PETALING JAYA: It was not one bad day at work.
Instead, it was months of mounting pressure that gradually began affecting a 32-year-old administrative executive who only wanted to be known as Suriani.
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As her workload grew, she found herself thinking about unfinished tasks long after office hours, waking up in the middle of the night worrying about deadlines.
By the time she arrived at work, she was mentally exhausted.
At first, she told herself it was simply part of the demands of the promotion she had taken up three months earlier. But it soon became unbearable.
“There were days I wanted to leave for home in the middle of work as I was so stressed out, but I kept telling myself that everyone faces work pressure one time or another. I just needed to be stronger,” Suriani said.
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Several months later, Suriani quit and decided to run her own e-commerce business.
“Now I get to manage my stress levels better and am more relaxed,” she said.
Suriani is just one of many whose mental health has been affected by the heavy workload.
Shan, a 41-year-old factory technician, regretted switching to a new job lured by a higher salary and better healthcare perks last year. It came at the cost of his mental well-being.
He said the long working hours and constant demands of his superiors in his new workplace took a toll on him.
Often, he dreaded going to work and frequently took leave.
As the warning signs of mental stress crept in, it was his family that first noticed the change before he did.
“My wife told me I was no longer the same person I used to be when I was employed at my previous workplace. I was always tired, angry or thinking about work. Fortunately, my previous employer was kind enough to re-employ me. So I quit and went back. Even though it was a smaller paycheque, I regained my peace of mind,” he said.
Seeking a better work environment, he said, was not a sign of weakness but a wise move in ensuring he remained fit to provide for his family – and himself.
