Singapore's most stressed out millennials on working long hours and dealing with anxiety in the workplace

I can't remember the last time I heard a young Singaporean say that they were genuinely excited about the prospect of getting into the office in the morning, even if they were deeply passionate about their field of work. Instead, often times, they expose a toxic work environment where stress and anxiety skyrocket while self-confidence plummets as a result of slave-driving superiors, a overwhelming workload, miserable working hours that extend far beyond the standard 9-to-5 with no reward, and even the possibility of retrenchment in the near future.

If all the above sounds a little too dire to be true, you'll only need to look at the findings of the 2019 Cigna Well-Being Survey, which revealed a staggering 92 per cent of of working Singaporeans feel stressed in the workplace with debilitating effects such as lowered morale.

In the interest of painting a more accurate picture of the stresses and anxieties in our local professional landscape, I reached out a few millennials who are trudging away in some of Singapore's most notoriously overworked occupations. Some of their names have been anonymised for privacy.

If there's one thing I've taken away from their responses, it's that all of us have the ability to manage stress and anxiety. It all boils down to whether we are bold enough to step up, make adjustments, find solutions, or ask for help.

PR executive Rachel said it best, "Have the courage to put yourself first and take charge of an unsatisfying work situation to correct your work life balance."

Prasanth, 28, Pilot

As a pilot, what kind of stresses and anxieties do you face regularly?
During critical phases of the flight such as taxi, takeoff and landing, there can be quite a large amount of stress that builds up in the cockpit. The workload during these times is very high and with time being a critical factor in our operations, there is a large amount of pressure upon the crew to ensure our tasks are completed in a timely manner.

On a more personal note, I have to deal with issues such as sleep and time management. Considering that I fly a variety of distances and at all hours of the day, I have to deal with the time difference while operating through the night. As a result, fatigue can accumulate as well.

How have you dealt with stress and anxiety while on the job?
It's important to know when to take a break when the tough parts of the job are over. For instance, once we reach cruising altitude, we have to monitor the flight path or the aircraft, and maintain communications with the air traffic controllers. Otherwise, the work load is a lot less than during takeoff, climb, and the descent phases of the flight. During cruise, especially during long flights, we can take turns to rest and recover for the descent and approach coming ahead.

Communication is also extremely efficient as a stress reliever. If I am unsure about something, I find voicing our my concerns to the captain helps as well. His input and advice usually makes me calmer and feel less worried about anything that I'm unsure about.

As far as fatigue is concerned, exercise helps me get over jet lag and sleep at any time when I have to. Constant practice and mentally prepping for the flight — which we refer to as mental flying —helps prepare me for the flight ahead too.

Has the job altered your mental and emotional health, or your relationships in any way?
Most certainly. This has been my dream job and my only ambition since I was a child. I enjoy the views from the cockpit, and travelling allows me to see and experience the world. I've become a lot happier since I've started flying.

However, I'm not in complete control of my time. There are times when I have to miss family events such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries due to my job. Managing expectations with my family is extremely important, and this can be achieved through open communication.

Rafaella, 24, ER Nurse

Please describe your typical workday as an ER nurse.
I work in the Accident and Emergency department at an acute hospital. A typical workday is almost like a rollercoaster ride. There are days when the patient load is manageable, but a sudden high influx of patients can also happen, causing our work processes to be at a bottleneck. Despite working rotating shifts on a five-day-week, my nursing duties might continue after I step out of the hospital as incidents could happen in an MRT train or along the highway.

What kind of stresses or anxieties do you face regularly?
We prioritise patients who have life-threatening conditions first, but this is often not understood by the general public. I often encounter patients who can be self-entitled. They wouldn't hesitate to complain or verbally abuse us. I've also encountered patients who exaggerate their symptoms, hoping to get a shorter waiting time, but this might cause us to potentially miss out sicker patients.

What stresses me the most is knowing that a person's life is in my hands, especially when we attend to major cases such as heart attacks, suicides, drowning, and road traffic accidents. My heart also aches when I see elderly patients having to manage themselves alone. I vividly remember while I was preparing a blood transfusion for a critically-ill patient, a relatively-well young lady interrupted me constantly because she wanted an iPhone cable. I also get alcohol-intoxicated patients who were conveyed from Zouk-Out, asking me where their friends went.

