Happy on the job, or happy in life?
By Sophie Isbister, Staff Writer
If thereâs anything that we can all agree on, itâs that life is hard. Jobs donât pay enough, rentâs too high, and groceries are getting more expensive every year. The experience of Canadians definitely seems to be reflecting this trend. In a recent Ipsos-Reid poll, it was discovered that one in five Canadian workers experience depression. In a similar vein, a September 10th Macleans article titled âCampus crisis: the broken generationâ profiles depression and suicide at US and Canadian campuses.
Both the Macleans article and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)âs coverage of the depression poll focus on ways that campuses and workplaces can support people living with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Sure, employers can offer comprehensive mental health benefits such as access to counselling and good extended benefits, but does that really solve the root issue of our cultureâs malaise epidemic? And whatâs so bad about being depressed anyway? I can see a lot of other things that there is to be upset about.
Take, for example, the pressure to be happy itself. A quick perusal of the Craigslist jobs section tells me that employers are looking for a âpositive attitude and enthusiastic outlook,â a âfun-lovingâ employee who can âwork well under pressure while keeping a smile.â This is all fine and good in service and hospitality (if you hate people, itâs probably in your best interest to steer clear of these industries anyway), but youâre expecting me to have a âget-up-and-go attitudeâ in my job scraping barnacles off the underside of Rosie OâDonnell?
âHappiness,â that nebulous, hard-to-grasp concept, seems to be the number one requirement to find employment these days. But I think all our problems could be solved if we focused on attaining happiness through avenues that arenât tied to our livelihood. Think about what youâd do if you didnât have to work 40 hours a week. I like to think if I had an extra day off I would read more, or spend more time with friends and family, maybe devote more time to my personal writing. If I worked a six-hour day instead of an eight-hour day, I might use that extra two hours to prepare a wholesome lunch for the next day or divide my time between domestic duties and social engagements. I know Iâd sleep more, feel less rushed, and apply a clearer head to the work that I do.
When your identity is wrapped up in your employment, and that employment is underpaid and loaded with this awful Iâll-take-all-your-bullshit-and-thank-you-for-it expectation, itâs no wonder Canadians, workers, and students alike are depressed. Perhaps instead of pushing people to work 50 hour weeks, instead of overtime being the norm, instead of subtly penalizing women in the workplace for taking maternity leave, society should evolve to work less. Why else have we created all this wealth in the Western world if not to reap the benefits of prosperity? What would be a better benefit than the freedom to develop an identity separate from your work, to have the time to foster a strong community? Maybe Iâm an idealist, but I hope that the next iteration of Canadian society can open their minds to the idea that the 40-hour workweek is damaging our health, both mental and physical.
