my mental health when on maternity leave and now am fortunate to have a better balance and recognise that I am a much better mother to my own children because I feel creatively stimulated and fulfilled. I have always been a 'live to work' person, which I recognise isn't everyone's outlook, but I definitely notice my own mum and mil struggling with things both physically and mentally that I think might be as a direct result of not having been in a professional environment since having children.

It depends on the person and the job.

I loved my old job - worked FT and quite honestly struck gold with my colleagues. However, I would suffer severe burn out every few months (although I didn’t know this is what it was at the time) because I don’t have the capacity to work FT, look after myself and my family, maintain a social life, etc. For a lot of people this is nothing but for me life can feel like trying to keep 10 plates spinning at the same time. I was constantly overwhelmed and teetering on the edge.

Anyway, there was a restructure and the whole culture of the office changed, lots of lovely people left and it became intolerable and I knew I had to get out. I now work PT (which I appreciate isn’t feasible for everyone and wasn’t for me until recently) in a much less pressured job and I’m able to concentrate on my life outside of work (family, friends, hobbies) which is where I get most fulfillment.

This is the balance that works for me but everyone’s different.

I went back to work partly to have something to do. If I were a millionaire, I'd be able to fill my time in myriad ways and be perfectly happy. But in my current life where I don't have the money to entertain myself as much as I like, I go to work to fill my time. I was a SAHM while my son was tiny and once he was in nursery three days, I found myself getting bored having all that time to fill while everyone else I knew was at work (and I had no child at home to take to activities with my mum friends). I get some social contact with my colleagues who are nice enough to pass the time with and I'm kept occupied.

I wouldn't work if I wasn't paid so the social/boredom side isn't anywhere near my main motivation. But it is a part of it.

And that’s with me doing a fairly boring admin role that suits my life outside work. If I was doing a more interesting job that was a career that I was passionate about, it would have even more mental health benefits.

You don't have to love your job to get social and mental health benefits from it. You just need to not be bullied and to be working with other people.