How have you dealt with stress and anxiety that have been created by your job?
My partner and some of my close friends are nurses, so we often share our experiences with each other, laughing our bad days off to take things on a lighter note. In addition, I try to meditate, do stretching exercises, and travel. A short prayer helps to go a long way too. I also keep track and reflect on what I could improve at work, and also remind myself that despite encountering difficult patients, there are also patients who greatly appreciate what we do. Seeing life and death has, nevertheless, taught me to count my blessings and treasure my loved ones more.

How do you see your self-care routine developing in the future?
I recharge myself appropriately, and I've ditched unhealthy habits such as sleeping in on my off days so that I can spend more time with my loved ones. Travelling has always been one of my favourite forms of self-care, and has helped to make me be more appreciative of what I have, and constantly remind myself that the world is my oyster!

Rachel, PR Executive, 24

As a PR executive, what kind of stresses and anxieties do you face regularly?
Mornings are often a whirlwind of stress and a knot of worry in the pit of my stomach. If I miss out on an email, I can expect a irate text or call almost immediately from my manager to berate me about it as I am on the train rushing to work, and sometimes questioning my dedication to the job.

While the post-project aftermath can be rewarding, public relations is a highly demanding, fast-paced and unforgiving industry. Learning how to manage client expectations as well as those of my team is a daily struggle. For instance, a client previously demanded for a certain time-consuming task to be done at absurdly short notice on a Friday and the director agreed to it without first consulting my manager if it was possible. It fell to me to sort it out, nevermind if it leaked into my weekend and I ended up working non-stop, because the director only cared about pleasing the client.

The job doesn't end even when you get home, or when the weekend begins. My manager has quite often messaged and called me over the weekend and on public holidays to discuss work-related issues, so I am constantly on edge wondering if I will get another work call during the weekend.

How have you dealt with stress and anxiety while on the job?
I swallow any pent-up frustration that I might be experiencing with a morning cup of coffee while listening to my favourite songs to mentally steel myself for the day ahead.

I often get bored too as some of the tasks can be rather monotonous, so I sometimes find a different spot in the office for a change of scenery, have a quick chat with a friendly colleague or stretch my legs outside for a bit. If something riles me, I head out of the office for a quick walk to try and gather my thoughts, and collect what is left of my sanity before going back in.

Has the job altered your mental/emotional health or your relationships in any way?
It has definitely taken a huge toll on my mental and emotional health. Despite all these coping rituals, the toxic environment and ridiculous demands of the job often get the better of me. I become less confident in myself when I'm being micro-managed, and constantly questioned over every single little thing. I've started developing anxiety over work, usually breaking down a few times every week, and becoming more impatient and irritable with people. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, this pattern of emotional pressure regretfully led to the breakdown of a long-term relationship, and some friendships.

How do you see your self-care routine developing in the future?
I recognise that this might be coming from a position of privilege, but if the situation permits, be in a job that is not just financially rewarding, but also mentally and emotionally so. Your mental health comes first. If no one is dying, the matter can wait until the next day.

Being brave, especially in our work culture in Singapore, is underrated. Have the courage to put yourself first and take charge of an unsatisfying work situation to correct your work life balance. Don't go through life hating your career. At the end of the day when you get into bed, you deserve to look back on the day and feel happy over your job thinking, "Hell yes, I earned this!"

Emma, 35, Buyer at a struggling department store

As a buyer at a struggling retailer, what kind of stresses and anxieties do you face regularly?
The prospect of retrenchment. I'm about five months pregnant now too, which doesn't ease my fears that I might be fired for a 'younger' model. My mother suggested that I should join a union, but I didn't get around to it, so I'm not sure if I have any rights should they decide to retrench me while I'm on my maternity leave.

How have you dealt with stress and anxiety that have been created by your job?
I do yoga and keep a stress ball at my desk. I've also employed a domestic helper to assist with chores at home and to take care of my daughter. It's good to know things are settled at home while everything at work is spiraling!