To think that all jobs are stressful?

[Sickofthemess]

I'm really interested to hear if anyone has/knows of a job that is really easy, low stress. A job where you can go home and just forget all about it.

I can't think of one that would be completely without stress and annoyances.

I do accounts. No stress.

I liked working in a clothes shop. Nothing to stress about as soon as I left the building.

A lot depends on who you work for and with and the environment.
The job I have now is by far the least stressful because I have good bosses who ensure we get paid on time, are willing to step up and help out with their business when it's needed rather than push it all onto staff, are clear about what is expected and really appreciate you going an extra mile. They are well respected by customers and as employers, show they respect their staff and this carries through - I have not had one customer be rude or obnoxious to me, yes there have been complaints about some things but as the complaints have been said in a reasonable manner, and then dealt with as such, I have not once felt like I've been treated badly by a customer or my bosses.
In previous employment I have been sworn at, called fat, useless, had more sexual advances than I can count, had stuff thrown at me, and even been dragged across the bar by the collar of my shirt - not once were there any consequences for that behaviour to those people - because the managers didn't respect their staff and it showed.
Yes, any job can be stressful, but I do wish ppl wouldn't assume that lower earning jobs are not stressful, they can be just as stressful as any other job, but for different reasons.
I would assume that the expected stress levels are part of the decision making process to apply for the job.

I have no stress in my job. I'm busy enough to get me through the day, sometimes I do the odd extra hour here and there to get it finished, but no stress.

I've worked in a couple of jobs that were extremely stressful. Constant aggression from colleagues, unrealistic workloads etc. The most stressful job I ever had was also one of the most poorly paid, so it's not even about seniority or responsibility or anything. I'd say the stress levels relate largely to the ethos of the company.

I did different jobs during my life. teaching, office based work, retail. various things. I never took my job home. I think it is to some extent a mental thing - some people are just better at it than others.

Totally agree with love51 - it's easier to not stress about a job when you know it's temporary and when you're less reliant on it. I worked in a bar as a student. It was often v busy and people got cross at me - often fairly, as I was quite a shit barmaid. I didn't much stress about it, though - I only did 12 hours a week and I was lucky enough that, though the money was certainly handy, I could buy food and pay my rent without it. If someone told me now that I had to do it for 40 hours a week and that my mortgage depended on it I'd find it very stressful indeed.

I understand the temptation to fantasize about a job with no stress or responsibility - as someone with a job that very much comes home with me (I'm an academic) I do it too. In reality, though, studies have repeatedly shown that stress is a product of lack of control. It's less stressful to be highly responsible and therefore in charge of your own time and agenda than to feel controlled and powerless.

I agree that low paid does not equal low stress; often the opposite as some companies do not respect their workers or are understaffed and then there is the extra stress of low pay and insecure contracts.

I suppose it depends on the employer but I am surprised at all the pp saying retail is not stressful. I worked retail for a year after uni and hated it. I had a horrible manager, customers were rude and aggressive and you had to do everything at the speed of light it seemed. But then again, I am not a hugely laid back person so maybe someone else would have been fine with it.

Of course if you have a high up professional type job that is probably a different kind of stress, in the sense that you are responsible for more things and so might take it home with you more.

Yanbu op,stress is relative and sparrowhawk nailed it

Most stress free was a summer job whilst at college packing swim wear into plastic bags in a factory. Boring at times but zero stress.

My job is v variable in how stressful it is - and it's primarily a matter of control. It's stressful if I'm in control because I know the responsibility lies with me - but ultimately, the stress that makes me unhappy rather than productive is when I'm instructed on what I have to do and there simply isn't enough time to do it! You then "push back" and if you have a good manager they give you more time, more help, more staff or less work. If you have a shot manager they tell you you're crap and just need to do it - and that's when the stress kicks in in the worst way.

Just to add to the 'low paid/repetitive is never stressful' - a counsellor once told me that factory packing type work can be very hard on your mental health - if you're at all prone to negative or dark thoughts you can find that you're trapped in your head with nowhere to go and nothing to distract you.

Sorry that should say 'add to the comments saying that it's not true that'

I used to do data entry. It was so easy, but so boring.

The money was ok, and the team were great.

I found working in a convenience store stressfree but shit money so could end up causing stress that way (at the time I lived with my parents paying rent but not much so money wasn't s big problem. Now it would be though)

My job is busy but not stressful . I enjoy been at work but don't take my work home ( because I don't have to not that I'm letting someone else pick up the slack)
So I guess jobs can be stressful in different ways . Stressful at the time or stressful because you have to take work home with you. I was bored enough in an office environment so I think a repetitive job like packing would be torture for me personally

I used to be a trainer, I found that relatively stress free. Travelled to different branches delivered the training, gave out the certificates, went home. Did get a bit dull after a while as you were delivering the same sessions over an over again.

I'm an EFL teacher at a university. The job itself isn't stressful although aspects of the admin that go with it are.

My job is not stressful and I thoroughly enjoy it!
I am fluent in 2 other languages and work as a translator (very specialized field!).
Translating / writing / reading comes naturally & in my current job I don't even have problems with deadlines. That's partly because I'm quite senior and oversee a team freelancers- they will stick to deadlines or they are out! And partly because I have a lot of fun with my work, enjoy challenges and the cultural differences that is reflected in language.
The pay is good and the fact, that I can work from home even better!

I work in Admin. Its a little bit of juggling and repriorotising as tasks get given to you, but the whole place closes at 5pm (4.30 on a friday) and closed every weekend and literally we down tools well, pens and leave. No-one, even the CEO, stays late. She does log onto her emails at home, sometimes, but it truly is office hours and if something doesnt get finished, it sits in the in tray til the next day.

Council admin. 20 years ago though- very laid back on the job. Call centre 15 years ago. Could be annoying but come end of shift never gave it a second thought. Waitress, hard going shifts but not "stressful" in a responsible way.

There is a lot of stress in being bored and having no say over decisions that affect you.

Personally I find the same things stressful in all the different jobs I've had which have been quite varied.

First is not having the time to do the task I have to do. If I have time I don't mind if it's complex and carries a lot of responsibility as those are things I can manage, but needing to do stuff yesterday makes me anxious.

Second is difficult people.

Sinuhe - I am thinking of getting back into translating. How do you get into a specialized field? Is it something you had prior experience of?

I loved working in Tesco. Varied shifts, great colleagues and no stress. Arsey customers never bothered me. But I think if I did it full time with no end point in sight (it was during college and university) it might get boring and the pay wouldn't be great.

I find being a lawyer stressful quite a lot of the time but less so since moving in-house to a more supportive environment. I do spend a lot of time outside work thinking/worrying about work. Sometimes I envy my husband's job because it is hard work and can be stressful when he is there but at the end of a shift he can leave in the knowledge that someone else has taken over. Pay is crap, mind.

I think it depends a lot on how stressy a person you are. I would stress about money and redundancy and automation etc if I still worked at Tesco because I'm naturally an anxious over thinker.

Hairdresser - once you've done the hair it's finished and you move on to the next one and start again the next day

I used to do data entry. It was so easy, but so boring.

I second that. I ❤️ data entry when I did it. I could just switch off and chat/think.