According to a report published on msn.com, it’s not just lonely at the top, it’s stressful.
Compiling research from the Jobs Rated Almanac 2001 and Best Jobs for the 21st Century, msn‘s Allen Hoffman concluded that being a CEO was one of the top five most stressful jobs. Keeping company with the bigwigs of corporations and stress were air traffic controllers, fire fighters, police officers and even taxi drivers.
Reasons given for the high levels of stress found in CEOs were the pressures to “please everyone from stockholders and board members to employees and customers,” as well as the high financial stakes. While the stressors associated with air traffic control, fire fighting and police work include quick decisions, dangers associated with the job, and fear of the unknown, taxi drivers were given marks for high stress because of complaining and impatient passengers.
According to the American Psychological Association, small bouts of stress can be healthy, but continual stressful situations keep the body in “a constant state of activation,” increasing the rate of wear to biological systems and ultimately making a person more susceptible to illness or injury.
For CEOs and cab drivers who are contemplating career changes to keep work-related stress at bay, the msn report listed the healthiest professions